Monthly Archives: August 2024

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Jake McClure Arena is much like home to Logan Medlin. Just 20 minutes or so from his family’s home near Tatum, New Mexico, Medlin cut his teeth roping at the massive arena inside the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington. Following in the footsteps of his father, Jeff, being a cowboy is just something natural for the 33-year-old cowboy. Now in his 12th year competing in ProRodeo, he has continued to follow his dreams of becoming one of the greatest heelers ever. He’s qualified for the last four National Finals Rodeos and has finished as high as sixth in the world standings. Medlin has won many big rodeos. He and Oklahoman Coleman Proctor became the first team ropers to win at the prestigious Calgary Stampede. They’ve won NFR go-rounds and titles in Cody, Wyoming; Puyallup, Washington; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Medlin won two straight college national titles a decade ago while competing at Eastern New Mexico University in nearby Portales. He has yet to win his home rodeo in Lovington. “That would be cool and would be something that would be checked off my bucket list,” said Medlin, the seventh-ranked heeler in the world standings. “It would also be cool if they gave a buckle or a trinket that you could show in the long term that you won it. “I remember when I was a little boy and my dad won Lovington. That was pretty cool.” Jeff Medlin is a pretty talented heeler, too. He twice qualified for the NFR, doing so in 1991 and 1996. He set a pretty high standard, but it’s one his son has surpassed in regards to playing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage. Only the top 15 contestants in each discipline at the end of the regular season advance to play for the biggest payday in the sport this coming December. Doing it once is a sign of excellence. Doing it four times in a row is something spectacular, with Medlin and Proctor hoping to make it five straight. They will be two of 167 NFR qualifiers in the mix at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7-Saturday, Aug. 10; that also includes Lea County Xtreme Bulls, which is Tuesday, Aug. 6. Of those, there are 37 world champions representing dozens of Montana Silversmiths gold buckles. While that’s always the goal, competing at an elite level is proof of Medlin’s place in the world of professional rodeo. “I win something a lot of times when we compete at Lovington,” he said. “I’ve placed really good in the first round a couple of times, then had something go wrong, but I usually do decent there. “I don’t know that it’s any tougher than where we go all the time. The best people in the world enter that rodeo. You have to draw good and rope good when you draw good. Anytime you go against the best people in the world, you have to have both of those things happen to have much luck.” No matter his history, Medlin is excited to return to this year’s rodeo and have another shot to claim the crown. “It may be my favorite rodeo of the year,” Medlin said. “I like going to Cheyenne (Wyoming), but going back to your hometown rodeo is something I look forward to so I can see everybody I grew up with and see people I don’t get to see very often. I love roping in Lovington.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – For the past several years, Brody Cress has been one of the “rankest” saddle bronc riders in rodeo. He’s made the National Finals Rodeo seven straight times and is on pace to make it eight. He has finished among the top five bronc busters in the world standings five times and is a three-time winner of the NFR average, meaning he had the best cumulative score after 10 go-rounds in Las Vegas. The defending Dodge City Roundup Rodeo champion has returned to the scene of the crime in hopes of repeating that feat. He rode Frontier Rodeo’s Big Sister for 87 points Thursday night to take the bronc riding lead and almost assure himself of a chance to compete again during Championship Sunday at Roundup Arena. “It’s awesome coming into a rodeo that I won last year,” said Cress, 28, originally from Hillsdale, Wyoming, but now living in north Texas. “It gives you a little bit of confidence, but my main thing is to take every rodeo and focus on doing the same thing every single time: Show up, run through the same process. (It) allows me to be successful no matter where I’m at, whether it’s at a rodeo I’ve won