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It’s time once more for the Jackson Hole Rodeo to entertain visitors.

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A closer look at each of the rodeo events you’ll see in Jackson.

Late season rodeo puts on a show for a cause.

There’s a method to the arena dirt. This classic event began as ranch work.

How Buskin Wilson builds an all-star bucking team.

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The Sydney Lee Judge Foundation is back under the grandstand.

How all the cowboys and cowgirls get to town. A life cut short is celebrated at the Jackson Hole Rodeo. Payout totals from the 2020 Jackson Hole Rodeo.

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Fast and rough rides: A guide to the rodeo

Learn the arena events of the Jackson Hole Rodeo. By Tom Hallberg

o, you’re ready for the rodeo. You bought a pair of cowboy boots. You went to Pendleton and nabbed a pearl-snap. You got a Stetson or a felt full-brim hat. Maybe you even wiggled into a pair of Wranglers. You can walk into the stands of the Teton County rodeo arena, and no one’s going to look at you sideways as you take your seat and sip your Coors: You look the part. But for all your good looks, when the action starts you’re completely lost. The rodeo is like some alien sport. Have no fear, with this trusty guide you can follow the action without looking lost. Keep this in your pocket, or study it in your hotel room before you head to the fairgrounds. That way, when people are raving about their favorite saddle bronc rider at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar later tonight, you’ll be able to join in the conversation.

Saddle Bronc Riding Keep the hand free. In rodeo’s classic event, riders start with their heels above the point of the horse’s shoulders as it makes its first move out of the chute, which is called “marking out the horse.” With one hand gripping a rope attached to the horse’s halter, the rider must stay securely seated for eight seconds. But it’s not simply a matter of hanging on. According to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, riders often call saddle bronc riding the hardest rodeo event, because they must have style and grace, mirroring their movements to the horse’s bucking for a fluid ride. That free hand, usually cast upward like that of a congregant in a revival tent, cannot touch the rider’s body or the horse at any time in the eight seconds. After marking out the horse as it leaves the chute, the rider must spur in a pendulum motion, going from the point of the shoulders to the back of the saddle. How to win: First, stay on the whole time. Second, look better than everyone else, meaning a fluid ride synchronized with the horse, with control of the horse’s bucking motion. Riders are scored out of 100 points, with 50% coming from the rider and 50% from the horse.

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Cooper Cooke makes his eight-second ride while competing in saddle bronc riding at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

Bareback Riding “Like riding a jackhammer with one hand.” The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association spares nothing when describing this event, in which riders sit astride a horse with little more than a leather strap attached around its withers, the spot between the shoulder blades. As in saddle bronc riding, when the horse leaves the chute the rider must “mark out” the horse or face disqualification. As the horse bucks, a rider must employ a pendulum-swing spurring motion, with the spurs curled

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>> EVENTS on page 6 5

mer. Turn to page 23 for information. How to win: Hold on. Any rider that actually makes it eight seconds stands a good chance of winning, but judges also give credence to those who can employ spurring techniques or look good while they hang on.

Team Roping

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Jaspur Brower, riding Dirty Sanchez, competes in bareback during the Jackson Hole Rodeo in June 2020.

>> EVENTS FROM page 5

back from the horse’s shoulders on the buck and out over the shoulders on the descent. Don’t touch the animal or yourself with the free hand: That disqualifies a rider. How to win: It’s quite similar to saddle bronc riding. Stay on for eight seconds. Spur correctly. Judges score the rider based on the spurring, and they score the animal based on how hard it tries to buck its rider, if it changes direction and if it fully extends its legs while it bucks.

The synchronized swimming of rodeo, team roping requires a pair of horse riders to precisely wrangle a racing steer. The riders start on either side of the chute, and the quarry is given a head start across the arena. The header breaks first after the steer reaches its “advantage point.” The heeler follows. The point of the event is in the title: team roping. The header ropes first, aiming for the horns and head, and, once the steer is caught, swings it to the left so that the heeler can attempt to catch both hind legs in his lariat. The header has only three legal catches: around the horns, around one horn or around the neck; catch anything else and the team is disqualified. The clock stops when both riders have roped the steer, their lines are taut and their horses are facing one another. Want to know more? Turn to page 18.

Bull Riding For those who don’t think riding a horse bareback is daring enough, try bull riding. It has the same setup as bareback horse riding — stay on for eight seconds hanging on by a piece of rope tied around the animal’s chest — but the animal is a 2,000-pound behemoth with horns. Riders are not required to mark out their animals as they leave the chute, probably because staying on for eight seconds is a feat in and of itself. Spurring is also not required, again, because they’re simply holding on for dear life. The unpredictability of the bull’s movements makes this one of the most exciting, and dangerous, events at the rodeo. Bulls dart side to side, buck back and forth and sometimes spin in circles — think Muhammad Ali’s footwork and Shaquille O’Neal’s body. Professional Bull Riders will be in Jackson midsum-

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Ryder Kerr and Case Kerr compete in the first section of team roping during the final night of the Jackson Hole Rodeo at the Teton County Fairgrounds last year.

How to win: Do it the fastest. This is a timed event, not a scored one, so the basic premise is to be the fastest team. However, teams can be assessed penalties for a couple of things. If the header breaks before the steer reaches the advantage point, that’s a 10-second penalty, and if the heeler manages to wrap only one hind leg, that’s a fivesecond penalty.

Barrel Racing

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Waylon Baily is tossed off Injustice during last summer’s bull riding.

As with most rodeo events, the name is fairly descriptive of what the competition looks like: Three barrels are set in a triangular pattern in the arena, and the horse and rider start outside the racing area. The timer starts when they pass the starting line. The rider takes a clover-leaf line, looping around one of the first barrels before riding across the arena to the next one and circling it before riding to the back of the arena. After looping around the back barrel, the rider sprints the horse back across the starting line, when the timer stops.

