On The Rodeo Road Welcomes PRCA Bareback Rider Scotty NeSmith

Scotty NeSmith

 

Full name, age, event, and circuit?

 Dustin Scott NeSmith, 26 years old, Bareback Rider, PRCA Southeastern Circuit 

 

 Why did you decided to pursue rodeo?

 

I was raised around rodeo. My father was a steer wrestler, teamroper, calf roper, bull rider and bareback rider and a stock contractor. He put on rodeos up until last year, I grew up around it.

 

 Please name some of  your career highlights.  

 

2007 PRCA Southeastern Circuit Bareback Champion

Qualified for the Dodge National Circuit Finals Twice

2005 PRCA Southeastern Circuit Bareback Champion

2005 Ozark Region All Around Champion

2003 Ozark Region Bareback Champion

 

 What are you 2009 goals both personal and in the arena?

 

 My 2009 Rodeo goals are….. Make money and travel to all the rodoes that I can. I want to get a higher qualification so I can get in to Houston.

I want to be in the Top 15 and qualify for the National Finals Rodeo

 

My 2009 personal goals are….To stay in good shape and to try and eat healthy while out on the road. Later on, I would like to settle down and have a family and watch my kids do what I did.

 

How would you describe yourself?

 

 I would describe myself as short and stocky, good personality, funny and a good person. I like to meet new people, make new friends and help people out whenever I can.

  

 What is something you can’t live without, when you are on the road?

 

My cell phone, my sirius radio, GPS system and my MP3 player.

 

Favorite food?

 

My Grandmothers chicken casserole and macaroni and cheese.

Other hobbies?

 

I enjoy hunting and fishing, playing golf, driving and doing leather work.

 

 Who do you look up to in your event?

 

 Deb Greenough and Chris LeDoux

 

What rodeo do you look forward to the most and why?

 

St. Tite, Quebec Canada and Cheyenne Frontier Days. I like St. Tite because of the crowd, the energetic and supportive people and it just being an all around exciting rodeo. I like Cheyenne because of the heritage that the Frontier days holds. As a kid, you always wanted to go to Cheyenne.

 

What would you tell a Rookie starting out in the rodeo world today?

 

I would tell a rookie to buy a lot of tape! Don’t get down on yourself, stay positive and see the best in every ride. Don’t harp on the negative, rodeo is 90% mental.

 

 

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Meet Memphis!

Memphis, Amber's Right Hand Man

Memphis ….. Where do I start about Memphis?  He is a 6 year old Miniature blue merle Australian shepherd and the only man in my life right now.  He is my traveling partner, my right hand man, and frankly the only thing that keeps me sane half the time.  If you see me at a rodeo, you can bet you will see Memphis right there with me carrying his rubber chicken around.  I have had Memphis since he was 8 weeks old and he has been through so much with me.  He is my baby and the only kid I plan on having for awhile. 🙂  I can’t imagine my life without him right now.

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Spencer Update: PRCA Rodeo in Okeechobee, FL

Spencer Turner, Winning Ride at IFR 2009

 

Date, Rodeo Name and Location
On Sunday Feb. 22nd I went to Brighton Field Day and PRCA Rodeo in Okeechobee, Florida. The rodeo is actually on the Seminole Indian Reservation in Brighton, FL
 
Which horse did you draw?
I drew a Chestnut mare 476 Maple Sugar
 
Stock Contractor?

The stock contractor is 5 Star Rodeo Inc. of Florida
 
How was your horse in the chute?
She was a little jumpy but not to bad, they tied her in for precautionary measures.
 
Did you learn about the horse before hand?
I had asked some bronc riders about her and they said she was an awesome horse and the one to have. They said she really puts her head on the ground and bucks really hard and gets really high in the air and has a lot of timing.
 
Tell me about your ride, did you feel strong, did the horse perform the way you thought it would?
 
 After all the hype about how good my horse was, I was excited all weekend to get on her. She was a younger horse and kinda tall and skinny. She came out pretty hard and put her head on the ground and was kinda bucky right out of there. She was a lot of fun to ride. She kinda got long at the end of the ride and started covering some ground. I felt really good about my ride but thought she could have bucked a little better after hearing all the stories. I found out that they had bucked her the night before, and the performance I was in was an afternoon performance the next day, so maybe that had something to do with her not having the outstanding trip everybody was talking about. But horses are like people and have off days to I guess. I scored a 75 and ended up 5th which paid $421 dollars. Not as much as I was wanting to win, but I am blessed to win anything at all.
 
Comments about the rodeo? commitee, hospitality, etc.

