Del Rio Grande 0417

APRIL 2017

Riding To Win Del Rio bull rider named Cowboy of the Year

GEORGE PAUL LIVES ON World champ bull rider called Del Rio home

GEORGE PAUL MEMORIAL BULL RIDING SUPERBULL City’s most popular event turns 40

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FROM THE EDITOR

COWBOY UP, DEL RIO!

GENERAL MANAGER/ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sandra Castillo INTERIM EDITOR Karen Gleason WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Karen Gleason Brian Argabright Bonita Santillan SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS: Perry Frost - Rebel Lens Photography ADVERTISING Ashley Lopez Selene Rodriguez EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 300 ADVERTISING sandra.castillo@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 245 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com

2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com

Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald.

No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine.

Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

I first met Bobby Paul, producer of Del Rio’s most popular annual event, the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding, many years ago, and our paths have crossed only infrequently since then. We were nodding acquaintances, and I would see him at the newspaper office every year when he came in to talk with our Sports Editor Brian Argabright, but I wouldn’t say I knew him.

That’s why when our team decided on Bobby Paul as the subject of April’s “20 Things You Don’t Know About . . . ,” I volunteered for the assignment.

Paul is the driving force behind the event that honors his late brother’s incredible feats as a bull rider, but Bobby Paul is so much more, a man of passion, quick intelligence and great humor. I feel I know him a lot better after completing “20 Things,” and I hope you will feel the same.

In this issue, we also feature a story about Paul’s legendary brother, George, for whom the annual bull riding event is named and a story about the bull riding event itself.

I haven’t been to the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding in many years, but you can count on seeing me there this year!

Our main story this month features another bull rider, Colby Hill, a young man who was recently named Del Rio’s first “Cowboy of the Year” by the Del Rio NewsHerald, the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce and the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We hope you’ll feel like you know him a little better after reading the article.

This month’s issue also features a look at an iconic Texas truck and walks you through the process of making your own bolo tie to wear to the bull riding.

I hope you all enjoy reading this issue as much as we’ve all enjoyed working on it!

Karen Gleason Grande Interim Editor

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CONTENTS 6 CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Martha Mitchell Bass’ western flair

10 DO IT YOURSELF Create a one-of-a-kind bolo tie

12 20 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT Bobby Paul

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FEATURE

DENIM AND DIAMONDS

Colby Hill is Del Rio’s first Cowboy of the Year

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BEHIND THE WHEEL One tough truck

28 GEORGE PAUL LIVES ON Event commemorates champion’s legacy

34 WILD ABOUT THE WEST

44 IN THE ARENA George Paul Memorial Bull Riding celebrates its 40th anniversary

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FACES OF DEL RIO Here’s looking at you, kids

Wrangle up these hot looks

ON THE COVER: Del Rio’s Cowboy of the Year Colby Hill poses in the arena at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds, the site of the 40th Annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding to be held April 28 and 29. Hill is also chasing a bull riding dream: qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev. Photo by Perry Frost/Rebel Lens Photography.

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MARTHA MITCHELL BASS I bought these boots (left) at a retail shop called Déjà Vu in San Angelo. I love red and white, and I’ve worn it my whole life.

(Right) My mother lived in Ruidoso, N.M., for four years, and whenever I’d go there to visit her, we’d buy some turquoise and silver jewelry. The one with the large piece of turquoise in the center was a gift from my husband, Jerry Bass. Over the years, I’ve just acquired more and more pieces; some were my mom’s.

This purse (above) was made using a real angora goat hide, and it was made in Rocksprings by Heather Burton who used to have a store there, Burton’s Blades.

(Below) This wide sterling silver cuff, with a stylized bucking bull, the letters “GPMBR” for “George Paul Memorial Bull Riding” and the numerals “79,” the number of bulls ridden consecutively by George Paul, and “0,” the number of times that feat has been equaled, was made by silversmith Juan Jose Andrade Muñoz. He’s made the high marked ride buckle for the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding for more than a decade and, for the last five years, has made the buckle for the competition’s overall champion as well as the sponsor buckles.

CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL

Contributed photo - Me and some of the most important people in my life: husband Jerry Bass, and some of my grandkids: Standing from left, Sydnee, Kaiya and Scotlyn. In front, from left, John and Shayla. Together, Jerry and I have a total of 10 grandkids.

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Some of my favorite boots. I found the tall red ostrich ones and the red and white ones at Déjà Vu in San Angelo. The black and white ones are a pair of Lucchese boots I found on sale at the Boot Barn in San Antonio. I needed a black pair because at the George Paul I always wear my pants inside my boots. The short red ones I got on eBay.

I usually wear Estee Lauder “Beautiful.” That’s really my favorite, and I wear it a lot. I also like “Very Sexy” from Victoria’s Secret and “Black Amethyst” from Bath and Body Works. My skincare routine is strictly “Meaningful Beauty” by Cindy Crawford. I’ve been using that 10 years or more, and I have all the products.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Martha Mitchell Bass was the person that came to mind when we discussed Del Rioans who dress with a western flair.