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25%-30%

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Savana Wackerman, riding Phoenix, glances at the clock last year while competing in barrel racing at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

can around the arena. There are basically no other rules, of Jackson Hole no spurring or style points, Rodeo viewers come no marking from outside out the animal. Though it may the continental seem cruel to United Sates stick a kid between the ages of 4 and 7 on an animal that can weigh close to 200 pounds and is intent on leaving its rider behind, the sport introduces children to the roughstock events that their parents or older siblings participate in. How to win: It’s quite similar to bull riding: Just stay on for the six seconds. From there, if several kids manage to hang on and not slide off the animal’s side (which seems to be the way most fall off), it seems to be the judges’ discretion who wins.

Originally a sport for the ladies, who were judged less on speed and more on horsemanship, outfit and style while the men took part in the roping and bull and bronc riding events, today’s barrel racing is for riders of all sorts — men, women and kids, according to the International Barrel Racers Association. Have more questions about this fast-paced event? Turn to page 8. How to win: Be the fastest. Contestants who knock over a barrel are given no time, though touching a barrel, even to keep it from falling, is allowed.

Mutton Bustin’ The entry for this event on ModernFarmer.com is titled “6 seconds and a sheep,” which pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Mutton bustin’ is like bronc riding, except the contestants are kids and they ride fluffy sheep rather than 1-ton death traps. Helmeted, the kids basically hug the sheep’s neck and hang on as the woolly ungulate sprints as hard as it KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Callaway Wilson rides the mini bull Im in Debt during the competition last Fourth of July.

Mini Bull Riding

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE

Ariat Kerr busts out of the chutes in 2019 at the Jackson Hole Rodeo at Teton County Fairgrounds.

Almost exactly like bull riding, except everything is smaller. Full-grown mini bulls are about 500 pounds (they’re the Lil’ Sebastian of the rodeo), and their pintsize riders are kids who haven’t grown up enough to fit on the back of a regular bull. Riders are generally 14 or younger, and the sport is mostly made up of young men, though Najiah Knight, who was profiled in a Professional Bull Riders web story, is holding her own as the only girl on the professional mini bull riding circuit, at least as of February. How to win: See bull riding above. Pee-wee riders, generally ages 8 to 10, are asked to stay on for six seconds; mini riders, generally 11-14, are asked to hang on for eight seconds.

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Shriner partnership shines a light on orthopedic care

BY REBECCA HUNTINGTON

Jackson Hole Snow Devils presents a $30,000 donation to the Jackson Hole Shrine Club at the rodeo.

Connecting valley kids to life-changing medical procedures, Shriners chapter forges on with help from Jackson Hole Rodeo's Wilson family. By Evan Robinson-Johnson

hen the Jackson Hole Cutter races shut down three years ago, the local Shriners weren’t sure how their organization would continue to fundraise. Then the Wilson family, which runs the Jackson Hole Rodeo every summer, reached out, offering to donate all of the proceeds from two late-season shows, and the tradition has continued ever since. The Jackson Hole Shrine Club is part of a broader fraternity, Shriners International, which supports a network of teaching hospitals that focus on nonemergency procedures to improve quality of life, such as bone deformations, burns and cleft palates. Since partnering with the Wilsons, the Jackson club has raised over $100,000 each year for its partner hospital in Salt Lake City. “The relationship has been phenomenal,” club Vice President Tom Needam said of the Wilsons. “They’re 8

much more than just a rodeo busi- for the hospital that changed his life. ness. They have a vested interest in The Jackson club has helped make giving back to the community.” that treatment affordable and accesSeveral members of the rodeo fam- sible: A core mission of Shriners hosily have needed care from the Salt pitals is to provide specialized care reLake facility, and they’ve come back gardless of ability to pay. under the fairSo what exactly ground lights to makes a Shriner? tell their story. In practice, they Phil Wilson “They’re much more than function similar and Needam reto a town Rotary member the first a rodeo business. They have Club, but when year of their part- a vested interest in giving the first Freenership, when mason members one such patient back to the community.” joined up in 1870, came forward dur— Tom Needham they called theming intermission selves the Ancient JACKSON HOLE SHRINE CLUB to speak to the Arabic Order of crowd. Quickly the Nobles of the moved to tears, he Mystic Shrine. described how the The original Shriners Foundashrine, as the tion had helped pay for over $1 mil- name suggests, remains a mystery, but lion in medical treatment. Now recov- the group’s modern counterpart strives ered, he comes to the rodeo every year for three main pillars: character, camato share his story and garner support raderie and philanthropy — a mission

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epitomized by their most famous quote, “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.” Needam’s father was a Shriner, and the club’s treasurer, Nicholas Houfek, is a proud fourth-generation Shriner. “It’s always been part of what our family has done,” Houfek said, adding that the fundraising work is as joyful and fulfilling as always. “If there’s a child in our community that needs help, we sponsor them. We had one two years ago who had an Achilles’ tendon issue and needed braces,” he recalls. “We paid for his transportation between Jackson and the hospital, put his mom up in housing, and he is now running and playing and doesn’t need the braces.” Those kinds of success stories keep Houfek motivated and make Shriners more than just a social club. Its secretary, Chris Schroeder, also serves on the board of governors at the Salt Lake hospital, where he gets to interact with the children and see their smiles. “Probably the single biggest thing about the Shrine is a continuity of care,” Schroeder said. “Once the child enters into our system, from start to finish they see the same people. ... And they really become part of the Shrine family.”

PATTI WAGNER / COURTESY PHOTO

Stretch Austin and Rick Hillstead speed down the track in February 2020 during a chariot race in Star Valley. The All American Cutter/Chariot Races in Afton are another important fundraiser for Shriners.