multiple times or the practice pen. “I’ve got the same thing I’m doing before I get on a bucking horse to prepare my mind and my body and just be ready to go out there and do my job.” He’s pretty good at it. A year ago, he won the first round in Dodge City and finished second in the short go-round, which features only the top 12 contestants in each event from the four days of competition that precede it. He had the highest two-ride cumulative score to claim the coveted Roundup buckle and $7,646. He finished the year fourth in the world standings with $313,949, with $180,206 coming those magical 10 days in the Nevada desert. The wizardry didn’t end there. Just a little more than a month ago, Cress and his wife, Sierra, welcomed their first child, a boy they named Roweler Rank Cress. Life has changed for the man known to spur massive broncs as well as anyone. “He’s absolutely a true blessing to his mother and I,” Brody Cress said. “It’s way different when you have a kid. He’s been an amazing baby so far. They just got to be up in Cheyenne (Wyoming) for the whole week, and I just sent them home to the airport yesterday. It’s definitely a lot harder to leave them than it was before. “I told my wife, ‘I’m going to make sure and focus and make the time away I have worth it.’ I’m going to take every horse and do my job no matter if they’re ones you’re supposed to win on or not but make it worth being away from home and missing days with them.” Life on the rodeo trail is already difficult. After his ride in Dodge City, he was off to two other stops before returning to Sunday’s final performance. It’s a life he loves, traveling North America riding bucking horses and showcasing his abilities. “I’m going to ride bucking horses for as long as the Lord blesses me,” Cress said. “It’s an amazing way to make a living and to get to see all this. I’m going to focus and work hard, work out and take care of my body and get as long of a career as I can out of it.”  Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.July 31-Aug. 4, 2024Bareback riding leaders: 1. Rocker Steiner, 88 points on Frontier Rodeo’s High Heels; 2. Waylon Bourgeo0is, 85; 3. Mason Clements, 83; 4. (tie) Cooper Cooke, Jacek Frost and Bradlee Miller, 81; 7. Darien Johnson, 80; 8. Cole Franks, 79.5; 9. Brayze Schill, 77.5; 10. Tanner Fine, 74; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.0 seconds; 2. Brady Reneau, 4.1; 3. Dakota Eldridge, 4.3; 4. (tie) Kalane Anders, Will Lummus and Gage Hesse, 4.4; 7. Garrett Curry, 4.7; 8. Stan Branco, 5.0. Second round leaders: 1. Will Lummus, 3.8 seconds; 2. Sam Goings, 4.1; 3. Bridger Anderson, 4.2; 4. (tie) Winsten McGraw and Tanner Brunner, 4.3; 6. (tie) Trevor Nelson, Jacob Edler, Jesse Brown, Chance Howard and Ty Cochrane, 4.4; 8. (tie) Jace Melvin and Kalane Anders, 4.7. Average leaders: 1. Will Lummus, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Jacob Edler, 8.4; 3. Kalane Anders, 9.1; 4. Dakota Eldridge, 9.6; 5. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Bridger Anderson, 10.5; 7. Grant Peterson, 11.2; 8. Grady Payne, 12.4; 9. Colt Honey, 13.9; 10. Garrett Curry, 14.5; 11. Brady Buum, 14.7; 12. Jesse Brown, 14.9. Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 4.9 seconds; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 5.2; 3. Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 5.4; 4. Curry Kirchner/Jake Edwards, 5.5; 5. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.6; 6. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, 5.7; 7. Trey Blackmore/Whip Pop Peterson, 5.8; 4. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.9; 5. Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek, 6.3; 6. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 6.4;8. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.9. Second round leaders: 1. Trey Hall/Cale Morris, 5.4 seconds; 2. Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 5.7; 3. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 6.1; 4. Curry Kirchner/Jake Edwards, 6.6; 5. Chad Masters/Wyatt Cox, 7.8; 6. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 7.9; 7. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, 10.4; 8. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 10.9. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 11.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 11.3; 3. Curry Kirchner/Jake Edwards, 12.1; 4. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 12.8; 5. Chad Masters/Wyatt Cox, 15.0; 6. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, 16.1; 7. Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek, 17.3; 8. Nelson Wyatt/Johnathan Torres, 17.4; 9. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 22.1; 10. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 28.9; 11. Trey Hall/Cale Morris, 5.4 seconds on one run; 12. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.6.   Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big Sister; 2. Colt Gordon, 84; 3. Tegan Smith, 83; 4. Jake Finlay, 82.5; 5. (tie) Parker Fleet and Logan Cook, 82; 7. Jackson Ford, 81; 8. (tie) Cooper  Continue Reading »