Martha is originally from Rocksprings and her roots are deep in the area’s ranching heritage. For nearly 30 years, Martha worked for Val Verde County and served as the Val Verde County District Clerk from 1985 until her retirement in December 2006. Although she was always professional, her red lipstick and the bright splashes of color she favored brought light and life to otherwise drab courtroom proceedings. Currently, Martha works three months out of the year as secretary and woman-of-all-work to Bobby Paul, the producer of the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding. We know you’ll love Martha’s wild western style!

• Style icons: “I wouldn’t say I really have a ‘style icon,’ as such. I’m not a label chaser. Most of my stuff is either western or comfy, especially nowadays, since I don’t work full-time in an office anymore. I’ve always been a cowgirl, because I was raised on a ranch outside Rocksprings, so I dressed in boots, jeans and a ponytail, because everything had to be functional. In fact, my mother and dad would buy my boots a size too big, and Daddy would cut a leather insole for the whole boot so it would last longer. Daddy made quirts and bridles and reins from leather, so he always had some leather in the shop.

“Daddy was always a roper. He roped with Jim Bob Altizer and Blanche Altizer-Smith, so we’ve been friends with the Altizers and all the big rodeo families forever. In fact, we never had a vacation while we lived at the ranch. Daddy worked for somebody else, and our vacation was staying at the hotel in Rocksprings during the Fourth of July Rodeo, because Daddy was the pick-up man, and mother kept the books for everybody that entered the rodeo. That was my life until I moved to town and graduated from high school.”

• Favorite designers: “My favorite designer would have to be Double D Ranch Wear, a company based in Yoakum, Texas.

Everything they have is pretty expensive, and on their web site, they describe themselves as ‘a blend between bohemian, cowboy and native American heritages.’ They have a great big store in Seguin, Texas. My sister found a (beaded wool jacket) from that label at Déjà Vu and told me, ‘You just have to try this on,’ and I loved it. I love the fringe, and I love the beadwork. I also love red, and that’s a color that you either love or you hate. I started the first grade in Rocksprings, and I graduated from high school in Rocksprings, and their colors were red and white, so my whole life, I’ve worn red and white. My sister’s the same way. We were the Rocksprings Angoras, and everything was red and white.”

• Celebrity wardrobes you’d like to raid: “I can’t really think of anybody right now, but if it was anybody, I think it would be the old Reba McEntire, before she went glitzy, because she wore a lot of prairie skirts and tops with yokes and boots, because she grew up in a rodeo family, too, so it would probably have to be her. She’s probably about the only one I can think of.”

• Best Places to Snap Up a Fashion Bargain: “I’d have to say Déjà Vu, the resale shop in San Angelo. I usually go there during the rodeo and the steer roping, and that’s when they put out all the western stuff. San Angelo has a lot of ritzy women that are country, and I’ve found a lot of great stuff there, including boots and the Double D Ranch Wear jackets. I do some shopping at Buffalo Girls and some at Del Rio Feed & Supply here, because they have unusual things that I like, too. I also love Back In The Saddle in Bandera, owned by Lou Miller.”

• Fashion Crime: “As a country as I am, I don’t really have anything unless it’s sloppy dressing. Jerry’s always starched, and his shirts are starched, and then we go somewhere and there are people with their shirts hanging out and their pants are all baggy.”

•

“Most of my stuff is either western or comfy.”

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DO IT YOURSELF

BOLO TIE Step out in western style with this make-it-yourself accent Story and photos by BONITA SANTILLAN

There are ties, there are bow ties and then there are bolo ties.

From a black tie event to a night at the rodeo, bolo ties have been a western staple for many — both men and women. The eye-catching accessory adds a unique touch to both formal and casual attire.

The iconic tie is oftentimes made of a thin lace or braided material fastened with a decorative clasp. The wearer is able to customize their bolo tie look

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based on the type of fastener they choose — stones, silver, gold, vintage brooches. The sky’s the limit.

Bolo ties can be pricey depending on its brooch decorations and quality, and if you’re not one to wear it a number of times but want to flaunt the classic western wear at Del Rio’s annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding in April, a quick and simple DIY that’s easy on the wallet is the way to go. •

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

E600 (epoxy) Leather cord Bolo tie slide Cord ends Brooch decorations

Step 1:

Cut about 40 inches of cord depending on your length preference. You can measure around your neck for a more accurate measurement. Wal-Mart or any craft store will carry various types of leather cords to choose from.

Step 2:

Insert both ends of the cord through the tie slide. I used a drawstring slide, which worked the same way a bolo tie slide would. Adjust the slide accordingly so that the cord doesn’t slip too easily.

Step 3:

Apply glue to the tip of one end of the cord and insert into the cord ends. Do the same to the other end of the cord as well. You can also attach your cord end decorations while you do this. Oftentimes bolo tie ends are used to decorate the ends of the tie, but for DIY purposes I decided to create my own version. You may do this as well or find some bolo tie ends to use instead.

Step 4:

I used the surface of the slide as the foundation for my brooch. You can use a vintage pin or any type of stones to customize your tie. I found my decorations at Wal-Mart in the bead section. Using the E600, glue your decorations according to your liking onto the slide. The glue will need a day or two to dry completely.

