Humps N Horns Bull Riding Magazine - Mar 2023

JB Mauney goes to work at the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson, MS. PRCA ProRodeo

photo by Darlena Roberts.

Humps N Horns

March 2023

On The Cover - Flint Rasmussen leads the crowd at a PBR Unleash the Beast Tour event. Rasmussen will leave the dirt as the Official Entertainer of the PBR at the end of the 2023 Unleash the Beast season. Photo provided courtesy of PBR.

HUMPS

BULL RIDING MAGAZINE PO Box 34172 Fort Worth, TX 76162 325-500-BULL (2855) www.humps-horns.com

ADMINISTRATIVE Stacie Blake

Publisher/Owner stacie@humps-horns.com

Terry Blake Editor in Chief/Owner terry@humps-horns.com

ADVERTISING ads@humps-horns.com

CIRCULATION circulation@humps-horns.com

FEATURE STORY WRITER

Barbara Pinnella barbara@humps-horns.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Andy Gregory Director of Photography andy@humps-horns.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Georgia Akers Andy Gregory

Justin Felisko Phillip Kitts

Barbara Pinnella Kelly B. Robbins

Keno Shrum Andy Watson

Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine reserves the right to alter, edit or reject all advertisement or editorial for it’s content, clarity, and/or length. Viewpoints expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine. No material may be reprinted or reproduced without first obtaining permission from the publisher and/or editor in chief. All advertisement, editorials, letters, and press releases are accepted with the understanding that the representative, advertiser, and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents of submitted material. Not responsible for errors or omissions in any advertisement. Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine will not assume responsibility for any late publication due to the printer, the USPS, or an act of God. Under no circumstances will Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine be held liable for acts of privacy, plagiarism, copyright, or trademark infringements. Material submitted for publication becomes the property of Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine and will not be returned unless prior arrangements are made. USPS #022-617 Periodicals Postage Paid at Fort Worth, TX and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine, PO Box 34172, Fort Worth, TX 76162. ISSN1554-0162. Publication Number 022-617. ©All rights reserved. Humps N’ Horns® Bull Riding Magazine 2015

Welcome to the March issue of Humps N Horns Bull Riding Magazine.

In this issue we cover a variety of topics from the bull riding world.

I, like many of you, was sad to hear the news about Flint Rasmussen‘s retirement. He has brought smiles to faces of rodeo and bull riding fans for many years. While we will miss seeing him on the center stage, we certainly wish him the best in this new phase of life. Thankfully, we will still see him on the PBR broadcasts.

On the opposite end of their careers, we have a new feature called Rider Rundown from the students at CAC Media Group. In each issue, we will get to meet a young bull rider who has his sights set on becoming a professional bull rider.

We also have the privilege of introducing you to Kevin Midkiff. I first met Kevin when he was about 4 or 5 years old and billed himself as the world’s smallest rodeo clown. Kevin is now 10 years old and had a growth spurt. He is no longer the smallest rodeo clown but still an awesome young man who does a great job of entertaining crowds every chance he gets.

We hope you enjoy!

Until next time, Terry

Talking “Bull” with Brayden

Hi my name is Brayden Hollywood Brown and I’m a Jr bull rider. Today I’m going to be talking to you about some of my most serious injuries in bull riding. Bull riding, as I’m sure many of you know, is one of the most dangerous sport there is. As much as injuries suck they do come with the excitement and adrenaline in bull riding. So let’s get into it.

About five weeks ago (as I’m writing this article) I was on a bull by the name of Night Thief. Night Thief is a taller but skinnier black bull that normally comes out one or two and turns back to the left which would have been into my hand. That day, however, Night Thief had a little bit of a different trip where he wanted to keep moving forward. The first jump out he came around and I looked good on him. I was trying to keep my arm pried over into my side when he kicked, but on the fourth jump he shot forward and sucked me back off my rope. I tried pulling myself back to the front, but not even my feet could save me when I was that far back.

