RIVER RODEO

Sitting down with Powder River Rodeo owners Hank and Lori to chat about their operation and all things bucking horses.

BY ELLEE HAGEMAN

Hank and Lori Franzen, the founders and owners of Powder River Rodeo, LLC. The couple met during their college rodeo years, competing in various events on the Casper College Rodeo team. Hank’s record-setting performance still stands today with 13 all-around titles and nine consecutive titles in a single season.

After college, they tied the knot in 1979 and launched Powder River Rodeo, LLC. By 1986, their dreams of starting a stock contracting firm became a reality, but not without a little elbow grease and some hiccups along the way. Lori jokingly remembers a six-month partnership with a gentleman from Buffalo in the early days, who ultimately decided the work was too much and decided to go a different direction. This is a great place to add that the life of stock contractor isn’t an easy one and it takes a special kind of person to step into this role.

The stock contracting business began modestly, providing livestock for a few amateur rodeos before acquiring their official PRCA stock contractor card in 1987. When I was sitting down with Lori, she remembers starting with just a few horses when they got their PRCA card and then realized they had to go out and get five new rodeos to meet their limit.

By 1988, Powder River had earned the ability to bring livestock to the National Finals Rodeo, which is a right of way all on its own. Since then, Powder River Rodeo has consistently brought stock to compete, garnering recognition and numerous awards, including the prestigious PRCA Remuda Award in 2019.

In addition to numerous stock contractor awards, three of their bucking horses have won world champion titles. Among those horses is Khadafy Skoal, who competed at the NFR 16 times and won PRCA Horse of the Year three times. Lori and Hank bought him in May of 1989, and that horse single handedly helped put Powder River Rodeo on the map.

Their company’s uniqueness stems from their tradition of raising their own bucking stock, breeding almost 60 broodmares annually. Over the past

20 years, they have purchased fewer than four horses. After thirty-seven years in the business and raising their own stock, they know a thing or two about what makes a good bronc.

When they first started the company, they bought a stud named “Cut the Cards” from Harry Vold’s Custer mare Crazy Blaze and Little Baldy. He is the grandson of Tooke’s Custer, and is the great grandson of Prince, who was the foundation of Feek Tooke’s bloodlines. He sired several NFR bucking horses including crowd favorite bucker, Miss Congeniality. To date, the Tooke bloodlines are in three quarters of the bloodlines of the bucking horse herds in America.

Powder River Rodeo is a powerhouse within the industry, running approximately 400 horses along with some bucking bulls, thanks to their partnership with D&H Cattle of Ardmore, Oklahoma. While they have their bucking horse program down to a science, the partnership with D&H has helped elevate their bull program to the next level.

Hank and Lori’s children, Jill and John, are also an integral part of the business. Both of them were very successful rodeo contestants, which contributes to their success in the rodeo production and stock contracting side of the business. While we were sitting down, Lori mentioned that their biggest accomplishment was their own children and being able to raise them in the world of rodeo.

Jill Franzen-Loden now runs her own music business and has been named 3x Music Director of the Year in the PRCA. John is the company’s foreman, overseeing livestock, rodeo lists, and feed programs.

Lori admits that the business isn’t easy but finds it rewarding, especially after being nominated eleven times for the PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year. She concluded our conversation by stating,

“We love the livestock; we love our horses and the people in rodeo. After 37 years in the business, we have rodeos we have done for 30-plus years. It’s what we love, what my kids love and I can’t see it being any other way.”