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20 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

BOBBY PAUL George Paul’s older brother keeps family legacy alive Story and photos by KAREN GLEASON, With contributed photos by BOBBY PAUL

B

Contributed photo - From left, Bobby Paul’s daughters, Elizabeth Paul and Jacque Paul Sorrell, Bobby’s grandson, Jack Sorrell, and Paul pose with the buckles and plaques awarded Paul after the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event and legendary bull rider George Paul were inducted into The Bull Riding Hall of Fame in 2015.

Photo by Karen Gleason - Bobby Paul displays the plaque he received when the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event, the oldest, continuous stand-alone bull riding competition in the world, was inducted into The Bull Riding Hall of Fame in the Hall of Fame’s “Legends” section.

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obby Paul is the producer and the driving force behind Del Rio’s most popular annual event, the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding, the oldest, continuous, stand-alone bull riding competition in the world, held at the end of every April at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds.

But Bobby Paul is also a husband, father, grandfather, rancher and businessman.

• I was born in Nix Hospital in San Antonio on Feb. 11, 1945, and lived in Paul’s Valley, Okla., which was settled by Smith Paul, my greatgreat-grandfather on my father’s side. I lived there for eight months to a year before we moved back to Del Rio. • I started school in Del Rio at the Sacred Heart School, in the first grade, but I attended second grade at a school in San Antonio and third grade at the San Miguel Ranch in Mexico. We had a school out there for the kids in the village, and after that I came back to Del Rio and attended schools here from the fourth grade on. My fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Ingram, and it was at the old, original Garfield Elementary School.

• I played football while I was in school here in Del Rio. In the ninth grade, we were undefeated.

In tenth grade, we – it was the Del Rio Wildcats – did pretty good, and when I was a junior, the team won the district, the bi-district, and another round of competition, and we went to the state quarter-finals,

where we played San Benito, and they beat us. When I was a senior, we didn’t have as good an offense, but we had a good defense. In the first seven games of that year, I don’t think we were ever scored on, but that year, we tied for district. I graduated from Del Rio High School in 1963.

• I went on to college, and I went to San Angelo (State) for a couple of years, Texas University for a year, and I went to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and went through their ranch management program, and I graduated from Texas Christian with a degree from the ranch management program there in 1967.

• My grandfather on my mother’s side of the family, George D. Miers, owned a lot of property in Mexico, and I kind of always thought I was going to do that. I kind of thought of being a coach for a while, because I liked sports, but I ended up marrying my wife Bonnie, and we lived in Mexico for four or five years, most of the time at the Santo Domingo Ranch. When my first daughter was old enough, we moved back to Del Rio so she could start school.

• I rode some bulls, but never in a rodeo. I wasn’t interested in that.

My brother had some practice bulls – both of my brothers, George and Lee, rode – at the ranch and every now and then they would talk me into riding a couple of them, but I never did really like it very much, and you really have to like that sport to do it. I’ve been on a few bulls,

Photo by Karen Gleason - Bobby Paul, the producer and driving force behind the annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding, gets ready for the 2017 event. The George Paul competition originated as a memorial to Bobby’s younger brother, George, arguably the greatest bull rider who ever lived. George Paul rode 79 consecutive bulls, a feat that has never been equaled.

Contributed photo - From left, Bobby Paul, Richard Bennett, Johnny Mayfield and an unidentified man ride on Paul’s Santo Domingo Ranch in northern Mexico about 1969. The ranch came to Paul through his mother’s father, George D. Miers, who owned extensive property in Mexico. Paul still operates the Santo Domingo as a working ranch, with a concentration on cattle.

Contributed photo - Jaime Garza, left; and Bobby Paul present the coveted one-of-a-kind winner’s buckle to Robey Contra, the 2006 George Paul Memorial Bull Riding Champion, following the 2006 competition at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds.

Contributed photo - Bobby Paul, far left, Todd Hayes, Olympic silver medalist; J.W. Hart, 2002 George Paul Memorial Bull Riding Champion; Miss Rodeo Texas Kara Brown Gillit and former U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla at the presentation of the winner’s buckle in 2002.

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Contributed photo - Bill Putnam, founder and director of The Bull Riding Hall of Fame, presents Bobby Paul with the plaque and buckle inducting The George Paul Memorial Bull Riding into The Bull Riding Hall of Fame as a Legend during a ceremony in Bulverde, Texas, in May 2015.

Contributed photo - Bobby Paul, left, and the world’s top rodeo announcer, Boyd Polhamus, at the county fairgrounds in 1996. Polhamus announced the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding for many years. Among the top rodeo announcers in the world, Polhamus has announced the prestigious National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas 20 times and has been named World Professional Rodeo Association Announcer of the Year and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Announcer of the Year multiple times.

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but it can get a little dangerous. I did ride horses a lot, though, rounding up and working at the ranch.

• I have two daughters, Jacque Paul Sorrell and Elizabeth Paul, and Robert Paul, my son, is in the middle. Elizabeth is an attorney in Austin, Robert is in the oil and gas industry, and Jacque is a teacher at the Lonnie Green Elementary School here in Del Rio. • After my brother George died in a plane crash in 1970, my brother Lee came up with the idea of a rodeo in memory of George, but then the entire family helped put it together, including myself, my mother and my sister. We don’t really count that one, the first event in 1977,

and the next year, we wanted to do it more professionally, so we got with John Stockton of Stockton’s Western Wear, because he had rodeoed professionally, as we got him, and that’s where we really say it started, in 1978, and it was an invitational, and we invited the top riders from the U.S., Mexico and Canada, including 27 rides from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, two from the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, and the event had $25,000 in added money, making it one of the richest of its kind in the world. After that, we formed a committee and different people became involved in it, and it’s grown into what we’re doing now, and today, it’s the oldest,

continuous, stand-alone bull riding event in the world, and it is the single biggest weekend tourist attraction in Del Rio and has been since it began.