Bucking horses, bulls proving themselves before returning to Idaho GOODING, Idaho – The excellence that’s found at the Gooding Pro Rodeo is also found across North America. “We believe we bring in the best stock contractors in rodeo, and they have some incredible bucking animals that are featured at a lot of rodeos,” said Don Gill, the fair and rodeo’s manager. “We have three livestock producers that have excellent athletes in their herds, which is one of the big reasons why our rodeo is so popular among the cowboys.” That’s true. Hundreds of contestants will make their way to southern Idaho for this year’s Gooding Pro Rodeo, set for Thursday, Aug. 15-Saturday, Aug. 17, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 14. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. “All three of our contractors had multiple animals at last year’s NFR for a reason,” Gill said of Wyoming-based Summit Pro Rodeo, South Dakota-based Korkow Rodeos and Alberta-based Macza Pro Rodeo. “When the cowboys see the kind of animals we have bucking in Gooding, they definitely want to be here. Maybe the biggest win came last week when bareback rider Clay Jorgenson scored 90 points on Summit’s Game Trail to win the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days. That was the biggest victory of Jorgenson’s young career and shot him up to several spots to 25th in the world standings. “That thing bails in the air and kicks out so hard, it gives you every opportunity to win,” Jorgenson said of Game Trail during an interview in Cheyenne. “Thanks to another Summit horse that got me through the semifinals, they were paired up well with me.” But there were other recent success stories: Two-time world champion Ryder Wright won the sixth performance of saddle bronc riding in Cheyenne on Summit’s Wondering Witch; bull rider Lane Vaughan matched moves with Macza’s Wreckonciled for 86 points to win nearly $11,000 in Joseph, Oregon; bareback rider Richmond Champion won the first round of Pool B of the Calgary Stampede on Macza’s Grit Your Teeth; bull rider Wyatt Gleeson won the third round of Pool B on Macza’s Red Rocker; and Idaho saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno rode Korkow’s 443 for 87.5 points to share the victory in Ogden, Utah. “We made a purposeful decision to have three stock contractors in Gooding,” Gill said. “We’re going to get the best horses and the best bulls these guys have to offer. That makes our rodeo better and gives our outstanding crowd plenty of things that they can find to be ‘Beer Worthy.’ ”

LOVINGTON, N.M. – Just past the main entrance to the Lea County Fairgrounds sits one of the most versatile facilities on the property. Inside the Yucca Building will rest a variety of projects created by a wide age group, from youngsters showing off their photography skills to older folks displaying their gardening prowess to quilters of all ages eager to share their talents with the tens of thousands of fairgoers who will make their way to the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set for Friday, Aug. 2-Saturday, Aug. 10, in Lovington. “We’ve expanded our exhibits considerably,” said Dee Ann Kimbro, a Lea County Fair Board member and the chairwoman of the Yucca Building committee. “In recent years, we’ve had two or three kids in sweepstakes, and this year we have six. That’s 35 more exhibits per child. “We formed the Yucca Building committee to help get the exhibits back up.” Kimbro has been instrumental in the panel’s formation and growth. She joined the fair board three years ago and has seen some major upgrades to the exhibit hall since. It’s just an extension of what she does full time as owner of Country Store Quilt Shop, which is six block straight west of the fairgrounds in Lovington. “We have a lot of kids that show