Rodeo Athletes Magazine NFR 2014

December 2014

A Porfolio of Toda y a n d To m o r r o w ’s B r i g h t e s t Ro d e o Sta rs

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Sherri Cervi | Steven Peebles | Minor Brothers | Tyson Durfey | More!

NFR Edition

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Letter From The

President

In 2009 and 2010 I was the team roping director for the PRCA. That is when I realized how involved and difficult it was trying to meet the needs of committees, stock contractors, and the board, not to mention the guys who rodeo full-time or the people who mostly just circuit rodeo. They all needed something a little different. I realize that even though we have a great sport, so many things could be improved. I started working on how to make things better, something that allows us to create fans and show that we are athletes comparable to every other sport. Something that would allow us to compete at the same level other professional athletes compete at. After toying around with a few of my ideas for years I was introduced to Garrett Baxter who had been doing the same thing. We joined forces to take rodeo to another level. I quickly realized that his vision and goals for rodeo athletes was far beyond my own. Now I have spent most of this last year working with rodeo athletes to see that this takes place. Some are quite cautious as we talk about doing things differently, which is fine. But most are very excited as we talk about our long term vision for rodeo. They are eager for something better and we as a company intend to provide it. They are excited about us creating not only new fans of individuals, but also fans of the sport through increased television opportunities. As we work toward these goals other things are happening. We are launching two new clothing lines at the 2014 NFR. We also begin work on our reality show next year. The clothing line is not necessarily traditional western apparel, it again is something we hope to use to attract additional fans to the sport. It will be featured in several booths in Las Vegas which we are excited about. The reality show will be the first real rodeo show of its kind ever produced. Where two teams will go head-to-head on every show.

Athletes will be eliminated and replaced after each show depending on their performance. With the last remaining original athlete crowned champion.

This will not only be an opportunity for current athletes to win new honors, but will also provide up and coming athletes opportunities to create a name for themselves. There is work to do in order to accomplish so much, but we have a great team in place and are continuing to work with others who share our vision as we move forward at a rapid pace. We’re excited about where we are and look forward to the future!

Matt Sherwood, President of Rodeo Athletes Inc.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 3

Table of

Contents

10

Trey Benton III

26

Shane Hanchey

43

Minor Brothers

59

Jana Bean

73

Tim Bingham

Sherri Cervi

Tarleton Rodeo Association

Carlee Pierce

Tim O’Connell

Eric Rodgers

15

Clay Cooper

19

Steven Peebles

30

Kaleb Driggers

47

Dakota Eldridge

63

Clayton Hass

77

Cole Edge

22

36

Joe Frost

51

Tyson Durfey

66

Nick Guy

81

Clint Robinson

38 55

70 85

Photos provided by the athletes’ family members.

For information on advertising or other inquiries, visit our website at www.rodeoathletes.com, email info@rodeoathletes.com or call us at (623) 777-9451.

The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in RodeoAthletes.com Magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making decisions. ©Copyright 2014.

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Meet the Team Colby Siddoway

Justin Rickelman

Vice President of male athletes.

Managing Director of Film productions.

Braun Black

Valorie Smith

Vice President of Publications & Magazine Editor.

Advertising Sales Director.

Jonny Baebler

Shelbi Davis

Lead Artist & Designer.

Clothing and Apparel Director/ Lead Designer.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 7

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Rodeo Athletes Magazine | Fall 2014 9

Sherri Cervi

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“A Woman of Many Horses and Talents�

By Mel Potter

On a beautiful spring day when Sherri was four she was out roping in the back yard with her father Mel, pestering him for some time to let her start heeling. That turned out to be the day her father relented and decided he would turn her one of the slower steers and let her have a shot at catching one. As she took the corner on her first steer she roped it clean by both feet. Her dad decided he would turn her one more to see if she could do it twice, and what do you know she caught that one clean too. Sherri, feeling pretty proud of herself, rode up to the roping box and went to acting like she was trick riding on her pony when one of Mel’s friends looked over at her and said “Oh you’re going to learn how to trick ride after you learn how to rope.” Sherri responded, “I know how to rope.” She thought there was nothing to it. Mel can’t recall if she caught another one for a while after that, but it was kind of funny how she had thought she had that rope already handled. She did grow up to heel pretty darn good though.

A few years later when Cabbage Patch dolls came out Sherri and her parents were at the Dodge City Rodeo where they hold a big jackpot barrel race. The night before Sherri was entered to run barrels she was wanting to play with a friend

of hers that had a new Cabbage Patch doll. She was more interested in that than she was about running barrels, so her mom told her, “You go run barrels and when you come back you can go play with the dolls.” So Sherri went in and made a smoking run even though all her thoughts were on that doll.

She ran out the gate without even knowing how long she was, she was running back so that she could play with that Cabbage Patch doll.