For instance, on Halloween the Shrine club puts on a wheelchair clinic, providing superhero costumes and decorating the chairs so the children can participate in a bit of trickor-treating revelry. “It’s just one of those things that if you don’t get all choked up, you’re just not paying attention,” the VP said. The dates are already set for this summer’s Shriners night at the rodeo, with two shows booked for Sept. 8 and 11. The club members are thrilled those shows will be back to full capacity. Schroeder said there’s a “ground-

swell” of patriotism and emotion bubbles up from the rodeo family. He’s thankful for the Wilsons for their continued support and generosity. In addition to the rodeo the club has started raising funds at the nearby All American Cutter/Chariot Races in Afton, which are simultaneously nostalgic and successful. Houfek said the Shriners made nearly $40,000 at the February races this year, thanks in part to the former patients who volunteered to tell their story to the crowd. To find out more about Shriners, visit ShrinersHospitalsForChildren.org.

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There’s a method to the dirt Hours of labor go into preparing the rodeo grounds for each performance. By Emily Mieure

ook down. Take a good look. Hours of labor go into making the dirt just right for the Jackson Hole Rodeo. “It’s a work in progress all year long,” rodeo arena director Phil Wilson said in 2019. “If we

don’t get it right, then what happens is the barrel racers have trouble with it. The team ropers have trouble. It has to be good for the contestants, the animals and for the cowboys.” On a rodeo day Wilson starts prepping the arena’s dirt early in the morning. Three thou-

sands gallons of water are sprayed on the arena floor, and then a Black Widow groomer breaks up clumps and levels the ground. After the water settles, around midday, Wilson is back in the cab of the water truck, sprinkling more water on the dirt.

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

The Jackson Hole Rodeo’s Phil Wilson readies the water truck. Watering the dirt ensures the rode doesn’t create “a whole bunch of dust,” he said.

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RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Phil Wilson drags dirt at the Jackson Hole Rodeo arena. “You have to learn to drive the tractor where you can feel the ground under you,” he said.

“It’s so the rodeo doesn’t create a whole bunch of dust,” he said. The preparations also create a softer landing for cowboys and a better working environment for the animals. “We don’t want to hurt anyone,” Wilson said. “And if you don’t have the arena right you can hurt your bucking stock.” The grooming and raking continues throughout the rodeo between events. On an average rodeo day, 10,000 to 14,000 gallons of water will be applied to the dirt. But it depends on the weather. Wilson has to prepare the arena differently during a week of heavy rain. After preparing the arena for the past seven or so years Wilson has developed a knack for it. “I’m fussy about it,” he said. “If the arena isn’t right it reflects on us as a rodeo company.”

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

After watering, the arena floor is raked. The preparations are for the good of the cowboys and the animals.

Wilson’s family occasionally takes over tractor duties, as do Teton County employees. But you have to know

what you’re doing to get the footing just right. “You have to learn how to drive a tractor where you can feel the ground

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under you,” Wilson said. “Not everybody can do it.” With almost 40 rodeos every year, Wilson has it down to an art. 11

The art of team roping Event that requires a balance of skill and team chemistry traces roots to ranch work. By Chance Q. Cook

steer breaks loose across the arena floor, and moments later a pair of ropers are on his trail. The lead, or header, throws his rope around the steer’s head, turning him slightly so the trail, or heeler, is able to cinch the animal’s hind legs. Simple enough? That scenario sometimes unfolds in less than five seconds, during which a combination of timing, speed, precision and power plays out between both the riders and their horses.

“That’s how they used to doctor cattle in the pasture, or brand cattle in the pasture.” — Beau Clark

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING RODEO COACH

“The team roping event is neat because it’s the only event in rodeo where two people are working together to try to rope the steer,” University of Wyoming rodeo coach Beau Clark said. “In a nutshell it’s two guys riding two horses, with the horses trained to run to the steers, and they’re working together.” There are no judges assigning point totals as they do in roughstock events like bull riding and bareback riding. The team roping header and heeler champions are decided purely on time. To have a shot at winning, the header and heeler must both avoid incurring penalties, which add time to their run. It begins from the boxes, where one end of a breakaway barrier is attached to the steer and stretched across the open end of the header’s box. A steer is given a head start, with the distance dependent on the size of the arena. 12

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Porter Hogge attempts to rope the heels of the steer after Ryan Cook successfully roped the head during a rodeo last August.

When the steer reaches its allotted advantage point the barrier is released, allowing the header to pursue. If the header breaks the barrier by leaving his box early, a 10-second penalty is added to the team’s total time. A header can catch the steer cleanly around both horns, around one horn and the head or around the neck. Any other catch by a header is considered illegal, and the team receives a “no time.” From there the header’s work is mostly done. The fate of the team’s run is largely up to the heeler. “Once they’re on the head, the header is trying to guide the steer across the arena, to allow the heeler to rope the steer by its legs,” Clark said. The heeler must snag both the steer’s hind legs together. If only one leg is caught, the team gets a five-second penalty. Once the steer is caught, the clock is stopped when there is no slack in their ropes and their horses face each other. As with all rodeo events, team roping traces its beginnings to ranch work. “That’s how they used to doctor

cattle in the pasture, or brand cattle in the pasture,” Clark said. Clark said cowboys are always looking for someone with a high skill level on their end of the discipline. “The two guys will have to work well together,” he said. The rodeo coach said a formidable team will be equal parts roping skill and chemistry with each other. “It’s like anything at the highest level of pro rodeos: They know what the other guy is going to do,” he said. “They’ll know what to expect from each other throughout the run.” According to ProRodeo.com, it also matters what of type of horse they use. The American quarter horse is the most popular for timed event competitions, which include breakaway roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. Heading horses are generally taller and heavier because they need power to turn the steer after it’s roped, while heeling horses need to be agile, enabling them to more easily react to the steer’s movement.