• I like to go to the gym, and I try to go at least three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I like to work out, and it helps me relieve stress. I just got in the habit of going.

I also try to work out a little bit while I’m at the ranch.

• I spend about three months out of every year working on organizing the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event. The marketing director starts contacting people, the sponsors, in October, but we keep the office (at the fairgrounds) open for three months.

• I like going to my ranch in Mexico, the Santo Domingo Ranch.

Most of the time, there are no problems there, and I really enjoy it.

I enjoy riding a horse. We have elk, black bear, mountain lions, deer out there, and I like to look at them. It’s just very peaceful there.

• Of all the celebrities I’ve met, my favorite was Tom Jones. At the time he visited here, he was the highestpaid entertainer in the world. I couldn’t even believe he was coming here until I saw him and his people get off the plane in San Antonio, and we picked him up there. They let out school early in Del Rio, and there was a record number of people to greet

Contributed photo - Bobby Paul holds a trained Harris’ Hawk on the Santo Domingo Ranch in Mexico about six months ago.

him at the airport when he came in.

I never met Hank Williams Jr., but his mother came here and she spent about four days at the ranch.

• I can do a lot of things pretty well, and a couple of things really well. I can fly a plane fairly good, and I think I drive real well and ride a horse real well.

• I get along with most people pretty well.

• I used to enjoy bowling quite a bit. I haven’t done it in a long time.

I was even on a league here for a while. I really enjoyed that.

• The first car I ever had was a ’49 or ’50 Ford, and I painted it gold metallic and I was in the ninth grade and back then, you could get a license then when you were 14 if you’d gone through that course, and the car cost me $75 and it looked horrible. After I had it painted, it looked very good on the outside. I was sitting at a stop light down there by the overpass one night and there was three people in a ’56 Ford, and I glanced in the rear view mirror and that car hit me and knocked me completely across the intersection. It totaled the car, and there went my ’49 gold metallic Ford.

Since then, I’ve had a number of cars.

Now I own the only ’62 Corvette in Del Rio, that I know of.

• Once, when I took some bull riders on a tour of Laughlin Air Force Base, we were watching the attack dogs, and I volunteered to be the ‘attack’ dummy for the Security Forces Squadron’s training demonstration.

They do put a padded jacket on you, but those dogs hit pretty hard. It turned out pretty good.

• I am an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation Tribe in Ada, Okla.

After my great-great-grandfather’s first wife passed away, he married a Chickasaw woman.

• I have one grandson, Jack Sorrell, who is 15.

• I was married on June 18, 1971 to Bonnie Jean Sanders, who was born in Uvalde. Her father was an engineer for the highway department, and her family moved to Del Rio when she was very young. •

Contributed photo - Bobby Paul, left, and world-renowned entertainer Tom Jones at Paul’s Santo Domingo Ranch in early 1970. At the time Jones visited the ranch, he was the highestpaid entertainer in the world. Del Rio schools were let out so schoolchildren could welcome Jones at the Del Rio airport before he made the trip to the ranch in Mexico.

Contributed photos - Bobby Paul, fourth from left, leads a group of cowboys on a tour of Laughlin Air Force Base at the invitation of the base commander several years ago.

Contributed photo - Bobby Paul and Bonnie Jean Sanders, his future wife, at the Turtle Creek Country Club near Miami, Fla., a few months before the pair was married on June 18, 1971. In June, the Pauls will celebrate the 46th anniversary of their wedding.

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FEATURE

COWBOY OF THE YEAR Del Rio’s Colby Hill keeps his eyes on the prize Story by KAREN GLEASON, photos by PERRY FROST and contributed by COLBY HILL

C

olby Hill is a tall young man with an easygoing manner, an unruly shock of chocolate brown hair and deep brown eyes. He is polite to the point of deference, a characteristic that seems almost jarringly old-fashioned in someone so young.

Hill, 20, was selected as Del Rio’s Cowboy of the Year and was presented with a plaque and belt buckle and a large gift basket of Julio’s goodies after his selection was announced during the 2017 Del Rio Chamber of Commerce and Laughlin AFB Dinner and Awards Banquet in late February.

Hill is the son of Del Rioans Nancy and Marvin Hill. He has a stepbrother, Raul Hernandez, and two stepsisters, Crystal Meeks and Amber Browning.

Unlike some young people who have trouble finding their path in life, Hill said he knows exactly what he wants to do, at least for now. Bull riding. Rodeos.

Winning.

Hill, a native Del Rioan, said, “I like Del Rio, but I’d like to move somewhere else, by Houston. There’s a lot more rodeos down there.”

Hill said he made a decision after high school to go straight into professional bull riding.

