1. Begay, de la Cruz round up the cash
PENDLETON, Ore. - Derrick Begay arrived in northeast Oregon already thinking the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up was "the coolest rodeo of them all," and after he and team roping partner Cesar de la Cruz won the thing for the second time in three years, he pretty much loves everything about the place.
Grass field? Check. Downhill run from the chutes? Check. A truck full of prizes for the winners. Oh, yeah. Check. And this year, the three-head average win took them from right on the bubble for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to (sort of) comfortably inside it in 13th place. Got to love that.
"We really needed this," Begay said. "I started the week in 15th place (among headers) and Cesar was 17th so we were right on the bubble needing a win. Pendleton is always a rodeo you want to win, but this is the third-to-the-last week of the season and you've got to get some money won (wherever you're competing)."
"It was really pretty much a matter of win or go home," de la Cruz said. "I consider this the biggest win of my career, considering how much was at stake. I wasn't even in the top 50 at the end of the winter season. In many ways, this has been my worst year ... but the best last month. You have to find a way to finish fast and we have done that."
They entered the final round on Sept. 14 in second place to Brandon Beers and Jim Ross Cooper and parlayed a 6.5-second run (coincidentally on a steer Beers/Cooper roped in 6.4 seconds in round two) to jump to the top of the leaderboard with a three-head time of 20.5 seconds.
Total earnings for the Sept. 11-15 visit to the Round-Up Arena came to $7,968 each for Begay and de la Cruz - not to mention the traditional hand-tooled saddle, buckle, blanket, hat, boots, Let 'Er Buck cologne and bottle of Pendleton Whisky that go to the champions.
"Pendleton is totally different from any other normal rodeo, starting with the grass," Begay said. "I'm from Arizona and grew up roping on rocks and sand; this is very different. I remember seeing pictures and video of Pendleton when I was growing up and I always thought it would be cool to compete there. Now to end up winning it twice ... that's just amazing to me."
"Roping at Pendleton is the ultimate rush," de la Cruz said. "Anything can happen. You almost can't take your eyes off the action. I was watching the second round when my hero, (seven-time World Champion) Clay O'Brien Cooper, went down on the grass. It can happen to anyone at any time."
Knowing the unique character of the course and the perils that come with it, Begay and de la Cruz employed a philosophy of controlled aggression.
The aim was to be steady, above all else.
"When we won (Pendleton) in 2011," Begay said, "we were second in the world and we were real nervous going to the short round. There was a lot more pressure this time, but we knew we just had to go out there and do what we think we know how to do. We weren't necessarily trying to win; we were just trying to use our heads on all three (steers) and be sure we made some money."
"I was talking to (tie-down roper) Clint Cooper," de la Cruz said, "and he said his father (ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Roy Cooper) always preached about not beating yourself, about being smooth and giving yourself the best chance to win. That's what we did."
Team ropers have 75 rodeos that they can count toward the world standings. Begay and de la Cruz have six left, which they will use down the stretch in Amarillo, Texas; Albuquerque, N.M., Stephenville, Texas; Kansas City; Poway, Calif., and San Bernardino, Calif.
If they are among the top 12 in the world standings as of Sept. 23 and qualify into the Justin Boots Championships in Omaha, Neb., they will be allowed to drop Stephenville and count Omaha.
The other winners at this $479,012 rodeo were bareback rider Steven Peebles (168 points on two head), steer wrestler Tyler Pearson (16.9 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Jake Wright (170 points on two head), tie-down roper Roger Nonella (32.3 seconds on three head), steer roper Scott Snedecor (46.8 seconds three head), bull rider Clayton Foltyn (178 points on two head) and barrel racer Christy Loflin (56.84 seconds on two runs).
* Brazile Watch: By winning the all-around title in Pendleton with $14,215 - he earned checks in all three roping events - Trevor Brazile surpassed the $200,000 mark in season earnings for a record eighth consecutive time and a record 12th time overall. With another $2,267 for sharing the tie-down roping title with Cade Swor at the West Texas Fair & Rodeo in Abilene, Texas, Brazile increased his season earnings to $209,698 and his lead in the all-around world standings to $88,603 over Tuf Cooper. Brazile is second in the steer roping world standings, fourth in the tie-down roping and 11th among team roping headers. He has 17 world championships and needs one more to tie the record held by Guy Allen, two to break it. Brazile's wife, Shada, finished fourth in the barrel racing in Pendleton and is 13th in the world standings, putting them in position to be the first husband and wife to qualify for the Wrangler NFR in the same year since tie-down roper Mike Johnson and barrel racer Sherrylynn Johnson in 2007.
* A couple of other things worth noting from the Pendleton all-around: J.D. Yates, competing in the steer roping and the team roping (with cousin Jay Wadhams) earned $13,397 to give Brazile a real run for his money, losing the all-around title by just $818. Reigning World Champion Team Roping Heeler Jade Corkill finished second in the steer roping average and his earnings there qualified him for the world all-around standings. He came in at No. 3, just $6,247 behind Tuf Cooper ($121,095 to $114,848).