The next jump I got jerked right down on his head, the last place any bull rider wants to be. When I hit the ground I was concious, but I wasn’t all there in the head. I crawled out of the arena and realized that my right knee was burning. I sat down and rolled up my pants to see that my knee cap was swelling up at a rapid pace. I knew something was wrong but we weren’t sure what. I went to the doctor the next day to find out that I had a pretty bad concussion along with a broken knee cap. The back side of my knee cap was broken in three different places, putting me out for a whole month. I’ve got a week left before my brace comes off and I can start back at what I love.

All the way back in 2017 I was at a practice pen and was having a good night. I had gotten on three and I rode every one of them. I had one more to get on before I went home with a very successful practice. My last was on a little black steer. He was nothing special.

I had ridden him before and I was ready to strap him again.

He acted up a little in the chutes but when I finally got out on him he just jumped and kicked down the pen. I rode him and went to get off. When I jumped off, my leg hit wrong. I tried getting up but I couldn’t. My dad and one of the contractors picked me up and carried me to the truck. It was like my leg was on fire. We rushed to a hospital where they told me that I had broken my femur. I was only twelve and I didn’t shed a tear until they put me in traction(traction is where they straighten your leg out). I had to get a rod and screws put in my leg. A couple years later they removed the two lower screws. The rod remains in my leg to this day.

I was out almost that whole year, needless to say it wasn’t my favorite year in bull riding. I did end up still qualifying to the MBR world finals and placing number three in the world.

Thank you for reading. To find out more about me all of my social media braydenhollywoodbrown.

Thank you,

Brayden Hollywood Brown

“Perfection is a Pursuit, Not an Arrival”

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Ky Hamilton Hits a Hot Streak at RodeoHouston

Hamilton swept Super Series II at RodeoHouston, cinching his spot in the Semifinals.

Round 1 - 88 points on Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Pendleton

Spilled Whiskey

Round 2 - 83.5 ponts on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Moses

Round 3 - 86 points on Cervi’s Magnum

Photo provided courtesy of RodeoHouston

By James Youness

Vastbinder reflects on effort, attitude ahead of World Finals push

PUEBLO, Colo. – There’s never a bad time to earn your first victory on the premier series tour, but for 2021 Rookie of the Year Eli Vastbinder, it may have come at just the right time.

Producing a flawless 3-for-3 performance at the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, including an impressive 90.5-point ride atop hometown favorite Tulsa Time to cap off his productive weekend, the Statesville, North Carolina, native had something to build on.

While Vastbinder had logged a quality showing in Chicago earlier this year, courtesy of a 3-for-3 effort, his 87 points aboard Pookie Holler during the short round weren’t enough to get the job finished.

When he selected to compete against a talented bovine the next time he entered a championship round, he wouldn’t settle for anything less than the title.

“Anytime you can stay on three is a great accomplishment and then to come out of there as the winner, it’s even better. I had a slow start to my season and was kind of fighting things there for a while, so it was nice to be able to get that win.”

“This whole sport is about confidence and riding that momentum, so any time you’re on a heater and riding good, everything is firing on all cylinders, any time you can look back on those weekends and pick apart the good from what happened those weekends, it gives you a little bit of confidence,” Vastbinder said.

The victory has served as a bright point in Vastbinder’s campaign, but has been sandwiched between his slow start to the year and now three consecutive buck offs after getting banged up a bit in Tulsa and adding some ailments the following weekend in Eugene, Oregon.

There are a lot of directions riders can potentially ponder exploring when not finding success. Often times the situation begs the question: What can one change? Or, better yet, does one change anything, at all?

Never an easy question when there’s so much on the line.

“It shouldn’t change … things shouldn’t change whether you have a little good luck or bad luck. You try to keep the same mindset and the same thing every single time, but it’s hard,” Vastbinder admitted.

“This is our livelihood, this is how we make a living, this is how I feed my family and give us the things we need and want, so anytime things aren’t going good, it’s hard not to change things. It’s hard not to think about it, hard not to wonder what you’re doing wrong.

“With that comes a winning attitude. All winners have a winning attitude, but you can’t dwell on it. You look at what you did wrong and fix it and go on, not sit there and dwell on it.”