The rodeo was on the reservation near Okeechobee, FL in Southern Florida. It was probably 80 degrees. The arena is covered and the stands were packed. They have all kinds of booths and vendors with Indian jewelry and food and stuff and also have alligator show. I have been to that arena several times. They have many rodeos there throughout the year.

 

I decided to stay in Florida and soak up some sun for a few extra days instead of heading north to the cold and snow. I have several friends down here so it always a good time.

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Spencer Update: PRCA Rodeo in Dade City, FL

Spencer Turner

 

Date, Rodeo Name and Location

 Saturday Feb 21st I went to a PRCA rodeo. The Pasco County Fair Championship Rodeo in Dade City, FL

Which horse did you draw?           

I drew a black bald face stud horse branded 56, he had no name

Stock Contractor?  

4L Rodeo Company from Georgia

How was your horse in the chute?

I noticed him in the back pens fighting and kicking and biting the other horses so I figured he would be a pain in the chute. We tied him in but he really didn’t need it, he stood like a champ, which surprised me.

Did you learn about the horse before hand?

I had no clue what the horse was like, when I got there I asked the contractor about him, and he said he was a stud that he had bucked before. He said that the horse would be OK, just jump kick across the pen and be good for me. The horse wasn’t very big at all so I figured he was just a young’n.

Tell me about your ride, did you feel strong, did the horse perform the way you thought it would?

The horse came out of the chute and took a little scoot then just kinda hopped around out there. He never kicked out and never had any timing. After hearing what the contractor said I was very disappointed because I didn’t think the horse was that good. But oh well, I have to get on whatever they draw for me. Every horse has good and bad days. I scored a 72 but it took 74 to place.

Comments about the rodeo? commitee, hospitality, etc.

The rodeo was good. I have been there 3 or 4 times in the past. I usually go on Saturday, for the afternoon performance. It was about 75 degrees which was NICE! They had about 17 or so bronc riders and added $1000 in each event. I like rodeoing down here because the contractor and the people are very friendly. It was at an outdoor arena and the stands were packed!

What type of boots do you ride in?

Olathe Boot Company

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Ashley Whyland: Greensburg Rodeo or was it a Horse Race?

Ashley Whyland on Luther

 

Mud and trashy ground was Luther’s specialty.  No matter what, I knew he would stand up, turn tight and run hard in it.  We arrived at Greensburg, IN after a whole day of raining.  And once I saw the backhoe dragging the slop out of the arena and into a big pile, I wondered if we were just wasting our money on this run. 

 

The rodeo pen was set up on a trotting track, which NORMALLY has a lime/sand mixture that holds really well, but after the backhoe was finished it was left as sticky and slippery mud, which is a whole lot trickier to run on than slop, in my opinion. 

 

I normally keep a pair of old support boots in the trailer for rodeos like this.  Luther would get his back legs wrapped in polos on regular ground, but in mud I don’t trust the polos to hold up to the saturation and stay tight during a run.  So at Greensburg, I resorted to boots all the way around.

 

We all warmed up on the track where they still had the lime/sand mixture.  I was one of the last ones out in the performance.  I watched some girls run to evaluate how the ground was holding.  I decided to just let Luther work however fast he wanted to.  Most of the time, this was best for Luther in mud anyway.  Stay out of his way and he will make it happen how he has to. 

 

I approached the alleyway and Luther let go.  We went a smidge past the first barrel, but Luther fired off hard to the second barrel.  I didn’t hustle him or kick him, but he was running hard.  The second barrel was flawless and the third barrel was even better.  After we rounded the third I decided to ask him to run out.  The alleyway was small, so I really had to hustle him through it.  Luther had a tendency to prepare for the stop, which in big pens was fine, but this pen I needed him to hustle all the way out. 

 

Once we hit the alleyway Luther found another gear as I heard the announcer say that we just took the lead.  And only then did I realize that his racehorse days were coming back to him.  I can honestly say I have NEVER had a problem getting Luther to stop after a run.  He could always drag his butt and stop right when you asked him to.  Not this time.  Ears pinned and neck stretched out, we were GONE and he was gaining speed.  I tried stopping him but he was only ignoring me and pushing on through.  Finally half way around he track, he wore himself out!  So much for being a “quarter” horse!  I couldn’t be upset with him, we were winning the rodeo! 

 

I finally brought him back around to the arena and EVERYONE was staring and laughing.  How embarrassing!  I think the crowd had forgotten about the barrel race and was more entertained with the horse race happening behind them! 

 

After the next day’s performance, Luther and I still held the lead to win the Greensburg rodeo. 