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Hometown Heroes

Alexander the Great' earned a place in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and the Rodeo Hall of Fame. By Jennifer Dorsey

ack in 1993 a newspaper reporter in Jackson asked local teenage rodeo star Jason Wheeldon about his idols in the sport. The Jackson Hole High School senior replied that the man he admired most on the pro circuit was bareback rider Joe Alexander, a Jackson Hole native. “I like him because he just makes it look so simple,” Wheeldon told the Jackson Hole Guide. “That’s what I always want to do. I want to look classy riding a horse, and it’s always a challenge to ride a horse that way.” “Alexander the Great,” as he was sometimes called by journalists, was a star in the arena, earning a place in the

PRORODEO HALL OF FAME / COURTESY PHOTO

Jackson Hole native Joe Alexander was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979.

ProRodeo Hall of Fame and the Rodeo Hall of Fame. “Joe Alexander dominated bareback riding like no other

cowboy has to date,” the ProRodeo Hall of Fame says. “His five consecutive world titles and two regular season championships in the 1970s remain a [PRCA] record.” Like many rodeo standouts, Alexander and another Jackson notable before him, Robert Crisp, knew their way around horses from an early age. Alexander was born in 1943 in Jackson Hole and grew up about 60 miles southeast on a ranch near Cora. Alexander stood out from the crowd in high school rodeo and at Wyoming’s Casper College, where he won the Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s Bareback Riding Championship in 1966. “Joe hit the rodeo trail in earnest in 1970 and

achieved immediate success on the PRCA circuit,” the Ellensburg Hall of Fame says. In 1974 Alexander set the bareback riding world record with a 93-point ride on Beutler Brothers & Cervi’s Marlboro in Cheyenne, a mark that stood until October 2002. While Alexander specialized in bareback riding the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame describes Robert Crisp as a “stylish saddle bronc” rider. Crisp was born in Georgia in 1897 but moved to Jackson with his family as a boy. He worked for various ranches as a youngster and later worked for the JY Ranch, where he entertained and guided a number of dignitaries, including President Herbert Hoover.

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Brock Udy, riding Revolver, competes in the bull riding competition last August.

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Bidding for Bulls: How Buskin Wilson builds an all-star bucking team There's a fine art in recruiting rodeo bulls that bring just the right mix of attitude and aggression. By Evan Robinson-Johnson

uskin Wilson won’t even consider most bulls until he’s seen them buck at least four or five rounds. Like a football coach recruiting athletes, the former professional bull rider scours Facebook pages and YouTube highlight reels, watching for performances he knows will sell at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

“I’m looking for a bull that bucks really hard and is really showing that it’s pacy,” Wilson said. He pronounces it pack-ey, and the meaning is essentially that it packs a punch, but in a controlled way. Wilson wants a bull that’s passionate while still rideable, one that will put on the best possible eight-second show, then toss its rider in spectacular fashion. Some bull owners will put “cowboys love me” in

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the description, a key tip for Wilson that they’ll put on a show. But he does have to travel all over the country to find them. In May he road-tripped up to Montana to pick up a white-speckled muley named Floyd, and he’s currently planning a trip to Michigan. Texas has lots of options, but the bidding there can be fierce. This year he has a budget of just $60,000 for new bulls, which he’ll have to stretch to bring in his goal of 17 newbies. Like timber and chicken wings, the price of competitive animals has skyrocketed during the pandemic, making it difficult for Wilson to recruit the caliber of talent he’s used to. At each auction he’s battling half a dozen contractors for the same animal: “You’re just crossing your fingers hoping that it works out.” The stakes are high for each purchase, Wilson said, because there’s always the chance an animal could get sick or turn lazy when it arrives at the fairgrounds, jeopardizing the success of summer shows. Wilson has to trust his gut, formed by years of experience riding and recruiting, to pull the trigger. He knows failure to attract high-caliber rides means the

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE

Buskin Wilson, right, tapes up the wrist of his eldest son, Tucker Wilson, before Tucker competes in bull riding during Jackson Hole Rodeo in 2019.

riders won’t show up. In order for the cowboys to come back, “you have to pay the money to play.” Those new recruits will join a crew of returning favorites like Whiskey River, Trick Daddy and Otis, who

earned his name by trampling Buskin’s cousin. Fans shouldn’t expect to see them all on the same night, because they try to buck each bull only once a week to keep them spirited. If they take too many runs in the >> BULLS on page 20

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Come experience the wonders of nature and the wide open spaces of the Tetons. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is open for summer and ready for your next adventure. Ride the Bridger Gondola to reach breathtaking views, hike through wildflowers to remote vistas, experience the thrill of Via Ferrata, rip through perfectly crafted mountain bike trails, indulge at three exquisite dining locations, and discover world-class specialty retail shopping with curated products and gear. New this year, Sweetwater Gondola provides access to expanded intermediate and advanced bike trails. Sail over tabletops, flow around corners and then catch the lift for a ride back up to the top. SCAN CODE TO EXPLORE MORE ACTIVITIES

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Youngsters are helped into their saddles during a musical chairs game during Sydney Lee Judge Memorial Night activities at the Heritage Arena.

Sydney Lee Judge Foundation

is back under the grandstand Funds are raised for people who are in need in honor of the rodeo rider who died in 2013. By Evan Robinson-Johnson

ee Judge and her partner in crime Pam Carter refer to themselves as “the unsung heroes of the rodeo,” and as the crew that provides libations at the popular Wednesday night beer stand, they just might be. The stand offers all the classic Coors and Budweiser offerings, as well as four or five local concoctions from Snake River Brewing Company, 18

though when folks ask for a recommendation, Judge usually laughs and tells them to pick based on what color they like best — neither she nor Carter are beer-drinkers. “People always get a big kick out of that,” Judge said. She does dive into specifics when it comes to the profits, which go to the Sydney Lee Judge Foundation. Sharing photos and stories of rodeos past, Judge tells visitors about her cowgirl daughter, Sydney, who loved all

things rodeo, from the calf scramble to the camaraderie, and who died in a car accident at age 16 in 2013. “It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, it still makes me cry when I think about how generously spirited she was,” Sydney Lee Judge Judge said. “The fact that we can do this in her name