Currently ranked No. 18 in the Unleash The Beast standings heading into this weekend’s PBR Brew City Classic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Vastbinder isn’t worried about the standings. He’s just focused on keeping a clear mind and riding his bulls.

“I don’t even look at them, especially with this last year I’ve had,” Vastbinder shared, referencing the unfortunate streak of injuries the 31-year-old has endured.

“For a while there, if I heard about the standings or seen the standings, it just hurt, so I didn’t look. There are different times when you look, but you either get excited or you get nervous, one of the two. The only time I seem to look is when I’m getting close to No. 1 or close to No. 35.”

'You look at what you did wrong and fix it and go on, not sit there and dwell on it.'

Quite literally in the middle of the two referenced positions, the experienced professional has boiled his approach down to two key factors.

“All I can control is my effort and attitude, really,” Vastbinder said.

“I have to keep a good attitude and keep faith in myself, and then I have to have that effort: In the arena and at home, I have to put out the effort to be a World Champion and do the things I need to do to get me there, so as long as I keep those two things above everything else and only worry about them, I’ll be just fine.”

Arricle provided courtesy of PBR. Photos provided courtesy of Andy Watson / BullStock Media.

Vastbinder and Tulsa Time (Cord McCoy/Kelly & Cami Heath/McCoy Rodeo) combined for 90.5 points which lead to the PBR Unleash the Beast Tour win in Tulsa, OK.

Blayde Verdin

By Katlin Truelsen CAC Media Group

Louisiana bull rider Blayde Verdin is fresh off his first trip to the Junior World Finals in Las Vegas where he placed 8th overall in the world. He is using the momentum he gained in December to kickstart the 2023 season. This past month, Verdin sat down with Katlin Truelsen of the CAC Media Group to talk about Vegas and how having the right mindset will help him to make sure he earns another trip to the finals this year.

KT: Okay, Blayde, can you start out by telling me a little about mindset and how it plays a part in bull riding?

BV: Mindset is really important. It is one thing that you must have if you want to ride bulls.

KT: So how has your mindset changed since you started riding?

BV: It has changed a lot. When I first started, I was just doing it for fun, but now I have really gotten into it, my mindset has grown along with my skills.

KT: And what situations would you say are hard that test your mindset when riding?

BV: Whenever I have breaks or I am playing another sport like soccer that gets in the way of bull riding, and I do not practice as much, which makes it tough when I get back on and ride again. I have to shift my mindset from one to the other.

KT: Does this make it difficult to transition from the practice arena to an actual event?

BV: When I am in practice, I try to take on any bulls that I think will make me a better rider but when I am riding in an event, I have to focus specifically on the bull I draw and shift my thinking to positive self-talk about how I can stay on that bull for eight seconds.

KT: And what happens when the ride does not go as planned?

BV: I try to get up and shake it off and just hope for the best on the next one. When I go home, I watch videos of the ride to see what I can do better and try to keep my head up.

KT: Looking ahead to this season, what are some rodeos you are looking forward to this year?

BV: I want to go back to Las Vegas for sure and to the WCMB.

KT: Why those rodeos? Why do you want to go back to them?

BV: Because they are bigger rodeos than what I am used to

riding in and they help me to become more professional and teach me how I should carry myself.

KT: What are some things you are working on to help you get back to rodeos like Las Vegas?

BV: I have to stay on top of riding and keep my head up.

KT: You mentioned earlier that you are playing soccer. Do you use your time on the field as a break from bull riding to help you refocus?

BV: Yes, it gives me a chance to rest up and it is a mental break too.

nervous about having so many people ask for autographs and stuff, but he was really nice to everyone.

KT: So, to wrap up, can you tell us some fun things about you, like maybe your favorite food?

BV: My favorite food is mozzarella sticks from Sonic.

KT: Favorite movie?

BV: Eight Seconds

KT: And lastly, what is your favorite vacation spot?

KT: Turning towards the future, what role do you see bull riding playing in your life?

BV: I plan to keep trying my best and eventually want to ride professionally. I am thinking about college, but I don’t know for sure if that will be my next step.

KT: And who is a professional rider that you look up to?