“I had a full ride to Wharton (College) to go rodeo, but I didn’t take it, because I wanted to go rodeo more. I went down there, but it wasn’t for me. Maybe later on, but not right now. I’m not the type that sits in a classroom,” Hill said with a soft laugh and the shrug of the shoulder.

Hill said he has always liked rodeo events and playing sports.

“I rode muttons (sheep) when I was three and four, five and six, at the rodeos, but I played football my third-

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grade year to my sixth-grade year. I was going to be a football player, but one day, I just wanted to rodeo. I got too big to ride sheep, and I just wanted to give it a shot, and I’ve been riding since, steers to bulls, now,” he said.

Nancy Hill, Colby’s mother, said bull riding and rodeo fever are gifts of Colby’s bloodline.

Colby’s grandfather, Donald Hill Jr., who many older Del Rioans remember as a deputy for the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office, rodeoed in Iowa and Nebraska as a younger man, and Colby’s father, Marvin, rode saddle broncs and bareback competitively, and Nancy’s brother, Henry Davee, former owner of Diamond Lil’s bar in Del Rio, was also a competitive bull rider.

Colby began riding in the Uvalde and LaPryor areas on animals owned by friends of the Hill family.

“They had some bulls to get on. I used to go over there pretty much every weekend, and they would help me out, get me on some practice bulls, and sometimes, they weren’t really practice bulls. They had some pretty rank bulls over there,” he said.

Is her son’s chosen lifestyle and profession nerve-wracking for Nancy Hill?

“We told him that we would give him one year when he said he wanted to ride. We bought him chaps and stuff and told him, ‘We’ll give you a year, and he said okay.’ Then in his first year, he won the saddle and the Texas Youth Rodeo Association, the first year he did this competitively,” Nancy Hill said.

Hill was 10 when he began riding steers competitively and turned 11

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Contributed photo - Colby Hill, Del Rio native, goes airborne atop nearly one ton of bovine fury during a Championship Bull Riding event in Window Rock, Ariz., last year.

Photo by Perry Frost - Colby Hill, left, with his parents, Nancy and Marvin Hill

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during that year of competition.

“To be honest with you, the first rodeo that I went to, I really didn’t know anybody, I didn’t know any of these kids or what to expect (from them), and after we rode, we became friends, and I still see some of them at rodeos today. It was awesome. I really didn’t think my first year going in I’d win it, but I did,” Hill said.

Hill admits the winning hooked him and hooked him deep.

During his freshman year of high school, he didn’t enter any rodeos because he entered late in the rodeo season.

“My sophomore year, that was my ‘rookie’ year, I won the saddle for the region, and I went to state, and didn’t do no good at state that year. The next year, my junior year, I won the saddle again for the region, and I went to state, and I placed in the top five in the state of Texas, and in my senior year, I won the saddle again in my region and also placed in

Photo by Perry Frost - Colby Hill visits his pet cow, Ariat, at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. Hill and his stepbrother Raul Hernandez have raised the cow since it was a calf.

the top five in the state,” he said.

Hill practices his bull riding form on a contraption called a “Buck Right,” a barrel that mimics the rolling jumps of a rodeo bull. He also runs and works out on a Bowflex machine.

At rodeos, Hill said he follows a strict, unchanging routine.

“It’s the same routine every time. I get there, and I go to see what my bull looks like, what color is he, how big he is, that kind of thing. I get my bull rope on the rack and I warm it up, and I listen to my music for a little while . . . I like to be by myself, and after that, I call my pastor and we say a prayer and I read my Bible,” Hill said.

His favorite verse? Philippians 4:13:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Hill said as the time nears for his ride, he becomes a creature of laser focus.

“Everything zones out. I can’t hear anything, not the announcer, nobody.

When I get in that bucking chute, it’s business. I start warming up my rope. I warm it up 10 times . . . I try to be cool, calm and collected,” he said.

Hill also said fear isn’t a factor when he climbs on the back of an animal that can weigh up to a ton.

“I’m more afraid of losing than I am of getting stomped on,” he said.

Nancy Hill said whenever her son rides, she simply puts him in God’s hands.

Hill said his big dream is to make it to

the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev., an event that showcases the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world, for which participants must qualify over the course of a long, grueling and sometimes painful season.

“I’m shootin’ for Vegas. That’s been my dream since I started,” Hill said.

Hill rodeos nearly every weekend, trying to treat rodeoing like a business through which he must rise through the ranks, advice handed to him by bull riding great Don Gay. “You’ve always got to be positive in bull riding. It’s all mental. If you think you can’t do something, you’re not going to be able to do it. You’ve always got to think you can,” Hill said. •

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BEHIND THE WHEEL

READY TO RUMBLE Mike Flores’ Ford Super Duty is a beast with beauty, brains and brawn Story by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT and photos by ROLAND CARDENAS

T

rucks and Texas go together like peanut butter and jelly.

From classic Fords to earrattling duallys, trucks are used by folks for everything from the daily commute to work to chores on the ranch, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the love of trucks can be found in a wide variety of folks.

Del Rio’s Mike Flores is one of those

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people.

The 24-year-old has been working on trucks since he was 18. He said his dad got him into it and he’s turned his hobby into a passion that turns heads.

His current work of art is a 2016 Ford F-350 Platinum Lariat Super Duty because it is, as he puts it, “unique to most others around this area.”

