Posted in Rodeo News on December 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Hello OTRR Fans! We are at the end of 2010! Can you believe it?? I can’t believe that in a couple of days we will be starting 2011! When a New Year is upon us, it seems that we each like to take a moment to reflect on the past and start to set goals for the future. In honor of that little ritual, lets look back on the Top 3 entries from 2010.
Nellie Williams and Blue Duck making their very FIRST NFR!
Troy Brandenburg
Tana Poppino Checks in after her fall in Round 4! Totally Motivational!
Posted in Rodeo News on December 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »
The PRCA Xtreme Bulls tour is changing TV broadcasters and one local official says that’s good for Cody.
Dan Miller, who provides commentary on the Xtreme Bulls broadcasts and is on the Wyoming Tourism and Travel Board, says the change from ESPN to Great American Country will benefit Cody.
“The switch to GAC will give the events more air time and we’ll have more chances to show off Cody,” he told the Park County Travel Council on Dec. 16. “They will expand the broadcast from 60 minutes currently on ESPN to 90 minutes, and the short videos we use to promote Cody will play more.”
Miller says the Xtreme Bulls broadcasts will be at 7 p.m. on Sundays on GAC.
Currently the broadcasts are played at various times on ESPN and ESPN2.
“By having a more set time in prime time for the shows we’ll have more viewership,” Miller says. “It was difficult to attract a steady audience when no one knew when the shows might be on.”
The Xtreme Bulls Tour became part of the July 4th Stampede Rodeo in 2007 and Powell’s Kanin Asay won the event that year.
Great American Television is available in 60 million households.
Along with all 10 rounds of the National Finals Rodeo, GAC will produce and broadcast pre- and post-rodeo programming.
GAC also will televise the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the Justin Boots playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., Justin Boots Championships in Omaha, Neb., and the All-American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas…(read more)
Posted in Rodeo Updates, Tana Poppino, Uncategorized on December 21, 2010| 1 Comment »
Dec. 20, 2010 – Home never looked better. As excited as I was about qualifing for the Wrangler National Finals, I also knew that the timing wasn’t great for me. I, and my horses, weren’t ready. It’s one thing to be competitive in July, but to try to get your “game” to its highest level in just thrre or four weeks wasn’t realistic. I was extremely hopeful, and knew our potential, but to think that you are going to compete with the best riders and horses in the world, well, that’s another thing. I was disappointed, but not overly so. I know we have a lot of work to do before the season gets rolling again in January.
Thanks to Wrangler, Dodge, Las Vegas Events, the WPRA, the PRCA and the NFR crew for all their hard work and support for the NFR. The barrel race was extremely exciting, and the fans loved it. Thanks to the WPRA for all the awards, and to Circle Y Saddlery for the saddle.
Thanks to all of you who cheered for me and support me in the good times and the not so good. You’ll never know how much your encouragement means to me. Thanks to Professional’s Choice, Total Health Enhancement, EquiPride, Cowboy Rigs, SpurRadio, and now, MAXX Sunglasses for their support. My family does so much for me, especially Marty. I couldn’t do this without him. Well, as I said, I have a lot of work to do, so I better get to it.
Remember God gave us the greatest gift, His son, Jesus; so that we could have a relationship with Him. If you don’t know Him, this season would be a great time to get to know Him. We are here because of His love, share that love with someone else. Merry Christmas.
Posted in Rodeo News on December 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Kelly Timberman had to work a little harder than most for his money, but he didn’t mind if it means that history will repeat itself.
Timberman, of Mills, Wyo., became the first three-time champion of the Chase Hawks Memorial Roughstock Rodeo, winning the bareback title at the MetraPark Expo Center Saturday night. He also became the first competitor to win an event two years in a row.
“Every time I’ve won here, I’ve gone on to have my best season,” said Timberman.
Timberman won the Chase Hawks in 2003 and less than 12 months later, won the 2004 world bareback title. After winning the event again in Billings last year, he finished third in the 2010 world bareback standings. Timberman won $100,505 at this year’s NFR.
“This means a lot,” Timberman said of his third Chase Hawks victory. “It’s a great benefit rodeo and I really believe in the cause.”
Timberman was one of two world champions to win at the invitation-only event. Cody Wright, who won his second PRCA world saddle bronc title a week ago, won his second Chase Hawks championship. Wright, of Milford, Utah, also won in 2007.
Will Farrell, of Thermopolis, Wyo., won the bull riding.
Timberman had to ride not one, not two, but three horses to earn a third Chase Hawks buckle.
And the third horse, Thunder Monkey of Sankey Rodeo, made him work for every one of his 86 points.