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just means so much to me.” The foundation provides scholarships for valley youth and funds organizations like MakeAWish and the Special Olympics, which Sydney helped out

with throughout her childhood. Judge also finds small opportunities to use the money to brighten someone’s day and “support the underdog,” something her daughter always tried to do. In April, when the Hernandez family lost their home to a fire, Judge saw the smoke from her front window, and a message on Facebook from one of Sydney’s former classmates, promoting a GoFundMe for the family. It was an easy donation for Judge, who said she’s always appreciated the willingness of the Jackson community to support those in need. Carter has also been touched by the generosity

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Hailey Hardeman leads her cousin Ty Lucero to the ring for his go in the men’s barrel racing during the fourth annual Sydney Lee Judge Memorial Night at the Heritage Arena. The night is held in memory of Judge, who died in a 2013 car accident.

of the Jackson community, which reached out to support her and her two sons after her husband, Paul Carter, died of cancer in 2001. Now that the duo run the beer stand together they get to see simple philanthropy in action while also having fun at one of their favorite

community functions. Last year they bought cowbells and rang them every time someone donated. Thanks to Carter’s infectious spirit, those gifts came rolling in, even from folks who didn’t buy a beer. The partnership between the Sydney Lee Judge Foundation and the

Jackson Hole Rodeo extends beyond libations in other ways too. Each year the Wilson family, which runs the fairground festivities, donates a check at the end of the season; the foundation then funnels the money into scholarships specifically for rodeo children. “We work hand in hand,” Judge said. “That rodeo family is such a strong connection.” Teton Barrel Racing Association also does an annual jackpot race to benefit the foundation. Judge said the foundation made just as much in 2020 as the previous year, despite reduced rodeo attendance due to COVID-19. Judge works as a reimbursement manager for St. John’s Health, but she’ll be back alongside Carter under the fairgrounds grandstand come Memorial Day weekend for what’s sure to be another “bonkers” summer.

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>> BULLS FROM page 15

like buying a used car — he’s never sure if the anisame arena, Wilson said, mal’s health and habits they’re likely to get bored. are as its owner says, and “You got to change it up you can only tell so much with them,” he said. “You from the tape: “Somegotta change the delivery. times you don’t get the And they have to get a cowboy on the ground.” honest truth.” When the riders are Once wrestled back to too sticky, the bulls lose the Jackson fairgrounds, confidence and Wilson the bulls don’t always said they’ll just stop and get along with their new quit. He imagines the mates. bull’s mindset is “It ain’t “I don’t know what it is working, everything I’ve with our place, but we’re done, I can’t get a cowboy bringing new stock in all on the ground.” the time until there’s alKATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS To fire them up again, ways a pecking order,” Wilson will take the bulls Jaspur Brower takes his turn in the arena atop 208 Illuminati. Wilson said. “That part around to the practice stinks because one of pen and give them a smaller, younger rider who they can them’s gonna get woofed really bad … once they smell blood they all get hot with it. It’s crazy.” easily buck off. In this season, before the summer’s bucking begins, the “He needs the victory,” Wilson said, “to have confidence bulls get some time off to hang out and eat. Floyd, who to keep going.” The bulls raised in this circuit have been born and Wilson said is “gonna be one fun one for the guys to get bred for the bucking ground. When they turn a year old on,” already weighs at least 1,700 pounds and will get a they have a remote-controlled 20-pound dummy tossed on new feast of grain and hay to munch on. Soon enough they’ll start running the bulls around to their back. By three they’ll meet a real rider, then start traveling for competitions. Wilson likes to pick them up get them back in shape, and form a more personalized around age five, allowing ample time to notice patterns diet for each bull. The “easy keepers,” for example, “can look at grass without eating it and gain weight,” whereas like aggression and excitability. But even with that preparation the actual sale can feel other bulls will need every morsel to bulk up.

Fans cheer as Kacy Jones finishes an eight-second bull ride.

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KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Emmit Ross rides the bull 324 Raizin the Roof during the first of two bull riding sections last year.

Unlike the pros, there’s no swimming pool training at the Wilson farm, and Buskin jokes that because the bulls are fighting each other so much, they get more than enough exercise. Perhaps that’s the Jackson Hole secret. Each of Phil Wilson’s three sons take on a different aspect of the rodeo — horses, ropes, and, in Buskin’s case, bulls — mirroring their lifelong “Once they smell passions. And for Busblood they get all hot kin it’s hard to imagine a place he’d rather be. with it. It’s crazy.” “[We] work hard at getting the best bulls — Buskin Wilson we can for those guys ON BULLS MEETING BULLS that come out,” he said, “and they love it.” He’s also pumped that the pandemic is on its way out, opening the door for full-on fairground revelry again. “We’re back on the right path now. And I think we’re all moving ahead. We’re ready. We’re ready to be rolling.”

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

The bull fighters work to corral the bull as Ty Bertrand runs toward the gates after falling off while competing in bull riding last July during the Jackson Hole Rodeo. Bertrand rode the bull Mama’s Boy.

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On the road:

THE COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS OF JACKSON HOLE RODEO During the pandemic they were glad to have a venue to call home. By Chance Q. Cook

ou’re tucked in under the roof of the grandstands, or maybe braving the elements in the adjacent bleachers. Maybe you grabbed a beer and a snack, maybe you’re wearing a cowboy hat yet to be broken in. You’re taking in the Jackson Hole Rodeo the way just about everyone else has all these years, but this experience is a big departure from last year’s pandemic-tainted affair. Putting on a rodeo in any year is no small task, but last year’s rodeo was a trial in grin-and-bear-it for the Wilson family who runs the show. A health order kept the attendance at the rodeo uncharacteristically low, though the seats offered on any given night were usually sold out well ahead of the national anthem. Just the fact that Jackson was able to have its rodeo was a blessing, not just for the Wilsons and not just for the droves of tourists who take in the experience. It was also a blessing for the competitors — far and wide — as the usual nonstop river of bulls and bucking horses had all but dried up. “That’s one thing where we’re blessed,” rodeo operator Phil Wilson said last year. “A lot of cowboys out there are looking for a place to rodeo, so we’re hoping [to get them] but we just don’t know yet. … We really want to take care of everyone so we can try to work out the logistics.” Now, Blaine Mathews is no stranger to the Jackson Hole Rodeo. He hails from right down the 22

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE

Blaine Mathews rides Roderick for a winning score of 85 during the 2019 Jackson Hole Rodeo. Mathews hails from Pinedale and spends his winters racing snowmobiles.