BV: I would have to say Mason Taylor because of the way he carries himself. The first time I met him I could tell he was

BV: Rodeo arenas for sure!

KT: Thanks for giving me an interview, Blayde and we wish you the best in this 2023 season. For more information about your favorite high school rodeo stars, you can check out the National High School Rodeo Association or the Junior World Finals on Facebook. Be sure to look for a new bull rider in next month’s Rider Rundown.

Inspiration Point

We do not have to go about the spiritual cleaning process alone, though. When we bring our burdens to the Lord, He walks alongside us. Through Him, we can become clean again and find forgiveness. In addition, reading His Word can help us to become stronger in our faith. According to Psalm 119:105, the Word acts as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Ultimately, spending time with the Lord and reading His Word are the only tools we need in spiritual spring cleaning. Through self-evaluation and spending time in prayer, God can reveal to us the areas of our lives where we need improvement.

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalms 51:10

Spring is here! Outside, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. The fresh air and warmer temperatures lift our spirits and energize us. During this time of year, we may experience the urge to “spring clean” and create a fresh start.

While spring cleaning is commonly associated with cleaning one’s home, it can also be applied to our hearts. In the same way our homes become disorganized and cluttered, we may lose sight of what is important and stray away from spiritual discipline.

So, how do we go about spiritual spring cleaning?

It is important to evaluate ourselves and identify the aspects of our spiritual walk that need improvement. Is the way we think honorable to God? Is He pleased with our actions and the way we treat others? Colossians 1:10 says, “So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

When the Holy Spirit is at work within us, we can demonstrate the fruits of the spirit, such as love, kindness, gentleness and selfcontrol. If we are lacking in these things, it may be because we are not spending time with the Lord and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Once we have identified our shortcomings, we can work towards eliminating things in our life that may be hindering us spiritually. For example, worry, selfish ambition and impurity can hold us back in our walk with Christ.

So, during this season of spring, I encourage you to renew your walk with Christ and draw closer to Him. Spending time in prayer and in God’s Word allows us to align our hearts with His and live in a way that is honorable to Him.

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• 1 ripe banana

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• 1/2 cup gold rum, optional

• 1/4 cup seedless fresh or frozen passion fruit purée (or undiluted orange juice concentrate)

• 1 or 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• several drops pure vanilla extract

• skewers with fresh fruit, for garnish

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Submitted by Marie B. - Sarasota, FL

Jose Vitor Leme tangles with I’m Legit Too (Hart Cattle Co / Hale) who notched a bull score of 44.75 points in the Championship Round of the PBR Unleash the Beast Tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Photo provided courtesy Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media.

PBR Official Entertainer Flint Rasmussen to Leave the Dirt at End of 2023 Unleash The Beast Season

Pueblo, Colorado – Flint Rasmussen, the official entertainer of PBR since 2006, has announced he will retire from his on-the-dirt role at the end of the 2023 Unleash The Beast season. Rasmussen will join the sport’s television broadcast as a commentator for the PBR Team Series season that begins later this year.

Rasmussen, one of the most recognizable and enduring personalities across professional sports even while not competing in the events, is credited with reinventing and modernizing the role of “rodeo clown” into a multi-hyphenate entertainer combining singing, dancing, fan interactions, off-the-cuff commentary, and impromptu comedy.

After embarking on a farewell tour during the remaining 14 events of the Unleash The Beast regular season, Rasmussen’s final elite series performances will be at the PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas May 12 – 21.

A special “retirement party” will be held for Rasmussen in conjunction with PBR’s “Dirty 30 Anniversary Celebration” on

May 17 in Fort Worth during PBR World Finals.

Fans can then expect to see him in roles both in front of and behind the camera, including PBR Team Series coverage on CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network, and Pluto TV later this year.

“I am a blessed man,” Rasmussen said. “I have had an amazing career in rodeo and continued to find my identity with the opportunities afforded me by the PBR. I worked my first World Finals in 1997, so I do not take this decision lightly, nor am I making it without being completely sure. But physically and emotionally, it is time to move on. Making the decision now gives me time to weigh all my future career opportunities, including joining the television broadcast of the PBR Team Series later this year. My goal is to continue to be a strong influence in the growth and preservation of our Western lifestyle.”