livestock and also put 4H projects in on top of that,” she said. “We have an open youth division, and we have added three more cases for open youth, bringing the total to nine. “That’s why I wanted on the fair board and why I wanted to form the Yucca Building committee. I have a quilt shop, and quilting has been a big part of the fair. I never thought I should put my quilts into the fair, because it didn’t feel ethically right, and I don’t want to compete against my customers.” Instead, she’s feeding their thirst for showing at the county fair. Whether it’s quilting, photography, gardening, arts and crafts, canning or other handy projects, the opportunities for locals to show their wares are abundant. It also opens the door for potential exhibitors of all ages. “We get them from little all the way up to 90-year-old women,” Kimbro said. “They’re canning, baking, painting, knitting, sewing, crocheting … you name it. Some of those things have really come back. I have seen some things that have been crocheted by kids that look like something I wore in the 1960s. “Nobody else has any displays or a way to show their projects like we do. We have the most diverse show at the fair.”   It’s also growing. There have been upgrades to the building, which also has the benefit of being air-conditioned. It offers a comfortable setting not only for the exhibitors but also for those who enjoy seeing what’s inside. “We’d love to see it double in size, and we would love it if that building was busting at the seams,” Kimbro said. “We still have room to grow. This year is going to be different where the produce is with new stands for them, so it’s going to be really nice. We gave the queens the option, and they wanted to use the foyer that is always been empty. We bought beautiful cases, so when you walk in, it will be all about the queens. They will have their own location, and that place is big enough where they can put posts up and their saddles can be behind. “We still have tables set up where people can go in there and enjoy a meal or just walk through and look at the exhibits. A lot of people that are there working can go in there all day every day and have a place to sit down and relax.” Most importantly, though, the Yucca Building is a place to showcase the work of people from every age group imaginable. “I see one family, and not only is the child showing her projects, but so is her mother, her grandmother and her great-grandmother,” Kimbro said. “They have four generations. That says something about our fair.”

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Over his career, Will Lummus has some amazing accomplishments. He’s won the Calgary Stampede, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and the average championship at the National Finals Rodeo, an event he has qualified for each of the past six seasons. He’s a two-time reserve world champion, having finished second in both 2021 and 2022, and has been one of the shining faces of steer wrestling for half a decade. He’s never won the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. He’d like to change that this year and gave himself a good chance during Wednesday’s opening performance at Roundup Arena. He knocked his steer to the ground in 3.8 seconds to take the second-round lead; more importantly, that run, combined with his 4.4 from the morning’s first go-round, pushed Lummus into the overall lead. “Back when I first started rodeoing with K.C. Jones, I did make the short round, and I’ve placed good in the average,” said Lummus, 32, of Byhalia, Mississippi. “I’ve placed in a round here, but that one time was the only time I’ve made the short round here. It’s usually hit or miss. Sometimes it comes down to the luck of the draw. “Today I was just blessed to have to gentle steers and get by them. Hopefully we’ll come back Sunday and have a doozy.” All timed-event contestants compete in two go-rounds, with the top 12 in each event qualifying for the championship round, which will conclude this year’s rodeo Sunday night. That’s where the champions will be crowned, and it’s a special night of rodeo. That Roundup buckle is one of the most prized trophies in the sport, but it’s elusive. The competition to even qualify for the final go-round is tough. “There’s just so many good guys,” said Lummus, ranked fifth in the world standings with $97,216. “Any of the top 75 guys in the world can beat you. Anytime you show up to a rodeo, if a guy draws a good