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road in Pinedale, and after spending winters racing snowmobiles he returns to riding bucking horses and team roping. Just the fact that the Jackson Hole Rodeo remained a consistent show in town in the 2020 summer was enough for him, and you’d see him vying for the top spot in saddle bronc. In mid-June last year he got on his first horse since September 2019. Injuries, life and the pandemic had kept him away from the sport for some time, but he returned that June night and was bucked off. He was not planning to hit the road during that summer, so Jackson Hole Rodeo would be his home for the next few months, a familiar dirt each time out. And really, he wasn’t terribly disappointed that opening night, because he

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

JoAnn O’Neal, riding Sling Shot, competes in the barrels competition last year during the Jackson Hole Rodeo at the Teton County Fairgrounds.

was just getting his footing back. “It’s so cool to do it again, even with the

restrictions,” he said. “Heck, at least we’re here to rodeo.” Mathews continued to

compete near the top all year. He wound up second in the year end saddle

>> ROAD on page 24

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>> ROAD FROM page 23

bronc points, $4,446.45 on bucking horses that summer. Cowboys like Mathews were staples throughout the summer season last year, and while all the roughstock riders get accustomed to spending time together behind the chutes a few nights a week, sometimes they’re joined by a man just passing through. Granbury, Texas’ Ricky Williams was one of those one-nighters last July, making the trip to Jackson after a stint at the Cody Night Rodeo. The Cody rodeo was occupied by pros for the Cody Stampede, and Williams didn’t feel much like sitting around and waiting. He loaded up his gear and went farther west to get on a horse, as a cowboy often does. That night he came to

KATHRYN ZIESIG//NEWS&GUIDE

Tristan Hansen gets in the ready position before the gate opens last year during the bareback competition at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

town, scored a 74 atop horse 262 Vader, earned a cool $228 bucks and then got back on the road.

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ed to do: Don’t quit and keep hustling.” Hansen did shake off that rust over many nights Sometimes, circumstances are so that an old staple of the Jackson Hole Rodeo. In mid-September, Hanof the rodeo makes his return. That was the case for sen won the title at the Ram National Circuit Finals Teton Valley, Idaho, bareback cowboy Tristan Han- Championship in Greeley, Colorado. sen, who worked his way back into shape at the JackAway from the chutes, barrel racer JoAnn O’Neal son Hole Rodeo last summer and and her then-13-year-old horse wound up third in the year end Sling Shot were the stars of their with $1,620 earned. discipline in 2020. The pair racked Hansen spent time at the Jackup $1,396.58 over the course of son Hole Rodeo as a kid, learning the summer, good enough to take the craft as a bull rider before the title in 1D barrels. “He was supposed to heading off to college in Dillon, But the clover pattern isn’t Montana. He was a multiple-time Sling Shot’s only job. At home he stack up a little more, and College National Finals Rodeo is tasked with gathering the bulls he just wasn’t having it. competitor there and spent his the O’Neal family raises for stock summers chasing pro money becontracting. He’s probably rusty, too, fore returning to school. O’Neal said in July her family in some spots.” Heading into last summer, Hanwas expecting to stock contract for sen hadn’t been chasing much. Inthe National High School Finals stead he was back home, breaking Rodeo in Nebraska that summer — Tristan Hansen colts for old friends. before it was forced to move to BAREBACK COWBOY “I’ve just been breaking colts, Oklahoma, well outside her range. riding six, seven horses a day for That left Sling Shot the opportufolks back home,” he said in late nity to win races. A lot of them. June. “I hadn’t hit a rodeo since “He’s going good. He’s sore. … But the whole COVID thing started.” he just tries his heart out for me,” He was rusty that night, admittedly, and maybe his she said after winning in 17.387 seconds one Friday night. horse 44 Yardvark was, too. The rest of the summer Sling Shot was loaded up “He was supposed to stack up a little more and he with his bull brethren wherever the family was conjust wasn’t having it,” he said of the horse he drew. tracting. And when he wasn’t doing that, he was often “He’s probably rusty, too, in some spots.” found at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

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8 seconds FOR CLOSURE Late teenage Big Piney bull rider is celebrated at Jackson Hole Rodeo.‌

By Chance Q. Cook

aytan Wing was not at the Teton County Fairgrounds on Aug. 1, 2020, but not a cowboy or a judge present could say his bull ride wasn’t damn near flawless. Before the rodeo got started, after his little sister, Bailey, brought the flag out into the arena for its opening, Wing’s family and friends gathered behind the chutes. They strapped Wing’s chaps onto the back of a bull, opened the gate and let out yips and hollers, traded back slaps and hugs as the bull spun and bucked. The chaps stayed on all eight seconds. “That’s what we wanted,” Wing’s stepfather Chris Meeks said. “To send him off.” That night was a celebration of Wing’s life. The Big Piney bull rider, football player and wrestler died the previous April, just shy of his 17th birthday. Along with his accomplishments on the turf and the mat, Wing was cutting his teeth as a bull rider at the Jackson Hole Rodeo the past few summers, like most of the other young men who suit up behind the chutes and get their turn in the arena. For his family the rodeo is where it made sense to celebrate a life cut short. A special buckle was made for the winner of bull riding that night, emblazoned with Taytan’s name, a set of wings, a bull and a cross. An extra $500 went on top of the champion’s earnings. “We were kind of like, well he’s really good at football, really good at wrestling,” Meeks said. “We were going to do a scholarship deal, but at the same time he hated school. … Why don’t we give somebody a buckle and some money? They can do what they want with it.” Wing died from an accidental gunshot wound in mid-April. It was 26

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Briggs Madsen, center, the winning bull rider of the night, poses for a photo with Misty and Chris Meeks, while holding the first Taytan Wing Memorial belt buckle. Misty and Chris are the parents of Taytan Wing, a bull rider who died in April 2020. Wing rode in the Jackson Hole Rodeo the past few years to learn the sport.