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Amber Wins!!!

Amber Wins the World’s Toughest Bulls & Broncs Invitational Rodeo in Cleveland, OH

Date, Rodeo Name and Location

Feb 21st * Worlds Toughest Bulls & Broncs Invitational * Cleveland, OH

 Which horse did you run?

I ran a new mare that I just picked up.  Her name is Instant Victory aka Dorey (yes like the fish from Finding Nemo)  She is an 11 year old bay mare that I have in to sell.  This was my 1st run on her and only her 2nd time I have ever been on her back.  For more on Dorey please check out my profile!

How was the ground, alley, warm up area, etc?

The ground was hard, but Dorey warmed up very well.  She was a little nervous, but was taking everything in stride.  I took her over to the panels so the little kids could pet her and that actually seemed to calm her down some.  The alley way here was a little scary.  It was centered, but had no gate to stop us running out.  I wasn’t sure how Dorey would stop and it was either stop or hit concrete. 

Tell me about your run, the good the bad and the ugly. Exactly how you felt about it.

Overall I was VERY happy with Dorey.  We were first out, and I was very nervous.  It’s a small pattern and the mare has not been run for a few months.  She took off hard and was kind of headed down the middle of the pen, but as soon as I grabbed her she came right to me.  The ground was definitely hard but she safetied up and came right around it.  She had an awesome 2nd barrel and kind of popped me up out of the saddle leaving it.  I rode her one handed the entire way to the 3rd.  She set up a little early and was close coming into, which caused her to step off on the backside a stride, but again once I grabbed her she came right back to me.  She ran home hard and responded to the whip.  Dorey was a little hesitant running through the alley way on the way out and stopped when I asked her to (thank goodness) * Our time was good enough to win the rodeo!!

 Comments about the rodeo?

I LOVE this rodeo.  It is $1,000 added and is only 20 miles from my mom’s house.  It is always a packed house and the crowd is awesome.  There are always a lot of people I know that come to watch, which of course always adds a little pressure.  I won this rodeo last year on one of my good friend’s horses, and she was running him there this year.  With never having run Dorey before, I had no idea what to expect.  She is VERY out of shape, and I would have been happy to just make a solid run on her, I had no idea I would win it.  I was pleasantly surprised with the results and winning it!

 Anything interesting happen on the trip there or back?

 I drove to Cleveland straight from East Lansing, MI during a snow storm for more than half of the drive.  I showed up in my PJ’s b/c my original plan was to go to mom’s to get cleaned up, but I was running out of time.  LOL  Memphis could tell I was stressed out the whole entire trip, and was very relieved when we finally made it to Cleveland.  As soon as we parked he grabbed his rubber chicken and high tailed into the building to find someone to play with 🙂

What CD is in your cd player in your truck right now?

Cross Canadian Ragweed

 

Amber and Dorey at Cleveland

 

 

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Spencer Update: PRCA Rodeo in Perry, Ga

Spencer Turner

Date, Rodeo Name and Location

Friday the 20th I was entered at the Georgia National Junior Livestock Show and PRCA Rodeo in Perry, Georgia

 Which horse did you draw?

 I drew 334 Little Stone a big bay mare

 Stock Contractor?

Barnes Rodeo Company from Cherokee, Iowa

 How was your horse in the chute?

 She is a big horse and takes up a lot of room in the chute. She stands OK.

 Did you learn about the horse before hand?

Yes I knew the horse. I actually got on the horse at this same rodeo last year. She has been to the NFR in the eliminator pen for a few years. She is bucky and high headed and the saddle seems to drop out of the air and sometimes hard to ride. I did not make a qualified ride on her last time.

 Tell me about your ride, did you feel strong, did the horse perform the way you thought it would?

 When I climbed in the chute on her she was leaning real badly on the gate. With the help of another bronc rider we tried to get her to stand good so I could nod and start the ride. While we were messing with her and trying to get her to stand correctly, the guy running the gate thought I nodded and he opened the gate. I did not nod and wasn’t even looking, but I saw the gate swing open and felt the horse leave. I was very fortunate to mark the horse out. She had the trip I was expecting her to have. She was real good like always but then she weakened a little towards the end of the ride. I felt like I rode her fairly well, but you can always improve. I scored and 80 point ride. I was placing when I left, but later found out that it took an 82 to place there. So I didn’t make any money but and still blessed and happy I rode well and got by her.

Comments about the rodeo? Committee, hospitality, etc.

