Monthly Archives: December 2020

ARLINGTON, Texas – Technology allows for modern sports to do some different things to help make game plans before a game and adjustments during. Rodeo cowboys do that, too. Take Wyatt Casper, for example. He didn’t know anything about his Saturday night horse, Andrews Rodeo Co.’s Positive Times, but he did some investigating. He found that the animal’s name had been changed, and then watched some videos. It paid off quite well, as the two danced across the dirt at Globe Life Field for 87.5 points to finish second in the third go-round. That was worth $20,731 and pushed Casper’s National Finals Rodeo earnings to more than $62,000 in just three nights. “I just had some Instagram and Facebook videos Sammy had posted of him to go off of, and a couple of guys who had been on him lately, and he looked like fun to me,” said Casper, who increased his lead in the saddle bronc riding world standings to nearly $39,000. “It was a blast. This is fun. It has been a different feeling getting on all these good horses and being able to ride them.” He’s been riding well all season. He kicked off his campaign by winning The American at AT&T Stadium, which is directly west of the Rangers’ ballpark in Arlington. He pocketed $603,000 in March, of which $50,000 counted toward the PRCA’s world standings. He then added another $95,000 through the rest of the regular season to enter ProRodeo’s grand finale atop the world standings. Ryder Wright, the 2017 world champion from Utah, had gained ground on Casper over the first two nights, but the Miami, Texas, cowboy stayed strong. He has placed in the first three go-rounds and feels as strong as he has all season. He also became the first ProRodeo contestant this year to cross the $200,000 mark in season earnings. He sits at $207,600 and still has seven more nights to add to that total. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I’m beyond blessed to be here and compete against all those great guys who are just as happy for me to win as they are if they did. It’s just a great bunch of guys. “It’s been that way all year. If you need picked up from the airport, you just look at the list and call one of your buddies, and they’ll drive an hour out of their way to get you. That’s just how rodeo is.” This has been a season of mostly ups for Casper, who also earned his first NFR qualification. Of course, winning that kind of money at one rodeo will do that to anyone. It’s life-changing, but he has bigger visions for his career, and gold buckles are part of his dreams most nights. “I’ve had a lot of good times and very few bad times, and just being here and being able to put the whole thing together is amazing,” said Casper, the 2016 college national champion while competing at Clarendon (Texas) College. “You want to keep chunking away on the and hope you come out on top. “I’m having a blast. I’ve got my whole family here, and we’re all having fun hanging out.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – Jess Pope arrived at the 2020 National Finals Rodeo as a man on a mission, and he’s getting to live out a fantasy life in real time. “I came here with a goal, and I’m just taking it one horse at a time,” said Pope, 22, a first-time NFR qualifier in bareback riding from Waverly, Kansas. “I’m really enjoying this moment. It’s what I’ve dreamed about my entire life, and I’m here getting to live it now; it’s more than you could ever imagine.” On Saturday night, he earned is second paycheck in three nights by riding C5 Rodeo’s Black Eye for 86 points to finish fourth in the go-round. That’s worth $11,000, and he pushed his NFR earnings to $39,192. More importantly, he’s moved up two spots to ninth in the world standings with $88,804. In the one round in which he didn’t place – he finished in a tie for second place in Thursday’s opening night – he still rode well and sits tied for third place in the aggregate standings with 255.5 cumulative points on three rides. If that continues, he will continue to climb up the money list. Saturday’s round featured the “Eliminator Pen,” the toughest-to-ride bareback horses in the game. Black Eye definitely fit into that category. “I’d only seen him once, but I did my homework on him,” said Pope, a senior at Missouri Valley College. ‘I knew he was really going to buck and have a big rear out of the chutes, and it was going to be a dog fight. He throws his big old head back in the air, and he pushes those shoulders down. “He then whacks you in the back. It’s a boxing match the whole time. The only think I could think before I got on was, ‘If you’re going to start a fight, you better finish it and if he backs you in a corner, you better be ready to fight your way out.’ That’s what I did.” Bareback riding is often likened to a boxing match or even a street fight. The powerful equine animals can pack quite a whollop, and the best way to counter that is to punch back; in this case, it comes in the form of the spurring motion. With the “Eliminator Pen” of horses, their right cross is just a little bit harder than the others. “I was a little nervous, but we’re bucking horse riders,” he said. “That’s what we were called to do, and that’s what we live for. It’s about being able to get on them. Anybody could ride a fluffy hopper (the easiest-to-ride broncs), but not everyone can ride those son-of-a-bucks.” There are 100 bucking horses selected by the bareback riders to perform at the NFR. They are broken down in to five pens, with 20 horses in each. The Round 3 and 8 horses are the rankest of them all, but there will be opportunities for a variety of mounts. ProRodeo’s grand finale is meant to be a test for everyone in the top 15 in each event, and it allows each bareback rider to challenge himself against the best bucking beasts in the game for 10 nights. “We get two more nights in a row of easier horses, then it’s back to the buckers again,” Pope said. “I’m ready for them every round. I’m excited for it.