steer, it doesn’t matter who he is or where he’s from, he can beat you. It comes back down to the luck of the draw.” Organizers try to set the pens of livestock as evenly as possible to give every competitor as equal of a shot at winning money, but there are always animals that stand out over the rest. It’s the way the game is played, and all the contestants understand that. The ones who can overcome the adversity through the season the best typically earn a spot among the elite at the NFR, which features only the top 15 contestants in each event at the conclusion of the regular season. He’s been close to touching that world championship, but it’s just escaped his grasp. It’s a lot like that Roundup title; he’s going to keep reaching for it as long as he can. “Rodeo has been great for me,” said Lummus, who also serves as the rodeo coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College. “I’m right here toward the end of my career now, and it’s been awesome for me. Jen and I have our land paid for, then we owe a little bit on the house, but we’ll know here in the next couple of years that we may be debt free, and rodeo has been a big part of that.” Dodge City Roundup RodeoDodge City, Kan.July 31-Aug. 4, 2024Bareback riding leaders: 1. Rocker Steiner, 88 points on Frontier Rodeo’s High Heels; 2. Waylon Bourgeo0is, 85; 3. Mason Clements, 83; 4. (tie) Cooper Cooke and Jacek Frost, 81; 6. Darien Johnson, 80; 7. Cole Franks, 79.5; 8. Brayze Schill, 77.5; no other qualified rides. Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Jacob Edler, 4.0 seconds; Dakota Eldridge, 4.3; 3. (tie) Kalane Anders and Will Lummus, 4.4; 5. Stan Branco, 5.0; 6. Brady Buum, 5.1; 7. Grant Peterson, 6.2; 8. Mike McGinn, 9.5. Second round leaders: 1. Will Lummus, 3.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Winsten McGraw and Tanner Brunner, 4.3; 4. (tie) Trevor Nelson, Jacob Edler, Jesse Brown and Chance Howard, 4.4; 8. (tie) Jace Melvin and Kalane Anders, 4.7. Average leaders: 1. Will Lummus, 8.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Jacob Edler, 8.4; 3. Kalane Anders, 9.1; 4. Dakota Eldridge, 9.6; 5. Grant Peterson, 11.2; 6. Brady Buum, 14.7; 7. Jesse Brown, 14.9; 8. Eli Lord, 15.9; 9. Stan Branco, 20.6; 10. Walt Arnold, 25.6 Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 5.2; 2. Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 5.4; 3. Trey Blackmore/Whip Pop Peterson, 5.8; 4. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.9; 5. Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek, 6.3; 6. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 6.4; 7. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 6.5; 8. Ben Jordan/J.R. Gonzalez, 8.2. Second round leaders: 1. Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 5.7 seconds; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 6.1; 3. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 10.9; 4. Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek, 11.0; 5. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 16.7; 6. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 17.7; 7. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 23.0; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 11.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 11.3; 3. Jesse Boos/Jace Steenhoek, 17.3; 4. Nelson Wyatt/Johnathan Torres, 17.4; 5. Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan, 22.1; 6. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 28.9; 7. Trey Blackmore/Whip Pop Peterson, 5.8 seconds on one run; 8. Ben Johnson/J.R. Gonzalez, 8.2; 9. Cooper White/Tucker White, 11.2; 10. Blaine Turner/Trent Vaught, 11.5.   Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tegan Smith, 83 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Knock Em Out John; 2. Jake Finlay, 82.5; 3. (tie) Parker Fleet and Logan Cook, 82; 5. Skinny Parsons, 77.5; 6. (tie) Noel Johnson and Coleman Shallbetter, 77; 8. Parker Kempfer, 75; 9. Ryder Sanford, 72; no other qualified rides. Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Ashley Goforth, 2.5 seconds; 2. Layni Masters, 2.6; 3. Kaitlyn Ricke, 2.7; 4. McKenna Brennan, 2.9; 5. Haley Sage, 3.3; 6. Mataya Eklund, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. McKenna Brennan, 2.1 seconds; 2. TiAda Gray, 2.4; 3. Shelby Whiting, 2.8; 4. Kaitlyn Ricke, 3.4; 5. Amber Coleman, 3.5; 6. Aspen Miller, 12.0; 7. Seirra Heinert, 12.2; 8. Mataya Eklund, 12.5; 9. (tie)  Continue Reading »