Meeks who found him. “It was just a tragedy. He got killed, Easter Sunday. Well, he was still alive but he died the day after Easter,” Meeks said. “He got killed on my birthday, and we buried him on his 17th birthday.” Wing’s funeral was April 25, more than a month into the heart of the coronavirus outbreak. His obituary says the service was to be held in the pasture next to his family’s house, where visitors could pay their respects from their cars for the service. “We couldn’t have the funeral. You had to have only 10 people, and they had to wear masks and all that,” Meeks said. “We had it right out in the yard. The whole crew was there, probably 500 people showed up. “I said, ‘We’re having a ... damn funeral.’ We pulled a flatbed trailer out there, and I stood up there and talked, and gave the Cowboy Spirit

at the beginning of it. … Everybody showed up.” The last flight of bull riding that August night was sure to be where the champion was going to come from, with a stacked field of cowboys who’ve spent summer nights learning the craft just as Wing did. Kade Madsen shot into the lead, scoring an 85 atop 98 Trick Daddy. Payton Nelson, a Utah cowboy who has lit up the Jackson Hole Rodeo this year, matched his 85 atop 521 Whiskey River. The final go of the night belonged to Briggs Madsen, the 20-yearold Utahn who said he’d just come back from his mission trip to South Carolina. His bull, 306 Conspiracy Theory, one of the better bulls the rodeo offers, came out spinning and kicking, and Madsen matched every move. With eight seconds passed, the announcer didn’t need to wait

2021 ROUNDUP SOUVENIR PROGRAM

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Briggs Madsen, the winning bull rider of the night, holds the Taytan Wing Memorial belt buckle he won along with $500.

for the judges to know for sure the final go of the night was the winner. And he was right. Eighty-nine points for Madsen, the first Taytan Wing Memorial buckle and 500 bucks of extra cash. As the grandstands emptied, a young bull rider who’d missed his ride got his riding gear back on, and a new bull was brought into the chute for him. He rode the bull without any crowd, without any chance of getting money. Meeks chuckled a bit. Many nights in the rodeo just last year would have Wing in the young cowboy’s spot, getting another shot to get on a bull. “They let that kid who’s learning, he got bucked off, so they put him on another one,” Meeks said. “They used to do that for Taytan all the time. I think that was the big thing for me, just to send him off as part of our family. He loved this. He was entered all the time, that was what he was doing.” Meeks and Wing’s mother, Misty, met Madsen, presented him the buckle and chatted. Madsen didn’t know Wing, but if there ever was a night of bull riding at the Jackson Hole Rodeo to send Wing out on, that might have

been the one. “Meeting his parents, I can tell he was a great young man,” Madsen said. “So to finish out with an 89-point ride for him, that couldn’t be better.” There were tears streaming down faces and into masks as Wing’s family walked off from behind the chutes after his chaps’ final ride to start the show. Meeks was fired up, pounding the gate as the bull bucked. Without a man’s weight on the bull’s back, he wasn’t so sure those chaps were going to see anything more than a few lazy steps out into the arena. “For us, this is closure,” Meeks said. “I didn’t think that bull would do anything, but the son of a [gun] jumped out there and bucked, and if Taytan had been riding that son of a [gun], he’d have won the ... bull riding.” The buckle and the award money were tokens, and “closure” was what Wing’s family was really after Saturday night at the Teton County Fairgrounds. Meeks said those eight seconds were it. They were the closure. “I just got to watch him stick it on one, and that puff of smoke was his ashes, man,” Meeks said. “And boom! He stuck one.”

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BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Stevie Taylor points her horse, Clancy, down the straightaway while competing in barrel racing last year at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

LAST CALL 2020 Jackson Hole Rodeo Year-End Standings Here’s where riders ended up at the end of last year’s season after giving it their all in the arena. Standings are organized by athlete, points and winnings.

Bull riding 1. Payton Nelson, 92.5, $2,956.54 2. Kacy Jones, 59, $1,340.10 3. Jaspur Brower, 53.5, $995.40 4. Tipton Wilson, 49, $910.35 5. Tucker Wilson, 48.5, $499.50 6. Brody Hasenack, 39, $1,871.55 7. Riley Barg, 38, $1,567.35 8. Zack Winer, 33, $630 9. Levi Wilson, 28, $1,167.75 10. Emmett Ross, 28, $846

Mini bulls 1. Callaway Wilson, 70, $200 2. Mathew Urruitta, 19, $200 3. Zack Marino, 20, $150

Bareback 1. KC Gibson, 111.5, $1,931 2. Brian Brown, 84.5, $1,620 3. Tristan Hansen, 69, $1,516 28

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Spectators watch Brody Hasenack make eight seconds on Red Bone last summer.