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – In a pen of really tough horses, Mason Clements found a familiar foe in Frontier Rodeo’s Show Stomper. “That was the fourth time I’ve had Show Stomper,” said Clements, 28, of Spanish Fork, Utah. “That was definitely the hardest I’ve ever been hit by Show Stomper but not the rankest trip.” Scores are based on a 100-point scale, with half going to how well the animal performs and half going to how well the cowboy rides the animal. In bareback riding, the cowboy is scored on how well he can spur in rhythm with the horse’s bucking motion. On Saturday night, Clements and the big bay matched moves for 83 points, good enough for sixth place in the third round and worth $4,231. It was the second time in three nights Clements has earned a paycheck at this year’s National Finals Rodeo. “I’ve just got to go back to the basics and be no different than riding my spur board at home,” he said. “You’ve got to be super strong and super-fast. You have to keep your chin tucked down and keep everything together.” That’s easier said than done on horses like that. The third round featured the “Eliminator Pen” of bareback horses, meaning they were the toughest to ride. The cowboys will have one more sot to ride them this next Thursday during the eighth round. It can be a true test of man vs. beast. “I feel good, and I feel like we’re just getting primed up,” Clements said. “It’s a marathon, so you’ve got to just keep your head in the game. My body is doing good, so it’s just mental work now.” The NFR features only the top 15 cowboys on the money list from the regular season. This is set up to be a test of how well each man can ride different types of animals. There are 100 horses that the 15 cowboys select to be at Globe Life Field in Arlington, and they’re set up in five types of pens. “The next few rounds are going to be really fun, especially with the horses like (Sunday), which are just going to be super nice, easy-to-ride horses,” he said. “Then the next night will be my favorite round and favorite pen of horses, the TV pen, a mix between the semi-eliminators and the eliminators. They will give you a shot to ride them, but if you stub your toe a little bit, they’ll make you look like you’re on and eliminator. “I just love those horses. I eat those horses right up.” He’s earned $32,423 in just three nights. He has moved up two spots to seventh in the world standings, and he’s hungry for more. The good news is he has seven more plates of bucking horses in front of him.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Even though he’s just a first-time National Finals Rodeo competitor, Jacob Edler realizes that it’s a long 10 days and many things can happen. After struggling a tad on Night 2, he rebounded quite well during Saturday’s third go-round, knocking down his steer in 3.8 seconds to finish in a tie for fifth place. That was worth $5,500 and pushed his NFR earnings to $24,384. “I feel like I did my job,” said Edler, 26, of State Center, Iowa. “I got as good of a start as I could. I caught the steer’s head and got him laid over. He didn’t have as much action as some of the other ones tonight, but it worked out.” The times were insanely fast. A 3.8-second run would have won either of the first two rounds, but it settled for fifth place on Night 3. “A lot of guys went over to Amarillo this fall, and we got to sort through them,” he said. “We knew what they were. It was the hardest pen to pick, because all of the steers were so good. It makes for an even bulldogging. The guys that got the best starts and get out of the steer’s way can win a lot of money.” It can be difficult to manage the situations, especially with so much money being paid out each night. This is ProRodeo’s premier event, and go-round winners will pocket $26,231 each night. It takes a solid team – his hazer, Kodie Jang, his horse and the horse Jang rides – to manage all the challenges that come with a competition like this. “That horse, Ditto, is working great,” Edler said. “She might have been a little tight the first two nights, and that might’ve been caused by me and the NFR jitters. I felt like tonight she back in the box and didn’t bat an eye. Kodie Jang did his job like he always does. It is vital to allow the steer just the right head start. By not doing so, the bulldogger will break a string that is attached to a rope barrier, then will be penalized 10 seconds. The key is to have the horse’s shoulders hit that barrier rope at the same time the steer hits that head-start line. “Doing this well feels great,” he said. “I just need to keep on the barrier and keep doing my job. They’re not going to keep me from walking across the street (to the go-round buckle ceremony) before this NFR’s over.” He’s a man on a mission.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The history behind Richmond Champion and the bucking horse Killer Bee was not all that great. Things needed to change if his hopes of winning a world championship were going to happen. They did during Saturday’s third go-round of the National Finals Rodeo at Globe Life Field, with the two powerful athletes matching moves together 87.5 points to finish in third place. “I tried to treat her like she’s any other horse,” he said of the Beutler & Son Rodeo bronc that was named the 2019 Bareback Horse of the Year and is well established as one of the hardest-to-ride horses in the sport. “Between her drop, my rigging falling between my legs, you never know when it’s going to stop. “Of course, then she hits you in the back because she’s kicking over vertical. That’s just a fist fight every single time, and I’ve been on her three times now. It’s a battle not just until the whistle blows but until you’re off on the pickup man.” The third round in bareback riding features the “Eliminator Pen,” which sometimes can prove to be near impossible to make eight seconds on. If the cowboys do make a qualified ride, the tougher horses make the rides less picturesque. That’s happened before with Champion and Killer Bee. “My main goal was to get a good picture on her, because I didn’t get that last year,” he said with a laugh. “I’m tickled. To place on her gives me all the confidence in the world.” The difference in rides came with the adjustments that came during the eight seconds. Because of her bucking ability, Killer Bee has a way of controlling the ride. A year ago, she limited Champion’s hip movement, and won the battle. “Today my feet were coming back to the rigging, and she rolled my hips back again,” he said. “I was able to fight back and get my hips back under me. I’d say my last two spur strokes were the best ones I made the whole ride. “In the middle of the ride, I wasn’t able to get control with my feet, so I was all on my arm, and that’s not at all what I want. I saw all the roof I want to see.” With his ride, Champion pocketed $15,654 and pushed his NFR earnings to $51,885. He sits third in the world standings with $115,034. “I feel really good,” said Champion, who won the opening round. “My first horse was underneath you and gave you a lot of time to make a good ride … the kind you can wind a round on like you want. The horse (Friday), I had to go more back to the basics and play this marathon. “The way this week is going, I’m happy with everything. The first four rounds is about getting the soreness out, then come Round 5, you feel really good and are ready to go on all cylinders.” He’s making the moves necessary.