* Bobby Mote's tie for third place in the bareback riding average was enough to boost the four-time world champion into first place ahead of Kaycee Feild, the two-time defending world champion, by $1,773. The only other change in the world standings came in the steer wrestling, where Casey Martin re-took the lead from Trevor Knowles by $834, with a check in the first round in Pendleton. Martin has led the world standings every week but one since Jan. 28.
* Research carried out by the Oregon Tourism Commission has determined that the Pendleton Round-Up's annual economic impact on the town of 15,000 is more than $50 million.
|
2. Ballots in mail for PRCA's year-end awards
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Ballots for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association year-end awards are in the mail and what the list reveals most of all is that rodeo is a sport that extends across all generations. The nominees range from Lecile Harris, 77, who is nominated in the Comedy Act of the Year category, to trick rider Brandi Phillips, 23, who along with fellow Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls performer Jennifer Nicholson, is nominated for the best Dress Act of the Year award.
The winners in all categories will be announced at the annual PRCA Awards Banquet Dec. 4 at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, on the eve of the 55th annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.
PRCA 2013 AWARD NOMINEES
Announcer
Wayne Brooks, Lampasas, Texas
Randy Corley, Silverdale, Wash.
Mike Mathis, Lufkin, Texas
Boyd Polhamus, Brenham, Texas
Andy Stewart, Collinston, La.
Secretary
Linda Alsbaugh, Alamosa, Colo.
Sunni Deb Backstrom, Congress, Ariz.
Amanda Corley-Sanders, Laramie, Wyo.
Haley Schneeberger, Ponca City, Okla.
Vickie Shireman, Elk City, Okla.
Stock Contracting Firm
Beutler & Son Rodeo Company, Elk City, Okla.
Carr Pro Rodeo, Dallas, Texas
Frontier Rodeo Company, Winnie, Texas
Powder River Rodeo, Riverton, Wyo.
Stace Smith Pro Rodeos, Athens, Texas
Dress Act of the Year
Tomas Garcilazo, Oak Hills, Calif.
Jason Goodman, Fort Collins, Colo.
Anthony Lucia, Weatherford, Texas
Melissa Navarre, Weatherford, Okla.
Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls - Jennifer Nicholson and Brandi Phillips, Three Rivers, Calif.
Comedy Act of the Year
Bert Davis, Penn Valley, Calif.
Lecile Harris, Collierville, Tenn.
John Harrison, Soper, Okla.
Keith Isley, Goldston, N.C.
Cody Sosebee, Charleston, Ark.
Mark Swingler, Austin, Texas
Clown of Year
J.J. Harrison, Walla Walla, Wash.
John Harrison, Soper, Okla.
Keith Isley, Goldston, N.C.
Justin Rumford, Ponca City, Okla.
Cody Sosebee, Charleston, Ark.
Bullfighter of Year
Travis Adams, Gary, Texas
Kenny Bergeron, Iota, La.
Kelby Pearah, Mansfield, La.
Dusty Tuckness, Meeteetse, Wyo.
Cody Webster, Wayne, Okla.
Small Rodeo of Year
Crosby, Texas
Elizabeth, Colo.
Goliad, Texas
Huntsville, Texas
Riverton, Wyo.
Medium Rodeo of Year
Coleman, Texas
Crossett, Ark.
Deadwood, S.D.
Estes Park, Colo.
Ogden, Utah
Large Outdoor Rodeo of Year
Cheyenne, Wyo.
Lovington, N.M.
Pendleton, Ore.
Salinas, Calif.
Springdale, Ark.
Large Indoor Rodeo of Year
Denver, Colo.
Fort Worth, Texas
Jackson, Miss.
Rapid City, S.D.