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4. Donny Proffit, 38, $640 5. Chance Ames, 27, $470 6. Trever Kay, 23, $152 7. JJ Hunsaker, 21 8. Dean Thompson, 19, $518 9. Ty Hawkes, 17

Saddle bronc 1. Grady Eckley, 186, $3,212.84 2. Blaine Mathews, 179.5, $4,446.45 3. Wyatt Hurst, 61.5, $1,060.92 4. Garrett Buckely, 51.5, $708.75 5. Jacob Phillips, 46.5, $495.75 6. Jacob Bentlage, 42, $251 7. Logan Nunn, 30, $396.62 8. Garrett Upton, 29.5, $778.50 9. Rowdy Stone, 29, $593.75 10. Carson Bingham, 27, $309 The classification of ropers — divided by headers and heelers — is essentially a handicap system for the sport. While the classification is complicated, simply put, the higher the number, the more skilled the rider. Full classifications can be found at TeamRoping.com. No. 8 Header 1. Gibby Roberts, 166, $1,767.75 2. Bill Lewkowitz, 105, $987.70 3. Bob Bing, 63, $648.25 4. Cassidy Espenschied, 58, $592 5. Cole Redmond, 49, $762.20 6. Jessica Elquist, 43, $380 7. Ryder Kerr, 42, $518 8. Bobby Albertson, 40, $401.20 9. Brit Ross, 40, $292 10. Hays Espenschied, 38, $226 No. 8 Heeler 1. Chris McGhee, 125, $932 2. Earl Higgins, 103, $1,171 3. Shane Lucas, 86, $997.20 4. Jahrod Little, 71, $672.50 5. Buck Schouboe, 68, $897.20 6. Caden Albertson, 52, $401.20 7. John Hintz, 50, $596 8. Chance Stevie, 44, $537 9. Case Kerr, 41, $518 10. Brent Murdock, 41, $224 No. 10 Header 1. Kevin Smith, 103, $1,333.29 2. Boone Snidecor, 102, $924.76 3. Cael Espenschied, 93, $1,136.10 4. Jason Wheeldon, 57, $888.02 5. LaRae Branham, 52, $618.24 6. Bryan Ray, 37, $344.88 7. Jessica Elquist, 33, $382.10 8. Sadee Kriekemier, 31, $254.40 9. Jim Walter, 29, $178.80 10. Shawn Sorenson, 29, $357.60 No. 10 Heeler 1. Buck Schouboe, 89, $1,304.40 2. Jade Espenschied, 86, $986.16 3. Joey Parker, 80, $807.59 4. Hank Kerr, 78, $1,165.22 5. John Hintz, 70, $647.56 6. Earl Higgins, 60, $723.74 7. Clyde Gasser, 55, $655.20 8. Chance Stevie, 53, $634.08 9. Shane Lucas, 42, $499.68 10. Jody Burnside, 40, $369.52 Open Header 1. Brian Espenschied, 112, $1,017 2. Rhett Nichols, 72, $477 3. Kolby Bradley, 53, $684 4. Arye Espenschied, 50, $1,507.50 5. Chad Espenschied, 45, $940.50

Colorado’s Garrett Upton, riding Buckshot, competes in saddle bronc.

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

KC Gibson, riding Dave, competes in the bareback competition last year at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

6. Jade Stoddard, 45, $732 7. Wade Tibbits, 42, $392 8. Shane Sims, 29, $369 9. Boone Snidecor, 24, $305 10. Josh Johnson, 15, $162 Open Heeler 1. Chad Espenschied, 118, $2,538 2. Jade Espenschied, 80, $553.50 3. Nick Nichols, 70, $144 4. Brian Espenschied, 67, $909 5. Cole Cooper, 51, $516 6. Wes Miller, 50, $868.50 7. Jade Stoddard, 32, $392 8. Arye Espenschied, 29, $486 9. Josh Bassett, 19, $240 10. Shawn Choate, 15, $202.50 11. Mike Stevie, 14 The four brackets are set by the rider with the fastest overall time. 1D includes riders with the fastest times; 2D riders have times 1/2 second or slower than the overall fastest time; 3D riders clock times 1 second or slower than the overall; and 4D riders are 2 seconds

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

or slower than the overall fastest time, according to the National Barrel Horse Association. Barrel racing statistics are organized by rider, mount, points and prize money. 1D Barrels 1. JoAnn O’Neal, Sling Shot, 154, $1,396.58 2. Stevie Taylor, Clancy, 150, $1,135.18 3. Gracie Perry, Fancy, 32, $160.16 4. Lora Nichols, Turbo, 27, $204.10 5. Jessica Elquist, Hot Rod, 27, $193.52 6. Jordan Lutz, Rat, 22 7. Kloe Nichols, Frech Toast, 20, $244.40 8. Tarryn Lee, Jet, 19, $163.80 9. Taylor Nichols, Hef, 17, $109.20 10. Kenzie Castagno, Player, 16, $58.24 2D Barrels 1. Jessica Elquist, Hot Rod, 46, $315.48 2. Lisa Bontecou, Mr. Big, 39, $140.40 3. Hailey Hardeman, Linda, 37, $233.24 4. Mary Murdock, Scotchly, 37, $216.84 5. Kenzie Castagno, Player, 33, $70.20 6. Sam Thoenig, Diesel, 29, $215.28 7. Dally Wilson, Chic, 29, $74.88 8. Gracie Perry, Fancy, 27, $51.48 9. Melody Skiver, Chance, 23, $93.60 10. Jodi Edwards, Issy, 20, $235.08 3D Barrels 1. Dally Wilson, Chic, 135, $452.24 2. Sara Little, Friday, 88, $163.28 3. Jordan Lutz, Rat, 55, $104 4. Lisa Bontecou, Mr. Big, 47, $173.75 5. Savana Wackerman, Phoenix, 40, $131.81 6. Mary Murdock, Scothcly, 38, $162.24 7. Jessica Elquist, Hot Rod, 37, $135.20 8. Jeni Snidecor, LuLu, 27, $27.04 9. Jessica Elquist, Keeley, 24, $34.32 10. Melody Skiver, Chance, 20, $99.84 4D Barrels 1. Ariat Kerr, Kat, 72, $178.42 2. Jeni Snidecor, Jill, 38, $141.96 3. Savana Wackerman, Phoenix, 36, $59.28 4. Jordan Lutz, Rat, 30, $130.26 5. Falyn Nenna, Frosty, 18, $63.18 6. Faith Jones, Cutie, 16, $21.84

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Bull riders wait behind the chutes at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE

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