ARLINGTON, Texas – In just three nights of ProRodeo’s championship event, Bridger Anderson has made a name for himself. The steer wrestler from Carrington, North Dakota, has placed in just two rounds, but he’s placed high. He won Friday’s round, then he tied for second place in Saturday’s third go-round with his fastest run of the week. He grappled his steer to the ground in 3.6 seconds to tie Louisianan Jacob Talley and earn $18,192. In all, he’s pocketed $51,673 at Globe Life Field in Arlington and has pushed his season earnings to $95,550. He has moved up nine places to second in the world standings. “We knew we had a good one that ran a little bit,” said Anderson, a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I took a fairly aggressive start, and I wasn’t sure if I broke the barrier.” If he had, he would have suffered a 10-second penalty, but that didn’t happen. He grabbed ahold of the animal’s head, then stopped the clock in a hurry. Only Will Lummus of Mississippi was faster, but by just one-tenth of a second. “That steer was good and felt awesome,” Anderson said. “Looking up and seeing 3.6, I was excited. Stockton (Graves, his hazer) did a great job lining him out for me, and my horse allowed me to get my feet on the ground.” Steer wrestling is always a tight race, and this year is no different. Anderson trails the leader, Matt Reeves, by just $6,900 with seven nights in a row. Although he didn’t earn a check in the opening round, he has performed well enough to sit fourth in the aggregate race with a cumulative time of 13.1 seconds on three runs. “I’m feeling really comfortable,” he said. “The first night, I missed the start and ran him a long way. We knew we had to clean that up. As long as I hit the start and keep making solid runs, I feel real confident about the next seven nights. “I’m really comfortable with my hazer and my horse. Everything feels really confident right now.” Between performances, Anderson takes care of himself and spends time with family, something he doesn’t get to do through the year while living 800 miles from home. Graves, who also serves as the rodeo coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State, handles the horses and makes sure everything’s ready by the time the rounds begin at 7 p.m. each night. “Stockton’s in charge of the horses this week,” Anderson said. “He’s been to the NFR seven times as a bulldogger and several other times outside of when he’s qualified. I’m entrusting him with the horses this week. I can trust him with about anything. “We’ll talk about the draw, but really we bulldog thousands of steers. Take what you’ve got drawn, and see what happens from there.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Tim O’Connell doesn’t want to admit it, but he was a little shaken after his first-round ride at the 2020 National Finals Rodeo. The three-time world champion bareback rider put together what many considered a strong ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady Nights, a horse he’d had high scores on before. The judges marked the ride 82.5 points, and O’Connell finished in ninth place; only the top six earn a paycheck in each round. Things changed for the better Friday night, when the Zwingle, Iowa, cowboy matched moves with Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Kat for 86.5 points – just a half point off the lead. O’Connell finished in a three-way tie with newcomer Leighton Berry and four-time world champion Kaycee Feild for second place in the second round. “I feel like I made the very best ride on both those horses,” he said. “I went to bed pretty uneasy last night wondering how I didn’t get a check. To only be 82.5 on a horse I’ve been 90 and 87 on tried to rock my confidence. “After that ride tonight, it feels like a weight’s been lifted and the NFR’s just beginning. My confidence is back. I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.  I feel like I’m riding the best I’ve ever ridden at this point.” Everything went better on the NFR’s second night for O’Connell. He matched moves a horse he’s been on several times, and they made magical things happen. “That’s the same ol’ Black Kat,” he said. “I’ve been on that horse four or five times, and she always gives you a chance to win. With that time off this year, I think that really helped her. She felt strong, and she wanted to hit me every jump a little harder than what I remember. She was awesome, and she’s been so consistent. I had her one other time at the NFR, and I’ve won second on her twice now. “I got rolling right out of the chute. I didn’t overhaul her, but I don’t know if that was a horse I could overhaul. I just wanted to show my aggressive style and get the job done.” The job of elite bareback riders continues for eight more nights, and tomorrow’s work load is quite heavy. Round 3 features the hardest-to-ride horses in bareback riding known as the “Eliminator Pen.” “Saturday is the E-pen, which is scary, but I feel like those are my types of pens,” O’Connell said. “I don’t like getting on them, but I’m willing to go to war. It’s going to be a dogfight, but it’s a dogfight for everybody.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – Wyatt Casper was just moments away from his first go-round victory on Friday night during the second performance of the National Finals Rodeo. Casper matched moves with Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Valley for 89 points to thrust himself into the saddle bronc riding lead. Then 2017 world champion Ryder Wright took his shot, and Casper fell to second place by a single point. “That just shows the caliber of the guys that are here,” said Casper, 24, of Miami, Texas. “I’ll take second place every round if they let me.” The biggest payday each night is $26,231, and it goes to the winner, but second place pays pretty well, too. Casper pocketed $20,731 and pushed his NFR earnings to $41,731. He remains No. 1 in the world standings, leading the money list with $186,869. “That horse tonight was a lot snappier tonight than what I was expecting out of him,” he said. “When I first crawled in the chute, he smashed me and knocked the air out of me. Then he got ahead