Flores’ truck is packed with power. The

big, white beast features a 6.76 diesel power stroke engine under the hood, but that’s just the beginning of what powers this behemoth.

Cory Taylor, from Arc Rite, explains that the truck has undergone a few modifications that provide not just punch, but a few smarts as well.

“It’s also running a full five-inch turbo back system with a custom EGR and

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particulate delete, and custom-written tuning program which not only gives the truck a substantial amount of horsepower, but fuel mileage as well,” Taylor said.

The Lariat is just the latest of Flores’ trucks. In addition to it, Flores has also owned a 2015 Ford King Ranch edition 3500 one-ton dually and a 1997 Ford Powerstroke that sits on 20-inch Fuel Maverick wheels featuring a black and machined finish.

As for the Lariat, it features a white diamond tri-coat paint job with a pearl finish. It also features 22-inch Fuel Maverick custom offset wheels designed for 37 by 13.50-inch Cooper SST PRO Discoverer tires. On the interior is a black leather heaven that helps him ride in style.

But that’s not all for this piece of Platinum.

“The truck also has a six-inch RCP four-link suspension lift kit that allows for more flexibility and ride quality within the suspension,” Taylor said. “Each wheel is a one-piece custom cut wheel made from one block of aluminum with a specially forged back space to meet the others without having to add wheel spacers to clear the 13.5-inch wide tires.” •

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MEMORIAL

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George Paul “1968 World Champion, NFR Winner & World Record Holder” 26

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HISTORY

GEORGE PAUL LIVES ON World champion bull rider’s enduring legacy Story by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT and photos contributed by BOBBY PAUL

Contributed photo - Hall of fame bull rider George Paul looks for a successful ride. Paul, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1970, was the 1968 NFR bull riding champion and the PRCA world champion bull rider.

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here’s an old saying which opines, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

Truer words may have never been spoken when it comes to the legacy of one of the greatest bull riders in the history of the sport, Del Rio’s own George Paul.

Paul, the namesake of the world’s oldest, continuous stand alone bull riding competition, was more than just a bull rider. He was a pioneer in the sport, a record-setter, a world champion and a man whose legacy will outlive his relatively short time on earth. “(George) had Hollywood good looks, had a great sense of humor and was a true-to-life cowboy who co-managed a ranch and was a rodeo champion. He was a hero and a true American success story,” John Ludlum, writer and rodeo historian, said.

Born March 5, 1947, Paul grew up on the San Miguel Ranch in Mexico and began rodeoing at the age of 14 through the American Junior Rodeo Association.

Even before turning pro, Paul won honors as the world champion bull rider, world champion bareback rider and best all-around cowboy

through the American Junior Rodeo Association.

In 1966, the broad-shouldered cowboy turned pro and began competing through the Rodeo Cowboys Association. Paul traveled across the country and competed in events throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“George Paul was all guts. He was determined to be the best of all time, and nothing was going to stop him,” author Jeff Wolf said.

By the time he turned 20, Paul was on the fast track to becoming one of the greatest bull riders in the world. At the 1967 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) he rode seven of nine bulls and finished ranked as the fourth best bull rider in the world despite finished second in the NFR bull riding aggregate.

In addition, he was the 17th ranked bareback rider in the world and finished 13th in the world allaround standings.

Then came the record-breaking year of 1968.

It takes eight seconds to earn a qualified ride in bull riding. Riders can get scouting reports on their bulls. They can learn which way the big animals like to turn, how prone they are to jumping, how they’ll

Contributed photo - George Paul at the Paul family home with the saddle he was awarded for being the Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion bull rider in 1968.

“(George) had Hollywood good looks, had a great sense of humor and was a true-to-life cowboy . . . and a rodeo champion.”

Contributed photo - Del Rio’s George Paul was the first man to ride bulls at the National Finals Rodeo in 1968.

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Contributed photo - George Paul was an innovator when it came to bull riding, incorporating intensive physical exercise routines and early plyometrics into his regimen. It helped develop him into a stronger and better rider and helped him achieve the world record of 79 consecutive successful bull rides.

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react coming out of the chute and how likely they are to come back for blood once the ride is complete.

For many cowboys, one ride at a rodeo is all they’ll get. On rare occasions, it’ll be two or even three bulls in one day, usually spaced out over several rounds.

Most riders are focused on getting that day’s successful ride out of the way. They aren’t looking to string together two or three or even 10 rides together. In 1968, Paul established what has become one of the most untouchable records in sports today.

“Traveling in his twin engine Bonanza, Paul stormed across the United States and Canada entering 150 rodeos and traveling 125,000 miles. No rodeo was too big or too small as long as he could get ‘drawn up’ right (entered) in his two events, bareback bronc riding and bull riding. If he could only compete in one event at a rodeo because of scheduling, he entered just the bull riding,” Ludlum wrote. “Something began to happen in mid-season 1968 and no matter what he drew in the bull riding, no matter how hard they bucked,

Contributed photo - George Paul’s brother Bobby Paul, second from right, accepts the medal and plaque on behalf of his late brother as George was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2012. Also inducted in that class were singer, actor and cowboy Lyle Lovett, rodeo cowboy, stock contractor and rancher Vernon “Dude” Smith, Superior Livestock founders Buddy Jeffers and Jim Odle as well as western artist Joe Grandee.