“He was good. He’s an electric horse,” said Timberman of Thunder Monkey, which was at the NFR in Las Vegas last week. “I really had to hustle. I wanted this horse at the Finals. He’s as good as he looks, trust me.” (read more)
Posted in Rodeo Updates, Spencer Turner on December 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Hello Rodeo Fans,
The week after Eskridge I entered Warrensburg, MO. I haven’t entered this rodeo in many years but I had an excellent reason to do so this year. In the weeks prior to the rodeo Brandy’s oldest daughter, Jillian, had been doing interviews and horsemanship and riding for a Little Ms. Queen contest for Johnson County, Missouri, which is for the Warrensburg rodeo. They were going to announce the winners of all the queen contests including the Little Ms. Queen, during the middle performance of the 3 day rodeo. I figured since all of her family and my parents were going to be there, that I might as well enter and ride.
As I mentioned last time I wrote, at the rodeo in Eskridge I lost a stirrup during the ride and got disqualified. After I rode I sat in my saddle to make sure the length was right on my stirrups (this is one reason why stirrups some off). Everything seemed fine so I packed my gear up and went home. I hadn’t touched my gear all week until I threw it down behind the bucking chutes in Warrensburg an hour before I rode. I was helping Jillian get ready for the queen contest, and getting ready myself, when I sat in my saddle and something felt weird. I looked at my stirrups and realized that I my stirrup was about to fall off. At the top of the stirrup is a bolt that holds the stirrup to the leather, the nut had fallen off the bolt and was missing. I was kind of in a bad way, I was about to ride in a few minutes, they were getting ready to announce the Queen winners, and I desperately needed a 1/4″ nut. I asked a few people, knowing that finding one was unlikely. They were about to announce the Queen winners so I directed my attention to the arena and put my panic on hold. They announced Jillian as the 2010 Little Ms. Johnson County Rodeo! We were all so excited and happy for her. I went out in the arena and congratulated her and took some pictures, then it was back to franticly trying to find a nut for the bolt. Without the nut there was no way I could ride. I had one last place to look. In my gear bag I keep a little bag of spare leather and some tools. I dumped the bag out knowing that the chance of there being a nut in there was slim. Well to a surprise to me there was one lonely nut rolling around. God Is Good! I hurriedly put it on and finished getting ready cause they were about to load broncs in the chute.
During the entire Queen commotion and me looking for a nut, I found out what horse I had drawn. I hadn’t been to this stock contractor (Outlaw Rodeo Productions) in several several years so I had no idea about the horses. I made a few calls and found out that this horse wasn’t rode very often and he actually injured a buddy of mine in the chutes a few weeks prior. They said that when he bucks, its hard and fast and he has a few moves to go with it. He was a bigger paint horse that looked like a bronc should. I made my way to the chutes and saddled the paint. He was a little skittish in the chute but noting to bad. Just as a precaution I had a friend tie the horse in. I crawled in the chute ever so gently, once he felt me he started leaning on me. Some fellow cowboys helped me out and I got to a position where I could nod. When I nodded and the gate came open, he bolted out of there hard. He had a move to the left then right all the while kicking over his head. He bucked down the arena and felt like he was changing lead with every jump. My swells were moving from side to side making it hard to ride. I was spurring him pretty good considering he was doing all that. The buzzer sounded, I got off and was walking back and heard a score of 77 which was good enough to win the round and eventually win the rodeo.
It was a good night for me and Jillian, we cleaned house at Warrensburg and it’s a memory I won’t soon forget. We are blessed and give the Glory to God!
Until next time, be safe and God Bless
Posted in Rodeo Interviews on December 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »
HOUSTON, (HLSR) – Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials have announced that the 2011 RodeoHouston BP Super Series will be an international championship, inviting only the top cowboys and cowgirls in the sport of rodeo, competing for a purse of more than $1.5 million.
The entire $1,555,366 purse will be provided by RodeoHouston, with no entry fees required from the contestants. Additionally, each contestant has the ability to earn at least $500 in bonus money by appearing at autograph sessions. Total cash commitment for RodeoHouston BP Super Series contestants exceeds $1.7 million.
The RodeoHouston BP Super Series will feature invited championship contestants in bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping and women’s barrel racing. As in previous years, the 19-performance RodeoHouston BP Super Series will feature five series of three rounds each with eight contestants per event – except for women’s barrel racing which will have 10 contestants; two Semifinal Rounds with 10 contestants per each event; one Wild Card Round with 12 contestants per each event; and a Championship Round featuring 10 contestants per each event. This format will result in 40 contestants per event, except for women’s barrel racing, which will have 50 contestants…(read more)
Posted in National Finals Rodeo on December 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Crown Royal Rider and PRCA World Champion bull rider, J.W. Harris presents Cindy Schonholtz of the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund with $10,000 on behalf of Crown Royal for the Crown Royal Riders’ incredible performance at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Crown Royal Rider J.W. Harris started the 10-day event ranked in eighth place, but after his best National Finals Rodeo (NFR) to date, Harris clinched his third consecutive PRCA Gold Buckle, the first time since Don Gay won three straight in 1979 – 1981.
The 24-year-old bull rider cemented his fate as the world champion Friday night with his 89.5 ride on Insaniac, and finished Saturday with the best average of the 15 bull riders competing.
To thank his fellow Crown Royal teammates for their support all year, Harris will gift each with a bottle of Crown Royal XR in a specially embroidered bag to toast the extra rare occasion for becoming only the second rider ever to win three straight titles.