of me out of the chutes. That sucker was bucking, so I just kept lifting hard.” In bronc riding, the rein is the leverage point to help the cowboy not only stay in the saddle, but lifting the rein as the animal bucks allows each man to perform at a high level. As the spurring stroke happens, the cowboys want to make sure their feet are in the proper place each jump. Half the points are given for how well the animal bucks, while the cowboy earns the other half for how well he rides in rhythm with the horse. To get a score like 89 points, everything had to go well for both athletes. “You can feel it when you’re beating him to the ground,” Casper said, referring to his spurring motion returning to points above the animal’s shoulders as its front hooves hit the ground. “You know it’s good, then you just hope the judges feel the same.” He is one of four cowboys who have placed in both the opening rounds of this year’s championship. He has the second-highest cumulative score on two rides, just a point and a half behind Wright. “Placing that first night helped a bunch,” he said. “I messed with my saddle before (Friday). I felt like my stirrups were a little long, so I shortened them up a notch. I felt like my feet were a little bit snappier. Changing the stirrups made me a little nervous, and I thought about changing them back even after I had the saddle on the horse. “I’m glad I didn’t.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – Tanner Aus knows how important it is to have a good start at the National Finals Rodeo. Now in his fifth appearance at ProRodeo’s grand championship, the Granite Falls, Minnesota, cowboy has seen a variety of experiences over the years. It can be a true roller coaster of finishes and experiences. After falling off the pace during Thursday’s first round, Aus knew he had the chance to make his fortunes change Friday night. He rode Hi Lo Pro Rodeo’s Wilson Sanchez for 87 points to win the second round and pocket $26,231. He moved up four spots to fourth in the bareback riding world standings with eight nights remaining on the 2020 ProRodeo season. “That was a great big, scary bay horse, and he’s in great shape and had a great trip,” Aus said. “There’s no better place to have a good ride than the National Finals, and I was happy it worked out.  I’m standing there in the winner’s circle in Round 2 against a tough field of competition this year. It means a lot to be here.” He actually got a decent start in the opening round, scoring 83 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog. He was seventh in the round, but the NFR pays only the top six spots on the leaderboard. Scoring the winning ride a night later did some big things to the Minnesota cowboy. “It’s definitely a confidence-builder,” he said. “Everybody wants to jump out there and win the first round and the second round. It helps get momentum going, but it’s 10 rounds long. Last year I put myself out of the average in the first round, and I scraped my way back into the average by the 10th round. “Anything can happen. You just have to focus on one horse at a time.” Because of the pandemic, the NFR was moved from its typical home in Las Vegas for a year, and Globe Life Field in Arlington has opened its doors to the world’s best cowboys and cowgirls for the season. The Thomas & Mack Center is the basketball arena for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, so playing in the home of the Texas Rangers is a bit different than what’s been seen in recent years. “There are pros and cons to the switch,” Aus said. “The atmosphere is different, but it’s still great. The competition is the same. The guys are as hungry as ever. We put on as many miles this year as we ever have, and we rode for less money, so I’m glad we have an NFR. “I love how it’s set up. We’re in a baseball park, so it looks like a diamond.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – Ever since he was a youngster, Bridger Anderson has dreamed of competing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage. Once at the National Finals Rodeo, he wanted to prove just why he deserved to be here. After having a bit of a struggle on opening night, Anderson decided it was time to make something happen. His 3.8-second run on Friday night did just that. He shared the go-round victory with two-time world champion Tyler Waguespack and pocketed $23,481 in the process. “Last night we didn’t have as much luck as we wanted,” said Anderson, 22, of Carrington, North Dakota, now a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “We came in tonight, and I wanted to be a little more focuses and a little more confident in myself. It paid off. We had a good steer, we made a good start, and that was a lot of fun.” Anderson entered the NFR 10th in the steer wrestling world standings. He knocked his first steer down in 5.7 seconds, which was the 11th-best run of the night. The refocusing made a lot of difference. He pushed his season earnings to $77,357 and moved up to fourth on the money list. Waguespack is just one spot ahead in the standings, so both men capitalized on a good situation. “I’ve looked up to Tyler for a long time,” Anderson said. “Watching him at the NFRs and getting to compete against him, in a way, is a dream come true. I’ve studied his bulldogging a lot and taken things he’s done and applied that to my own. It’s great that I get to split a round with him. It’s kind of surreal.” Even at a young age, Anderson is no stranger to winning. He’s been a winner through various stages of his life. As a freshman in college, he won the inaugural Ote Berry’s Junior Steer Wrestling world championship. He was 18 years old. A year and a half later, he earned his biggest prize of his lifetime by winning the steer wrestling national championship at the 2019 College National Finals Rodeo. Since the college finale was canceled because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, he remains the reigning titlist. He still utilizes the education he receives in Alva, Oklahoma, by traveling the rodeo trail with his coach, Stockton Graves, who is also serving as Anderson’s hazer helping keep the steers lined out for the most optimum runs possible. “Before the run, he just said, ‘You’ve got a good one, so get a good start,’ ” Anderson said of Graves. “ ‘Be aggressive, and just go out and have some fun.’ ” The fun continued, as the cowboy took his victory lap alongside Waguespack. “That was pretty awesome,” he said. “I was riding stirrups that are about half my length because they’re set for bareback riders and queens. It’s pretty cool to make that lap and hear everybody cheer.” In North Dakota, they’re still cheering.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Jace Melvin needed a little space and a little time to collect his thoughts. He took it Thursday, the day of the opening round of his first trip to the National Finals Rodeo. He stayed at his place in Stephenville – 80-90 miles southwest of Globe Life Field – and made some practice runs, then he turned off his phone. He didn’t turn it back on until Friday. In the interim, he put on a display that proved why he’s one of the top 15 steer wrestlers in the game, knocking down his steer in 4.1 seconds to finish sixth in Thursday’s first round. It was worth $4,231. He has now pushed his season earnings to $60,456. More importantly, he gained a little more confidence heading into the final nine nights of the 2020 ProRodeo season. “I wasn’t nervous, but more anxious to go run that first one,” said Melvin, who is originally from Fort Pierre, South Dakota. “With all the stuff going on, the running around and the extra things you do, I just wanted to focus my attention on getting that steer thrown down.” Mission accomplished. It was a tough competition. There were three men who tied for first place with 3.9-second runs; they each pocketed nearly $21,000. Melvin was two-tenths behind them, and he fell to the bottom spot in the money order. “That is the best pen of steers we have, and we voted for them to go four times,” he said, noting that there are three pens of bulldogging steers and 10 rounds, so one pen would run more than the other two. “I didn’t think there was a bad steer in that pen, but I knew I had a good opportunity to win something. “We executed. I got a good start, and I finished the run strong. I was just tickled to scratch a little bit of money to start this NFR. It took a little bit of the weight off my shoulders, too. It just made me realize there’s money to be won here, so let’s go get it.” Melvin is riding a horse owned by fellow NFR steer wrestler Jule Hazen, who serves as Melvin’s hazer and helps guide the steer in a more direct path to help the bulldogger make a smoother run. Hazen was the second bulldogger to run and finished in 4.4 seconds; while he was just half a second off the lead, Hazen finished out of the money and in eighth place in the round. “The horse worked great and put my feet on the ground in a great spot,” Melvin said. “I had an opportunity to win the round if I would have made a little snappier run, and I bobbled my feet just a little bit. That’s something I can adjust and change as we go forward.” Like all sports, rodeo is about making the right adjustments to ensure the best outcomes. There was a surreal moment before the action began that Melvin realized the magnitude of what was taking place and that he’s in a position to win a world championship. “You’ve done what you’re doing your whole life, but you haven’t done it at that level,” he said. “I was just super glad to get one run. I feel better (Friday) than I did the day before. I was a little anxious, but now I feel good. “Now let’s do what we’ve done all year and everything I’ve been doing the last five years building up to this and take advantage of why we’re here.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – It’s about 85 miles from Wyatt Casper’s place in Miami, Texas, to the Beutler & Son Rodeo Co. ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma. Casper is familiar with the family-based rodeo company that’s been around as long as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He’s seen plenty of good animals over the years, even in his relatively short career of five years. That’s why he felt very comfortable during the first round of his first National Finals Rodeo. “I don’t think I could have hand-picked a better horse to get on,” Casper said after his 85-point ride on Beutler’s Nutrena’s Rage to finish fourth in saddle bronc riding on opening night and earn $11,000 in the process. “I was a little nervous crawling down on him in the chute and still a little nervous on him out in the arena. It was a fun, great ride.” Yes, it was. Casper showed off the style that not only carried him to ProRodeo’s grand championship for the first time, but sent him into the NFR atop the world standings. He remains there with nearly a $30,000 lead over the No. 2 man, former world champion Ryder Wright. Alas, Wright finished a spot higher in the go-round and closed the ground, which is what makes the NFR so exciting. Many things can happen over a 10-day championship. “I’ve been on this horse in Tucson (Arizona) in ’19, and I was 84.5 points on him there,” Casper said. “It’s nice to gain a half point on him, especially at the NFR. That’s a good-feeling sucker.  I’ve seen him a bunch, and he’s got the same trip every time. The Beutlers have a really good horse with that one.” That’s what the NFR features. Not only is it home to the top 15 contestants in each event, the rodeo features the top animals from across the country. The cowboys select them, so they know what’s going to give them the biggest tests and what’s going to offer them the best opportunity to cash in at the NFR. Collecting any cash in a setting like this is big, but it was especially critical for Casper. He needed a pick-me-up, and a first-round payday was just the thing. “I’ve been nervous for two weeks, and I was really nervous all day leading up to it,” he said. “Once I hit the ground, I had a bit of weight lifted off my shoulders. A week ago, I went to Gruver, Texas, to get on three practice horses. I fell off two horses and rodeo one. That made me real nervous to come out here. “Getting this one rode, I hope this will just steamroll things for me.” It was definitely a confidence-booster.