Continued on Page 24

Kevin Midkiff Rodeo Clown

Kevin Midkiff is a rodeo clown who dazzles the crowds every week on Friday and Saturday nights at the Fort Worth Stockyards Championship Rodeo. He preps the fans before the rodeo there at the Cowtown Coliseum, with a preshow dance to “Uptown Funk”. He works the mutton scramble, the calf scramble, and helps with the free T-shirt giveaway. Kevin loves the rodeo, and he loves being a rodeo clown. By the way, Kevin is just ten years old!

I interviewed Kevin and his dad, Jason. Of course, I asked THE question: How did Kevin get involved as a rodeo clown at such a young age? “I won a couple of tickets to the Stockyard Championship Rodeo,” Jason said. “I took Kevin

with me. He was about 2-1/2 years old. He fell in love with bull riding and wanted to be a bull rider. We got him a little vest and some clothes. Well, we went back and Kevin saw the bull fighters. Now he wanted to be a bull fighter. His big sister, Kelsey, made him some baggies for his bull fighter outfit. Next, Kevin met rodeo clown Cody Cooper, and Kevin decided he wanted to be a rodeo clown.”

“By then he was three years old,” Jason continued. “His great grandma sewed him a shirt. We got him overalls at Wal Mart and fixed him up an outfit. Kevin would run out with the bull fighters at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. He was introduced as the “smallest rodeo clown in the world!”

Photo by James Phifer,

By Kelly B. Robbins

“I love being a rodeo clown,” Kevin revealed. “It’s very fun to do. I want to be a rodeo clown like Brinson James some day. He and Flint Rasmussen of the PBR are my favorite rodeo clowns. My dream is to do what Flint does for the PBR someday.”

Jason said that Kevin has had no formal training other than watching rodeo clowns on YouTube. “But he has gotten a lot of pointers along the way,” Jason explained. “He has a good friend, Jesse Vick, who is a bull fighter at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. Rodeo clown Robbie Hodges has helped him a lot. He also got some pointers from Matt Merritt (PBR Velocity Tour entertainer) and John Harrison. Brinson James gave Kevin some tips on how and where to move.”

“He’s been to a lot of rodeos besides the Stockyards,” Jason shared. “When he was just four years old, Kevin got to do a commercial dance at the Silverton Hotel in Las Vegas for radio station 99.4. He’s been to rodeos in Mesquite, Texas, May, Texas, Paris, Texas, and Mercedes, Texas. He also works with youth rodeos at the Cowtown Coliseum. Last month Kevin did 14 performances at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. He got to work with bull fighters Dusty Tuckness, Nathan Harp, Evan Allard, and Weston Rutkowski. His next scheduled event away is at the Ellis County Stock Show and Rodeo in Waxahachie, Texas, March 24 and 25.”

“I went to the Houston rodeo just as a fan,” Kevin added. “I got to sign autographs with Leon Coffee, one of the best and most famous rodeo clowns in the world!”

“I love going to Billy Bob’s Texas,” Kevin declared. “I got to be on stage and talk to the crowd at Billy Bob’s with Stoney LaRue. I also used to sell coffee mugs there with my picture on it.”

I asked Kevin about his clothes, his makeup, his sponsors, and his preparations before an event. “I don’t get nervous before a show,” Kevin shared. “I do all my own makeup, except the star on the side of my face. My dad does that. I do the same face makeup

Kevin - age 3

Kevin works the barrel during the Mutton Busting at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Photo by James Phifer, rodeobum.com

design every week. I do some stretches before each event. I try to stretch my legs. My shirts are all hand-made by my great grandma Pat Brothers. My overalls are from Wal Mart. The boots I wear everyday are Justin boots.”

“Kevin really doesn’t have any sponsors,” Jason said. “He wears a Billy Bob’s Texas patch on his shirt because he gets into Billy Bob’s for free. Justin boots gave him two pairs of boots for free when they sponsored a mutton busting event he

was working on. So, he wore a Justin boots patch on his shirt. And he only wears American Hats thanks to Danny Adams of The Best Hat Store in the Fort Worth Stockyards.”