 That is a great rodeo that added $3750 in each event and had about 45 or so bronc riders. The stock was very good and the stands were packed in the coliseum. That is always a great rodeo. I’ve been there 3 or 4 times.

What type of Jeans do you ride in?

Wrangler!

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Amber Update from East Lansing, Michigan Spartan Stampede IPRA Rodeo

Amber on Mighty Mouse at IPRA, East Lansing, MI

Date, Rodeo Name and Location

Feb 20th * IPRA RODEO * Spartan Stampede * East Lansing, MI

 Which horse did you run?

I actually got to run Mighty Mouse.  Leavitts called me Friday early afternoon and said that they were coming in Friday night b/c the weather was going to get bad and they wanted to get there early.  So they offered Mighty Mouse for me to run.  

Tell me about your run, the good the bad and the ugly. Exactly how you felt about it.

 The first thing I noticed when I saw Mighty Mouse was that her feet had not been done.  She has a club foot and was sitting very high on her heel.  I was a little concerned about that but she has always handled bad ground well and I placed at this rodeo the last time I ran her there which was in 2007.  Well her feet definitely played a factor.  The ground is notorious here for being bad and shallow.  It just doesn’t have much hold to it.  She tripped at every barrel which was a combination of her feet and the ground.  I was happy to run her again though, and  we got her feet fixed that night so she would be ready for Shiloh to run her the next day.  Shiloh is 11 years old and finished 4th on her 🙂  It was her first rodeo run on Mighty Mouse and I was VERY proud of both of them!

 

How was the ground, alley, warm up area, etc?

Mighty Mouse’s warm up was pretty typically.  She gets a little on the muscle and just ready to go.  It’s a nice long centered alley way.  The gate opens towards us to go in, and Mighty Mouse got a little excited and was dancing around.  She caught her hip on the latch when she took off, which sucked.  She was a little sore the next day, but she is a very tough little mare and it didn’t affect her performance on Saturday.

Any  Comments about the Rodeo?

Overall this is a good rodeo.  It adds $1,000 to each event & the crowd is good.  The entire facility is heated and they have stalls which is awesome, especially since it’s a blizzard there every year. 

Anything interesting happen on the trip there or back?

I had to leave early for the rodeo Friday morning b/c I had to take my mare Gucci to a vet check.  She passed the vet check and I dropped her off at her new home.  Congratulations Paige, she is a great mare, and you will love her!   I stayed the night in East Lansing and woke up the next morning to a snow storm!  They were shutting down the roads up there and it took me forever to get through Michigan.  I was originally going to go home and get cleaned up before I went to Cleveland as I only live 30 miles from the Quicken Loans arena; however b/c of the snow storm I ended up going straight to Cleveland for the rodeo.

 

 What CD is in your CD player in your truck right now?

Shinedown * Leave a Whisper

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Spencer’s Top Ten…….

Spencer Turner, Winning Ride at IFR 2008

 

Ten Things Spencer does to Prepare for a Ride..

 10. During down time in between rodeos I go over my saddle and gear and make repairs or condition the leather.

 

9.  I usually try to find out some information about my horse.

 8. I find my horse so when they run it in the alley or chute I know which one is mine.

 7. I find out which side (either left or right hand delivery) my horse is going to come out on.

 6. I find a spot to get ready sometimes in an area by myself .

 5. I unwrap my saddle and get out my chaps and vest. I sit in my saddle and make sure everything still fits properly and I rosin up my swells.

 4. I stretch a little and get warmed up.

 3. In my mind I picture great rides I have seen or awesome bronc riding pictures I have seen.

 2. I look out in the arena and picture myself riding the horse I have, then I go over what the ride should look and feel like, in my head.

 1. I thank the Good Lord for the opportunity to be able to live this awesome life, I give the Glory to God for the talents he has given me, and I pray for protection and I pray that the horse bucks with the best of the ability He has given it and I Pray that the talents He has given me Shine through on the ride tonight.

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Amber Has To Have….

Amber Mostoller on Mighty Mouse

Amber’s Top Ten Things she must have for herself before Heading to a Rodeo

10.  Clothes (western & stuff to have to wear around wherever).

9.  Boots & Spurs

8.  Cowboy Hat

7.  My pillow (I have one pillow that I LOVE…it goes everywhere with me).

6.  NOS energy drinks (helps with the late night driving & keeps me completely jacked up 🙂 )

5.  My laptop

4.  Money (won’t get very far down the road without it).

3.  Bible (there is always one in either the truck or trailer).

2.  Cell Phone

1.  MEMPHIS (my dog) he wanted me to add that he can’t leave home without his rubber chicken 🙂

 

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