ARLINGTON, Texas – On Sept. 30, Chad Rutherford accomplished a longtime dream of advancing to the National Finals Rodeo. In the two months that led up to Thursday’s opening night, the excitement and magnitude of his accomplishment has continued to build. Being from Texas and having the NFR just an hour from his home in Hillsboro instead of its typical home in Las Vegas might have just been the cherry on top of a terrific sundae. “As far as nerves to, I was just really excited more than anything,” said Rutherford, who earned his first NFR paycheck by riding Calgary Stampede’s Agent Lynx for 84.5 points Thursday; he finished sixth, worth $4,231. “I haven’t hardly slept in three days because I was so excited. “Leading up to it (Thursday), with me being first out and as fast paced as it was, there was not time for me to think about it. I had about a minute and a half looking at my horse, so there wasn’t enough time to worry about it, much less think about what was going on.” It paid off. He and Agent Lynx danced across the Globe Life Field dirt in perfect rhythm, with Rutherford’s spurring motion matching the horse’s bucking style. That’s why he earned a paycheck. The NFR features only the top 15 contestants in each event pays out only the top six places. That means Rutherford’s score was higher that most that rode. “Words can’t describe getting on my first horse at the NFR,” he said. “The ride itself couldn’t have gone any better. I had an awesome feeling of accomplishment whenever I heard the whistle. It was just pure excitement. “Having your name beside a Calgary bucking horse at the NFR typically brings a check home, and that’s just from watching past NFRs. Nine times out of 10 if you’re on a Calgary horse, you’re going to win money.” The COVID-19 pandemic forced many big changes on 2020, and it looks to be aggravating things into the next year. One of those is the NFR, which was moved to Globe Life Field because of limitations in Nevada. The arena is much different than that of the Thomas & Mack Center, home to the NFR for more than 35 years. The building in Las Vegas is about the size of a hockey rink, while the dirt inside the Rangers’ ballpark is fashioned in the shape of a diamond, only smaller than normal to allow for pens, a warmup area and contestants all in the outfield. With the state of Texas allowing 50 percent capacity, the spacious Globe Life Field offered plenty of seating and space for social distancing. Of course, none of that would matter to Rutherford, whether he was in Las Vegas, Arlington or the rodeo in Weatherford, Texas. “The way I prepare to ride, I typically don’t even look more than 20 feet past the bucking chutes,” he said. “As I was walking up to the arena, there was definitely a moment of awe, saying I was here. Once I got in there, my whole focus was on the horse. “I like to pick my spot. There was a little flat spot about 30 feet out in that arena, and that’s as far as I wanted that horse to get away from the chutes. I like to visualize my ride before anything happens.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – At just 22 years old, Jess Pope has already played on some of the biggest stages in ProRodeo. He’s ridden at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. He’s competed at AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs. He’s spurred bareback horses at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. On Thursday night, he competed at quite possibly the biggest rodeo of them all, Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers and, most importantly for him, the 2020 National Finals Rodeo. “This place is awesome,” said Pope, a first-time NFR qualifier from Waverly, Kansas. “I don’t know what it looks like from up in the stands, but on the ground it’s really cool. I’m truly blessed and excited that I get to be here. “It’s a big arena, and it’s easy to get lost in. I thought I was going to have to pull up my GPS on my phone just to get around. It leaves you speechless.” It’s also a big moment, and it seems the young gun is thriving. On Thursday night, he rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s William Wallace for 87 points to finish in a tie for second place. That was worth $18,192 and pushed the senior at Missouri Valley College up three spots to eighth in the world standings. “It was awesome, and I don’t know how to explain it,” he said. “I just had to go out there and do my job. I’d been on that horse before. I was really glad to have him. It was a blur from the time I got on him until I got off.” The picture may have been blurry, but Pope’s focus is on point. It’s been that way for a long time. He began riding ponies when he was a youngster while also competing in other events. He trained his attention to bareback riding just a few years ago. Last season, he finished among the top 30 in the world standings. This year, though, he picked things up, even though the COVID-19 global pandemic made every situation tougher. There were fewer rodeos than a normal year, so he was battling face to face with the best in the world at every place in which he competed. “I was a little bit nervous, but honestly, it wasn’t much,” Pope said. “I dreamed and prepared for this my whole life. I came in very confident, and I was just excited. I’ve been on most of these horses before. People have told me I’m not here by accident, so I have to believe in that. I was just really excited to go out there and show my stuff. “I’m right where I want to be.  I have a goal to win the average and see where that puts me in the world standings. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I used up my first one. I just have to go out there after it, and the cards are going to fall where they lay.” He may be just 22 years old, but Pope has his mind locked in.