“Kevin’s mom and I are excited for him, and we completely support him in this,” Jason concluded. “We would like to see how far he’ll go!”

Kevin (age 3) with bullfighter Jesse Vick.

Kevin Midkiff celebrates with the winner of the Mutton Busting at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Photo by James Phifer, rodeobum.com

February 18, 2023 Springtown, Texas

Women's Futurity

Texas 87 Futurity

Texas 85 Futurity

Youth Futurity

February

For more information, please visit www.texasbuckingbullassociation.com

With a string of markets important to Rasmussen’s career coming up on the PBR Unleash The Beast schedule, including Sacramento in Northern California this weekend, the award-winning entertainer wanted to announce his plans now to acknowledge and thank the fans for their supportive role in his legendary career.

“More than anything, on behalf of the entire Western Sports industry, I want to thank Flint for bringing joy to millions of fans, for always being a thoughtful advocate of our PBR brand and for his countless contributions to our sport inside and outside of the arena,” said PBR Commissioner and CEO Sean Gleason. “He is leaving the dirt but not our sport. We are all fortunate in being able to continue to experience Flint’s love of our sport, his passion for entertaining fans, and his inimitable point of view, which is part of the soul of PBR, on future CBS broadcasts.”

In addition to his role at PBR, Flint is an eight-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Clown of the Year and eight-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo barrel man.

Since 2006, Rasmussen has been the master of ceremonies, ondirt quarterback, sultan of sarcasm and chief instigator of both the mischief and the unfiltered musings playing out across PBR events. The former schoolteacher done up in clown makeup has been patrolling the dirt as if it’s the maple wood stage floor of Carnegie Hall and making jokes that sound like Eddie Murphy crossed with Larry the Cable Guy.

Before he joined the gold standard for entertainment in Western sports, Flint had always been funny, but unlike so many bull riders who knew exactly what they wanted to be from the time they could walk, he didn’t grow up planning for life clowning in the rodeo, let alone reinventing the role.

In his hometown of Choteau, Montana he wasn’t a show-off or the class clown. But he liked to have fun and get a reaction. A collection of his mother Tootie’s old Christmas letters sent out annually in the late 1970s has a recurring theme: “Flint still entertains us.”

He was a regular in school plays and sang in the choir, getting a taste of adulation from an appreciative audience and feeling a constant “pull” to be in front of crowds performing. Growing up in the Western culture, there was always place drawing crowds eager to be entertained –rodeo.

When Flint was 19, during the summer, first on a dare, he began working amateur rodeos in Montana, getting nervous like he did as an all-state high school football player, but having an absolute ball in making people smile and laugh. He was no longer an athlete. But being out on the dirt performing in front of people during a rodeo competition was scratching an itch. It felt good. It was fun.

Flint treated rodeo like a summer job; the plan was to get through college and then teach. After graduating University of Montana Western, he landed a job teaching high school math and history. But he kept getting phone calls. Rodeo organizers who had caught his act saw potential. Promoters know their crowds, and he was busting them up. This Flint Rasmussen character just might make a name for himself if he gave it a chance, they said. He quit teaching school at 25 and began performing at professional rodeos.

During one slow period in the fall, a rodeo in Hibbing, Minnesota called. Their regular rodeo clown couldn’t make the event because his trailer caught fire on the highway. Could Rasmussen come?

Flint did his thing, impressing one of the stock contractors, who recommended him to legendary rodeo promoter, Jerome Robinson, who happened to be planning a few winter shows. Robinson was producing PBR’s first events in the 1990’s and used Rasmussen there as well. One man’s very unlucky trailer fire lit the fuse, so to speak, for Rasmussen’s rise. But truth be told, with the simmering powder already in place, it’s hard to imagine he would not have been “discovered’ to play much bigger stages.

Rasmussen’s next stage will be the television cameras beaming an international broadcast of a sport he continues to love for fans he’ll continue to entertain.

Article and photos provided courtesy of PBR.