San Antonio, Texas
|
|
3. News and notes from the rodeo trail
Five-time World Champion Bareback Rider Bruce Ford has lost his home and barns in Kersey, Colo., due to massive flooding in the region. Ford doesn't have flood insurance because his property is located so close to the South Platte River. Family members have set up an account for financial donations through Wells Fargo Bank as BENEFIT 4 BRUCE FORD to help him through the worst of the crisis. Any help is much needed and greatly appreciated. Visit www.facebook.com/brucefordfloodbenefit for updates ... Badlands Circuit cowboy Casey Stirling, 27, is back home in New Underwood, S.D., starting a rehabilitation program in the aftermath of Aug. 23 surgery to repair a broken back suffered in an unsanctioned bull riding event in Mitchell, S.D. "When he bucked me off, my hand stuck in the rope a little bit and pulled me under the bull," Stirling told the Rapid City Journal. "My legs and the bulls got tangled, and he ended up falling on top of me." A benefit bull riding organized by his younger brother, Lane, and the Stirling family was held Sept. 15 at the Tipperary Rodeo Arena in Buffalo, S.D., to help defray Casey's medical expenses ... Former PRCA bullfighter Heath "Hooter" Boswell suffered major injuries Sept. 7 when a bull knocked him down and stomped on his face when he was working an unsanctioned rodeo in Decatur, Texas. Boswell was flown by helicopter to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he underwent surgery. "It crushed everything from his eyebrows to his chin," rodeo producer Kim Stepp told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "It was the worst rodeo accident we have ever seen that wasn't a fatality." Friends and relatives have set up an account at First Financial Bank in Bridgeport, Texas, for donations. A Facebook page called Prayers & Updates for Hooter Boswell has also been created. A benefit auction and team roping event is being planned for Oct. 19-20 in Bridgeport ... Sankey Rodeo Company's great bareback horse, Broadway, was retired after her appearance in the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up last week. Broadway, 20, was selected to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 11 times from 1998-2011, providing her riders with checks in 12 of 19 outs. Her best years were 2001-02, when Broadway took Forest Bramwell, J.D. Garrett and Pete Hawkins to round wins and Bobby Mote to a tie for second place. "Broadway is a horse that covered every facet of the bucking horse industry," said 2004 World Champion Kelly Timberman. "This unbelievable mare has been a major producer and in turn has taken numerous cowboys to the pay window (career earnings of $250,000). Among the cowboys, this horse has been one of the most cherished. If there were statistics drawn up and figures of total money won on single animals, I believe none would equal this amazing mare. One of the greatest horses I have ever had the privilege to draw. Always bucked and was always the one to have." Cody DeMers rode Broadway for 79 points in his last out in Pendleton. "It's an honor to get on that horse any time," DeMers said, "and to be the last guy to get on her, it's kind of cool. She's been an awesome horse for a long, long time. I was pretty excited to have her here today." ... Tim Abbott, who was the 2008 PRCA Steer Roping Rookie of the Year and just missed qualifying for the National Finals when he finished 16th that year, has been named the interim rodeo coach at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, N.M. "I'm very excited about this position," Abbott said. "It was an opportunity that came up that I really couldn't pass up. The reputation and the tradition that Mesalands has been building over the last six or eight years is pretty incredible, and I'm honored to be next in line to carry out that tradition." Former Harry Vold Rodeo Company employee Staci Stanbrough will serve as Abbott's assistant coach ... Professional barrel racer Jennifer Noble, 40, has been hired as the new general manager of the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) in Billings, Mont. She will work with predecessor Justin Mills during the Oct. 17-19 NILE ProRodeo and through the end of the year, before taking control in 2014. Noble joins the NILE team following her time as the Communications Director of the Red Angus Association of America. Coming from a family deep rooted in the Simmental/Angus beef industry in Colorado, she brings a lifetime of cattle industry experience ranging from commercial, to seedstock cattle as well as show ring experience both competing and judging cattle events. Time spent on the Women's Professional Rodeo Association Board of Directors while also competing in rodeos across the country adds valuable insight and experience. "I am thrilled to be joining such an historic and exciting organization and making the move to Montana," Noble said. "The NILE's long-standing tradition of hosting events that preserve and embrace the Western lifestyle is both exciting and challenging and I look forward to carrying on the tradition of excellence in leadership." ... The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs, Colo., will offer free admission on Sept. 28 as part of Smithsonian magazine's ninth annual Museum Day Live! program. Inclusive by design, the event represents Smithsonian's commitment to make learning and the spread of knowledge accessible to everyone, giving museums across all 50 states the opportunity to emulate the admission policy of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. ... The 10th annual Thanksgiving Rodeo School - all ages and ability levels are welcome - is scheduled Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 at the Resistol Rodeo Arena in Mesquite, Texas, as a fundraiser for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. Tuition is $450 and covers the cost of the school, hotel and food. The instructors represent a virtual who's who of PRCA roughstock cowboys, including school founder Wes Stevenson, an eight-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo as a bareback rider.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"This is the dream of a lifetime for me. When I started my career, if you'd asked me whether I'd rather (work) the NFR or the Pendleton Round-Up, I would have taken the Round-Up. It's the rodeo I know better than any other because I've watched this rodeo as a fan and got to compete in it in college. This is hallowed ground. The first thing I'm going to do when I walk out there today is stop and kiss the grass. That's how excited I am to be here."
- Clown/barrelman J.J. Harrison of Walla Walla, Wash., telling radio host Butch Thuman what it meant to him to be selected to work the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up.
|
|
4. Next Up
Sept. 18 New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo, Albuquerque, begins
Sept. 18 Four States Fair Rodeo, Texarkana, Ark., begins
Sept. 18 Wrangler Champions Challenge, Amarillo (Texas)
Sept. 19 Amarillo (Texas) Tri-State Fair & Rodeo begins
Sept. 19 Harrison (Ark.) PRCA Rodeo begins
Sept. 20 Bowman County (N.D.) ProRodeo begins
Sept. 20 Oklahoma City Xtreme Bulls Divison 2 begins
Sept. 21 Sedgwick (Kan.) Fall Festival PRCA Rodeo
Sept. 21 Cenex Montana Circuit Steer Roping Finals, Silesia
Sept. 21 Cowtown Rodeo, Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J.
Sept. 21 Shawnee Mountain PRCA Rodeo, Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., begins
|
5. 2013 PRCA world standings leaders
|
6. 2013 PRCA world standings
Through September 16, 2013
|
No comments:
Post a Comment