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Contributed photo - George Paul shows off his championship form as he rides a bull during an event inside the Houston Astrodome in 1970. Paul’s legacy lives on in the annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding held in Del Rio each spring.

no matter how rank they were, the bulls could not dislodge Paul. It was as if he had superglue on his Wranglers.”

Headed into the 1968 National Finals Rodeo, Paul had ridden 79 bulls in a row.

Seventy-nine times he climbed into the bucking chute, 79 times he tightened his grip and felt his rope drawn tight. Seventynine times he nodded his head and the chute gate flew open, and Paul and his bull roared into the arena, an epic battle of man and beast.

And 79 times the buzzer sounded and Paul touched the ground, celebrating another successful ride. It was such a dominating series that it is a world record that stands to this day. The next closest string of successful rides belongs to hall of famer and Championship Bull Riding

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ambassador Tuff Hedeman who notched 48 successful rides in a row.

Amazingly enough, Paul’s streak of successful rides came to a sudden end at the National Finals Rodeo when the first bull he climbed aboard knocked him out.

Paul recovered and successfully rode his final eight bulls, a feat the NFR record at the time, to secure the 1968 world championship.

Paul’s 79 successful rides in a row have never been matched or even approached.

After taking 1969 off to be closer to family, Paul returned to competition in 1970. However, on July 30, 1970, the plane Paul was piloting crashed near Kemmerer, Wyo., bringing an end to the life and stellar career of a rodeo superstar at the tender age of 23.

Paul’s career, though brief, did not go unnoticed. In 1979, he was inducted into the National ProRodeo Hall of Fame. It was the first of many honors that would be bestowed upon him include induction into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Okla., in 2007, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2005, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2012 and various others. Paul also was inducted into The Bull Riding Hall of Fame in Bulverde, Texas, in 2015 as part of its inaugural class, which also included legends Don Gay and the late Jim Shoulders.

It was fitting that Gay was inducted alongside Paul as Gay once called the Del Rio cowboy “the greatest natural bull rider of all time.” •

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FASHION

WILD ABOUT THE WEST It’s bull riding time in Del Rio, the best time to spot the latest western attire.

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Men’s Button Down Shirt by Roper $49.99 Men’s Wrangler Blue Jeans $49.99 Men’s Belt - Ranger Belt Company $58 Cowboy Johns Cap $15 *Available in various colors in men’s and women’s styles Men’s Cowboy Hat by Resistol $105 Model: Jacob Keaton

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SAMANTHA KEATON. Has chosen to wear an adorable vintage two piece outfit. This floral off the shoulder crop top is paired with an open side maxi skirt in the same vintage floral print.

She is wearing a pair of Liberty Black vintage boots with scallop and concho accent. Her jewelry is very simple stackable clay earth color bracelets.

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BRITTANY HENDERSON is wearing an adorable peasant ticking tunic with hot pink and gold embroidery detail. Tassel accent paired back with pair of stone washed vegas boots by Liberty Black. SAMANTHA KEATON has chosen to wear a Boho Chic Navy dress with off the shoulder ties and accented with a red aztec print. Sam has a leather choker with a cross pendant and a small leather bolo to go back with her outfit. Her boots are by Liberty Black (Vintage short booties with fringe and concho detail)

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BRITTANY HENDERSON has chosen to wear a pair of garden grove dessert shorts (High waisted distressed shorts) paired back with a sleeveless vintage black tee (redneck outlaw pistol country rebel tee). Her jewelry is a thin leather bolo with thin silver conho, layered with a long flat turquoise necklace and a sterling silver hammered cuff by Richard Schmidt Jewelry. Brittany’s boots are by Corral Boots (Multi vintage distressed boots.)

Brittany Henderson is ready for the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding. She is wearing a pair of colorful aztec shorts, with a black skull tee with dome sleeves.

Her awesome jewelry is handmade by Richard Schmidt Jewelry. (Layered turquoise necklace and a long Navajo pearl necklace with a sterling silver squash accented with a silver cross and turquoise stones.)

SAMANTHA KEATON. This is an adorable pleated beige ultra suede skirt worn back with a garnett racer back tee. Her boots are by Liberty Black (Stone wash Vegas boots). Her rancher hat is just a ways to show the life in Del Rio, Texas.

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Mens Ariat Button Down Shirt $49.95 Boy’s Cinch Button Down Shirt $36

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Rhinestone Belt - Ranger Belt Company $125

Girl’s Ariat Boots $99.95

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Cowboys pray prior to the start of the annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. Though the riders are all competing for the championship buckle, no rider wishes for injury to himself or another competitor during the event.

IN THE ARENA

GEORGE PAUL MEMORIAL Del Rio’s biggest annual event celebrates 40 years Story and photos by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT

J

erome Davis won the 1995 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world title in only his third year of professional competition.

The next year Davis traveled to Del Rio and won the 19th annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding. After the event, a writer from Texas Monthly magazine asked

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Davis what it meant to win the prestigious champion’s buckle at the event that was once known worldwide as “Superbull” versus winning the world championship.