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Let’s face it; Clayton Biglow got a little bit spoiled at the 2019 National Finals Rodeo. The Clements, California, bareback rider won at least a share of five go-rounds, including four outright, and pocketed $243,891 – that was the most of any contestant at last year’s championship event. On Thursday night, he started off the 2020 finale strong by riding Flying U Rodeo’s Lil Red Hawk for 85 points to finish in a tie for fourth in the opening round. “I was damn sure happy to win a check,” said Biglow, 24, a five-time NFR qualifier. “I am going for round wins, but if you’re in the money, you better be happy.” Every dollar can add up, and he knows as well as anyone. He pocketed $8,885 Thursday but has nine rounds remaining to make up ground. He remains fifth in the world standings with just shy of $90,000. The match-up with Lil Red Hawk featured two elite athletes from California. Flying U Rodeo Co. is based in Marysville, California, which is just 82 miles north of Biglow’s home in the northern part of the state. “That was the third time I’d been on her, but the first time at the NFR,” he said. “She’s an old campaigner, but she’s still good. She’s a solid pick. I was excited to see I’d drawn her. I’ve been wanting to draw her. She got me to the NFR the first year I qualified, after I won Reno (Nevada) on her. “She had a better trip today; she was better than me.” That’s an athlete getting hyper critical of his performance, but only the top six in each go-round make money. With 15 cowboys in the field, that means he must have a better score than the majority of the bareback riders. This was a much different season than any before because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. There fewer rodeos and fewer opportunities. Biglow competed at 40 less rodeos than he did the season before. Plus, the NFR has a traditional home in Las Vegas, but it was moved this year because of limitations in Nevada because of COVID. Globe Life Field is home to the Texas Rangers, and it features a unique setting for ProRodeo’s grand finale. It’s just across the road from AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys and The American, a unique event that offers incredible payouts and became part of ProRodeo’s regular season in 2019. “This arena is awesome, but it’s got more of an American vibe than a Las Vegas NFR vibe,” Biglow said. “With everything going on, you just glad that we’re having an NFR. It’s still great. You’re still surrounded by the best guys in the world. “When you’re behind the bucking chutes, you still feel at home. It’s still a great setup.” Of course, another world championship is on the line, so he should feel quite comfortable.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The city has changed, and so has the venue, but it’s still ProRodeo’s world championship. That’s important for Mason Clements, now a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Spanish Fork, Utah. Because of COVID-19 limitations at the NFR’s typical home in Las Vegas, the sport’s premier event has moved to Globe Life Field in Arlington. “That felt good,” said Clements, who rode Cervi Brothers’ Ain’t No Angel for 87 points to finish in a tie for second place in the opening round of the 2020 finale. “It felt good to be in Texas, and it felt good to be at the NFR. I’m happy we’re having it, and we’ve got nine rounds to go. It’s a good start. “I’m not jacked up about it yet. I’ve still got a lot of work to do. I’ve got to keep my head down and keep the main goal in my mind.” That goal? He wants to win the NFR average by having the best 10-ride cumulative score by the time the event concludes Dec. 12. With that, he hopes to gain enough money to walk away with the most coveted prize in the game, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle that is awarded to world champions. “I hadn’t been on that horse, but everyone was telling me she was going to come out of the chute and circle back tight to the left,” said Clements, 28, who attended the College of Southern Idaho on a rodeo scholarship. “She came out and was around to the right. “You’ve still got to ride them jump for jump. You can’t bank on what someone tells you or your past experiences. I think I just did that.” With that, he pocketed $18,192 and moved up two spots to seventh in the world standings. “As far as building off this, it’s a great start, but my confidence is the same,” he said. “I have the vision in mind, and I have to keep that going the rest of the rounds. I’m going to take what I’ve done and be happy with what I have. It’s not over until the 10th round, so you’ve got to keep your head down and keep focused on the task at hand.” That’s helped somewhat by the safety measures officials are taking during the pandemic. Most years, cowboys spend much of their days with appearances and other commitments. That isn’t happening this year. In addition, Globe Life Field has a seating capacity of 40,300, yet Texas is allowing just 50 percent of that to allow for social distancing. “I’m taking advantage of it, but I miss signing autographs, meeting people and shaking hands,” Clements said. “The arena feels good and feels cool. It’s big, but I want to hear fans screaming and yelling like we hear in Las Vegas.” The Thomas & Mack Center in the Nevada desert seats less than 18,000, but it’s packed and the roof is much lower. The sound reverberation is much different than the home of the Texas Rangers. “This is such a great building,” he said. “It all feels NFR to me.” That’s really all that matters.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The nerves that come with being a newcomer at the National Finals Rodeo can be a bit troubling to some first-timers playing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage for the first time. Jacob Edler isn’t a typical newcomer. He’s got a different mentality than most, and it paid off on Thursday’s opening night inside Globe Life Field in Arlington. He wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.0 seconds to finish in a tie for fourth place, with $8,885. By doing so, he moved up two spots to seventh in the world standings with nine nights remaining on the season. “I was very calm,” said Edler, 26, of State Center, Iowa, who attended Western Oklahoma State College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University on rodeo scholarships. “I felt like I was very mentally prepared to run that steer. I visualized what it was going to be like running my first steer at my first NFR, and my visualization came to life.” Yes, it did. The NFR pays only six places in each round, so Edler has to finish faster than most of the field if he’s going to cash in. This is also the toughest game to play in rodeo, with big money and world championships on the line. The Iowa cowboy didn’t let any of it divert his attention from the task at hand. Riding Shane Frey’s horse Ditto, Edler made a businessman’s run. It’s the horse that Edler rode to the NFR; Frey just recently purchased the mare from Canadian bulldogger Clayton Moore, who had allowed Edler and other cowboys to ride the horse through the season. “Everything just worked perfect tonight,” Edler said. “My horse backed in the box, stood there great and let me get a great start. (Hazer) Kodie Jang did a great job of kicking that steer back to me. I may have put too much power on that steer, but it worked out and we won some money.” That’s not just good for the pocketbook; it’s also good for the psyche. Getting off to a great start allows that comfort zone to continue to get wider; it opens the door for bigger and better things to come at the NFR, where go-round winners will pocket $26,231 per night. “I never got to see what Vegas is like, so I just treat this like every other rodeo,” he said. “I never got too worked up about it being in Arlington.” There’s something different about Edler’s mentality, but it works. It didn’t bother him when Frey acquired his seasoned mount, because that seems to be the way he rolls. “Shane Frey was actually one of the first bulldoggers I met when I came down to Oklahoma that let me practice with him back in 2014,” Edler said. “Ever since then, we have went a lot of miles together. When the horse changed hands, he was more than willing to let me ride her at the finals and let me do my job.” The arrangement seems to be working great.