“This was by far the best that I have ever competed at the finals,” said Harris. “To come here with the support from all the other guys after welcoming our first child into the world was really special. It was important that I do something for them to say thanks.”
Harris along with his Crown Royal Rider teammates participating in the National Finals Rodeo – Wesley Silcox, Cody Whitney, Clayton Williams and Steve Woolsey – also had a special mission during the finals, to score 90+ point rides. For every 90+ point ride clocked, Crown Royal promised to donate $2,000 to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF).
At the end of the finals, the Crown Royal Riders scored three 90+ rides, with Harris’ 94.5 ride as the gold standard. Due to the number of stellar rides by all of the riders, Crown Royal donated $10,000 to the JCCF in a check presentation Friday night.
On behalf of Crown Royal, Harris presented JCCF’s Cindy Schonholtz with a $10,000 check to support the organization’s mission of lending a helping hand to injured professional rodeo athletes and their families.
Posted in Rodeo News on December 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »
LAS VEGAS — There are plenty of good reasons not to be a rodeo cowboy.
The travel is relentless, requiring countless days away from home and thousands of miles on the road. The money isn’t great, and what money there is goes only to those who excel. If you don’t win, you don’t get paid.
The costs are significant, primarily because of the extensive travel. And then there is the danger of the profession, with the threat of serious injury lurking every night, particularly for those cowboys who climb aboard a 1,500-pound bucking horse or 2,000-pound bull.
But there is an allure for the men and women of the sport that is undeniable and manages to overshadow the pitfalls. It stems not only from the thrill of competition, but from the culture of the sport itself, rooted as it is in the western farming and ranching lifestyle of regular, hard-working people, wide-open spaces and unlocked front doors.
That culture might be fading in many aspects of American life, but it lives on in professional rodeo.
“For the most part these guys are just great, great guys,” rodeo announcer Randy Corley said at the National Finals Rodeo, where the best cowboys are competing this week in their sport’s Super Bowl. “A lot of them are ranch raised, country raised at least. You hate to be melodramatic or anything else, but mom and apple pie, God and country mean a lot.”
‘A PRETTY GOOD WAY OF LIFE’
If you think that’s an exaggeration, spending a few days around a rodeo will change your mind. Most of the cowboys come from ranching or farming backgrounds, a tradition passed down from one generation to the next. They grow up around horses and cattle, and rodeos are simply an extension of that life.
The life is tough, but ranchers and farmers know all about that, and to them there is nothing wrong with a little hard work. The reward comes from that hard work, from exploring the country, from seeking adventure….(read more)
Posted in National Finals Rodeo on December 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Cody Cassidy is on his way home today after grinding out the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo’s 10-night marathon.
He plans to make a pit stop at a Cabela’s store in Lehi, Utah. It sells all sorts of hunting paraphernalia from clothes to trail cameras and guns.
Cassidy, a guide and outfitter when he isn’t rodeoing, said he’ll probably get rid of about $3,000 after already spending $3,000 here on a safe to store his guns.
The 29-year-old Donalda, Alta., steer wrestler can afford it.
He won $79,134 in this desert oasis by tossing 10 steers in a total time of 48.7 seconds.
“If somebody told me before I left home that I’d win $40,000, I’d have been happy,” he chuckled. “Shucks, this is about twice as good.”
Cassidy went into Saturday night’s closing round with an outside chance of winning a world championship, but that didn’t happen.
Nebraska’s Dean Gorsuch managed to hang in with a time of 4.8 seconds that allowed him to split first in the aggregate for $40,673. That boosted his NFR earnings to $93,774 and his income for the year to $186,477.
Still, Cassidy was all smiles after splitting fifth three ways with a 4.2-second run, worth $2,848 and cashing third in the aggregate for another $28,810.
“They’d only been 4.4 and 4.6 on him and I didn’t think I could win the round or even be second on him. But, I knew he was a chance to place if I did my part right,” Cassidy said. “He hugged up on me and I had to ride on his back for a couple of jumps until I got my hands on him and that was my main concern.
“He was a bigger steer, I’m kind of a skinny guy and sometimes that doesn’t go hand in hand.”
Overall, Cassidy put together a career-best $155,567 year to end up fifth in the world standings.
Older brother Curtis won the closing round with a time of 3.7 seconds that returned $17,512 and capped a $56,302 NFR. He ended up No. 2 in the world with $166,775.
“A really good way to end the week,” he said after a disappointing turn of events that saw him miss three steers earlier in the week.
“I wasn’t expecting to win the round, at best a second and hopefully a third or fourth. But I got a helluva start, rode up there, got that steer’s head and I knew he was real good to throw once you get hold of him.”
The brothers were aboard the family’s legendary horse Willy and Curtis was the second last bulldogger out. It was only fitting that both placed and Curtis won the round because it was the 24-year-old brown gelding’s last appearance in a rodeo arena. (read more)
Posted in National Finals Rodeo on December 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »
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