“A bull rider would pick the George Paul. It’s like the Kentucky Derby – it’s the big one,” Davis said.

This year’s event, scheduled to take

place April 28-29 at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds, marks the 40th anniversary of the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding, the world’s oldest, continuous stand-alone bull riding.

Bull riding is a scored event that pits a cowboy against a bull. Judges will award up to 50 points each to the rider and the

Jake Littlefield looks for a successful ride on the second day of competition of a recent George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event. While evening performances have been the norm for the George Paul for the past four years, the event used to feature performances on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

Cole Echols rides Max Energy Curly Bob for 91 points in the final go round of the 35th Annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding held at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. Echols’ ride was the highest-marked ride of the day and helped him win the championship buckle as the winner of that year’s event.

bull based on the performance of both. The highest possible score that can be achieved in a bull ride is 100, but that’s only been done once.

In 1978, the Paul family sought a way to honor George Paul’s memory. The Del Rio native, and 1968 world champion bull rider, was killed in a plane crash in Wyoming in 1970. Initially, a trophy named for George was presented to the top bull rider at the Southwest Texas PRCA Rodeo held in May 1977. The award was called simply, the George Paul Memorial Award, and it was presented to Jerry Zinsitz of San Antonio.

Zinsitz won after scoring 84 atop Black Six. Then it was announced that an event to honor Paul would be held in 1978, bringing together the best bull riders in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Organized by John Stockton, director for the spring PRCA rodeo, and in collaboration with the Paul family, the event was called the George Paul Memorial invitational match bull riding. Stockton announced he had

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Craig Jackson has his hands full with his bull during the second day of competition at the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding. The annual bull riding event is the final stop for the Championship Bull Riding tour.

Fellow cowboys cheer and just look on as a rider does his best to earn a high score at the annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. A successful ride comes down to the performance of the rider and the bull with each receiving a score from the arena judges.

A bull fighter grabs and yanks a bull rope to distract a bull from charging after a cowboy following a ride at the annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event. Bull fighters put themselves in harm’s way to save cowboys, and sometimes each other, when a ride goes wrong.

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confirmed commitments from the top 15 PRCA finalists including two-time bull riding world champion Don Gay. That first event wasn’t just a chance for fans to see the best riders in the world.

It was part of several days’ worth of fun including a PRCA rodeo, the Pioneer Heritage Ball, events in Mexico and live music from country music entertainers such as Moe Bandy and Red Steagall and a young up-and-comer from Oklahoma named Reba McEntire.

Even before the first bulls were loaded into the chute, promoters were billing the George Paul event as “the world’s richest bullriding event.”

Denny Flynn won that first George Paul event. He would win again in 1980 to become the first two-time champion, but it was that first win that set the stage for what would become a key part of the sport of bull riding.

Since 1978, 33 men have captured the champion’s buckle. The list of winners includes hall of famers like Lane Frost, Tuff Hedeman, Charles Sampson, Jim Sharp, and Davis.

Seven men have won the title more than once. They include Flynn (twice), Sampson (three times), Frost (twice), Hedeman (three times), Sharp (two times), Davis (twice) and Trey Benton (two times).

Sulphur, Oklahoma’s Brennon Eldred is the defending champion, but if he’ll have what it takes to defend his title will be unclear until the dust settles on the second day of competition April 29. Until then, Eldred made clear that winning the 2016 George Paul was something he would never forget.

“This is the most prestigious event we come to all year long and the last event in the season so I wanted to finish strong to put myself in the mix for contention of the world title,” Eldred said at the conclusion of last year’s George Paul.

The event itself has become one of the mainstays of Del Rio. There aren’t many local events that can claim being in existence for four decades, and even fewer that have as local a flavor as the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding. It’s become such a phenomenal event that it was even inducted into the Bull Riding

Fans peer down from atop the catwalk that overlooks the chutes at the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding event at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. Thousands of fans each year fill the arena to watch the event, which celebrates its 40th anniversary April 28-29.

Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2015 along with its namesake, George Paul.

Tickets go on sale on Feb. 1, and the phones at the small office tucked away under the grandstand at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds ring nearly every day as people hustle to secure the best seats for the two-day event.

Since partnering with Championship Bull Riding, and turning both performances into evening shows, attendance has been steady and fans have gone home both enthralled and entertained by the performance of the riders and everyone involved in the show.

In its 40-year history, the George Paul, as it is simply known now, has attracted tens

of thousands of fans young and old. They come from all over the world to not only see bull riding but to soak in the atmosphere both in the U.S. and in Mexico, where the party continues late into the night on the weekend of the event.

But please don’t call the George Paul a “rodeo.” This is bull riding. It’s a battle between man and beast and one wrong move can mean a trip to the dirt or worse, an injury that brings everything to a stop.

Success is measured in cheers and at the end of the day it’s all about holding that champion’s buckle that can be measured in dollars but that is priceless to the man who wins it. •

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Faces of Del Rio

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We’re looking for fresh new FACES of DEL RIO for our May issue of Del Rio Grande Magazine. In celebration of Mother’s Day send in your best mother/daughter photos.

Del Rio Grande

Email roland.cardenas@delrionewsherald.com or selene.rodriguez@delrionewsherald.com GRANDE / APRIL 2017

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