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EAGLEVILLE, TN - BF Cattle Company, 2pm Sun., Jackpot, Call First, 615-336-4313

EMORY, TX - Oakes & Greene’s, 7pm Wed., 903-348-8630

LORENA, TX - Rocking S Ranch, Tue., Jackpot, Call First, 254-716-0779

MANSFIELD, TX - JC Knapp Ranch, 4pm Sun/6pm Wed., $5 at the gate to ride as many as you want, 817-223-3692

SIMMS, TX - Wilburn Bucking Bulls, 7pm Every Other Thur., 903-543-3025

PETROLIA, TX - Norris Dalton, 7pm Wed., 940-733-3020

DECATUR, TX - Cullen Calame, Denton Creek Farms, Call First, 940-393-3730

NOCONA, TX - 4x Arena, Call First, 501-944-1907

NOCONA, TX - Locke Bucking Bulls, Call First, 940-872-0733

WILLS POINT, TX - Austin Arena Bulls, Barrels, & Poles. $10 per ride/run or $25 for all you can ride. Bulls for all ages. 214-7265799

Livestock Layovers

BATESVILLE, AR - James Bechdoldt, White River Rodeo, 870-307-9923

RAYMOND, IL - Randy Littrell, Shop Creek Cattle, 217-556-0551

CLASSIFIEDS

Livestock Layovers

MARYSVILLE, KS - Gary Hershey, 4H Bucking Bulls and Marysville Sale Barn, Call First, 785-292-4952

LAKE CHARLES, LA - Keith Strickland, Deep South Rodeo Genetics, 337-304-1493

SALEM, MO - Hwy 32 & 72, Salem Livestock Auction, 573-729-8880

HELENA, MT - Jim Horne, Bull Horne Ranch, 406-459-5706

FERNLEY, NV - Nathan Pudsey, Circle P Bucking Bulls, 775-750-2168

CLAYTON, NM - Justin Keeth, Lazy J 3 Bucking Bulls, 575-447-0877

BETHESDA, OH - 15 Miles off I-70, TCB Ranch, 304-281-4530

SOPER/HUGO, OK - RBL Rodeo Bulls, Anytime with 4-6 hours notice, 307-461-1741

BOX ELDER, SD - Gus “Duane” Aus, Lazy Heart O Ranch, 605-923-3426

BUCHANAN, TN - Parsons & Milam 731-642-8346

CLARKSVILLE, TX - Brian Agnew, BA Livestock, 903-669-9189

DUBLIN, TX - Mike Godfrey, Godfrey 4X Cattle, 817-235-2852

MANSFIELD, TX - JC Knapp Ranch, JC Knapp Rodeo, 817-223-3692

MIDLAND, TX - Ted Norton, Norton Bucking Bulls, 432-413-8433

DECATUR, TX - Cullen Calame, Denton Creek Farms, 940-393-3730

SIMMS, TX - Near I-30 Texarkana, Wilburn Bucking Bulls, 863-381-2799

CHEYENNE, WY - Floyd & Ann Thomas, TTnT Ranch, 307-778-8806

Livestock Layovers

Miscellaneous Schools

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2023 Schedule

Apr 7-9 Panguitch, UT

Apr 28-30 Greenbusch, MN

May 13-14 Alba, TX

May 19-21 Byers, KS

Jun 3-5 Golden, CO

Jun 15-18 Alba, TX

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Western Wanderings

a cowboy’s dust cutters

When I ride out on the dusty trail And work the drag a while Water is how I quench my thirst My canteen becomes my pal

Though the water might be somewhat warm And smells like an old piece of wood It sure wet’s my whistle going down And still tastes mighty good

Lemonade was a treat when I was young Sarsaparilla was a later desire But when I thought I was ready for more That first whiskey burned like fire!

So, beer became my drink of choice Whenever I visited town Until I got some hair on my chest And could keep the whisky down

At the end of the day, I ride into camp

I’m tired and I’m thirsty and sore Cookie hands me a cup of his glorious brew Sometimes laced with something more

My hand gets warm wrapped around that cup The coffee tastes strong, black, and hot Cookie’s added splash of whiskey Most surely hits the spot.

By Kelly B. Robbins