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Richmond Champion has done something no other cowboy has ever done. He became the first person to make a National Finals Rodeo victory lap at Globe Life Field, which is hosting ProRodeo’s grand finale because of COVID-19 limitations at the event’s typical home in Las Vegas. “Nothing’s sweeter than starting off with a W,” said Champion of Stevensville, Montana, who rode J Bar J Rodeo’s Blessed Assurance for 87.5 points to win the first go-round and pocket $26,231. “I was stoked when I saw that I had that horse. She’s been a great horse for a long time. She’s been here a bunch of times, and they’ve won a bunch of rounds on her.” Add another one to the mix. “When you have a horse like that, you don’t want to mess her up,” he said, noting that he had ridden the powerful bucking horse one time before. “It was three years ago, I think. She was just what I needed then, and she’s just what I needed now.” As the first event of each round of the NFR, the winner of Thursday’s bareback riding was going to make history. It helps that Champion graduated high school in The Woodlands, Texas, and attended Tarleton State University in nearby Stephenville, Texas. He even lived near Stephenville for several years before moving to Montana in 2019. “It’s pretty cool, and I’ll have something I can look back on,” he said. “Putting these memories down, especially in the year we’ve had, is something nice.” Now a six-time NFR qualifier, he entered the championship seventh in the world standings with $64,149. On opening night of ProRodeo’s marquee event, he moved up to third with $100,380 – each contestant pocketed a $10,000 bonus just by qualifying. Doing it in Texas at this new baseball arena is just icing on the cake. “The Thomas & Mack (in Las Vegas) and this place are two completely different animals,” said Champion, who won $1 million in the inaugural The American at AT&T Stadium in 2017; it’s just across the road from Globe Life Field. “Wherever they put those gold buckles, it makes me (excited). To have the opportunity to have a finals when so many sports didn’t on a year like this means something. “To have the great state of Texas welcome rodeo and give us this opportunity is a huge blessing.”

Historic coliseum will host Bullfighters Only title bouts FORT WORTH, Texas – The question on the minds of all freestyle bullfighting fans this year has been, “Now that the NFR has moved from Las Vegas to Texas, will BFO have a 2020 world champion?” The answer is a resounding yes. Twelve of the premier freestyle bullfighters in the world will first compete in their preliminary Rounds at 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 10-12, under the lights of Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. Then at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, these 12 gladiators compete in a winner-takes-all battle. With a purse of over $60,000 and a coveted BFO world championship up for grabs, this will be the most prolific day in freestyle bullfighting history. “In a year where we resisted the urge to put on any bullfights that weren’t up to our standards, we knew it would be a stretch to find a home that would meet our fans’ and our bullfighters’ expectations,” said Joey Austin, the CEO of Bullfighters Only, noting the opportunity to crown the champ in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards was the perfect fit for the organization. “The Trop (Las Vegas Tropicana) has just been so good to us. Then, when Cowtown Coliseum called, we knew it would be a perfect fit for this unique year. I mean, I love the tent concept, but the opportunity to crown our world champion inside one of the most historic Western buildings in the United States … we just couldn’t pass that up. “We also had to make sure the money was right. BFO has set a standard and, while it would’ve been easy to have a few bullfights this year and blame the low payout on the pandemic, we didn’t want to go that route. Our sponsors really stepped up, and we’re proud that these bullfighters will get to run at a purse of 60-grand. As always, our athletes don’t pay an entry fee.” Just a few of the superstars scheduled to compete are three-time world champion Weston Rutkowski, reigning world champion Aaron Mercer, “Silent Assassin” Beau Schueth, the “Demo Man” Toby Inman, Andres “Sasquatch” Gonzalez, Dekevis “Air” Jordan and the phenom Austin Ashley. “The format will be simple,” said Nate Jestes, the BFO’s general manager. “While 2020 regular season earnings will be used for a potential tiebreaker, the World Championship will be earned right there in the dirt of Cowtown Coliseum over four days. Even the PRCA had a year (1977) where the winner of the NFR was the world champion. This will be fun for the fans and fair for those guys who couldn’t compete as much due to the pandemic.” The fiercest Mexican fighting bulls in the world will be matched up against the 12 combatants. Troy Bradshaw from Penthouse Fighting Bulls and Manuel Costa will bring the heat each heart-pounding round. The stellar team of Anthony Lucia and Matt West will call the action, with bullfighting legend Andy Burelle on the mic providing the color commentary. The always-entertaining Justin Rumford, an eight-time PRCA Rodeo Clown of the Year, will be adding his hilarious talent to the mix. The Cowboy Channel, fresh off of broadcasting ten rounds of the National Finals Rodeo, will carry the BFO World Championship live at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13. For tickets to the BFO World Championship, visit https://cowtowncoliseum.com/events/bfo-world-championship.