Another great little story about Sherri is when she was roping calves. She was missing about one in three and just wasn’t getting them straight like I had hoped, it was aggravating me.

So I said, “Someday I would like to bet you something that you can’t rope 20 calves in a row.” And she said, “You know if you’ll buy me a pickup I’ll rope 20 calves.” I said, “Well, I’m not going to buy you a pickup for roping 20 calves in a row, but if you can rope a 100 calves in a row I’ll get you a pickup.”

She was about 15 or 16 at the time. I remember the first time she missed one, she was at about 38 and she had to start over.

I thought I was being smart and it would get her to really continued on page 12

Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 11

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concentrate on roping. I never thought she would rope 100 in a row. That is something pretty doggone tough to do, even for one of us old guys. She went back and started at one. I told her, “If you’ll rope one here real quick, like maybe 20-30 feet out of the box I’ll let you count it as two.” So every once in a while she would rope one real quick and get in an extra calf on the line and she went right up to 100. It took her about three weeks before she had roped them. She had 100 but she said, “I’m going to rope four more just to show you that I wasn’t lucky.” I thought I had done something really smart, I thought she would be roping for a year before she could rope 100 in a row. As you can see that kind of backfired on me.

Sherri would always come back from basketball practice and right into practicing for her rodeo events. She was an all 12 www.rodeoathletes.com

around cowgirl. She won the State Junior High School Rodeo every year but one that I can remember. Barrel racing was her favorite event, but the one that she seemed to have the most trouble with. It seemed like something would always happen to her barrel horse, it would trip or something and she would have to start over. She did well at all of the other events: goats, breakaway, pole bending, and even team roping. In fact one year we even won the father and son team roping together.

Sherri has had a number of horses. First, was the little pony that she started barrels on. Then there was Dudley, a fairly expensive horse at the time, about $20,000. So I took her down to the bank and made her co-sign on the loan with me. She paid for that horse, I think, in about 14 or 15 months.

Later she had a tough little horse named Danish that she won

several PRCA rodeos on her senior year.

When she started college she had been winning on Danish and looked like she could probably make the finals if she kept doing well. But after Danish was crippled she was looking for another good horse. She found one with promise, but he didn’t really ride all that well and was kind of an aggravating horse. You couldn’t hardly shoe him and he was just kind of a pain in the butt! She went ahead and bought him and they started clicking and right off the bat she went to winning on him. I think she paid for him in about three months. Over the years she bought and owned several good horses, always getting her money out of them by winning. She did quite well with a few going on to win a few World titles on a pair called Troubles and Hawk. But the one that she has been real successful on is Stingray. I think she won the finals on him in 2009 and the world 2010 and then the finals and the world in 2013.

She had a gray horse, probably the best one she ever owned, called him Show Horse. Unfortunately he got crippled before he really got to prove himself. He could outrun Stingray a couple three tenths every time they ran at the same place.

Sherri always seemed to be able to speed up her horses.

Make them a little better than they were when she was buying them. It seemed that she could buy one and move them up three tenths or so taking them from a good horse to an excellent horse.

Sherri has been lucky when it has come to injuries. Every-

thing has always went real well for her, she has never really had any problems. She has had horses fall with her, but never really hurt her bad. What a blessing that has been to her and her career.

However she hasn’t been able to avoid adversity entirely.

She lost her husband in 2001 in an airplane accident. That was a big, tragic thing in her life and I didn’t know if she was ever going to come back from it. The horses helped her get through that tragic time in her life. That was a tough situation but she overcame it on the back of a horse.

She really is interested in helping young kids. She sponsors a barrel race out in California every spring, one of the biggest junior barrel races in the country. She really enjoys that. She’s talks about having one somewhere else in the United States at some point. I know she is always gracious to kids. If anyone asks her something she is always willing to give them some help. She enjoys kids, I know that. She always has fun around them.

From the back of her first pony Sherri started out with a dream to be one of America’s best rodeo athletes in the world. Through hard work and a stubborn will she has achieved that dream. I am proud to be her father. Watching her grow into the woman she has become and having been able to share in some of her experiences has been a highlight of my life. She has developed so many talents over the years, but perhaps her greatest has been her gift with horses. She has used that gift to make her horses champions.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 13

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Trey Benton III It’s the Size of your Heart

By Tom Benton, Jr.

TBIII is what they call him these days, a name given to him during his first year in the pros. No one is sure who started it, he was travelling with Cody Teel and Howdy Cloud. To his family in his younger days he was “Little Fella.” He was literally raised on the front seat of a Ford pickup from about six months old. That was the soonest I could tear him away from his mom, Johnna.

Trey was probably three the first time he hauled hay with me. That Ford truck would creep along just right in first gear, so he could drive standing on the seat. It wasn’t long before he was ready to ride a horse. He was two years old the first time I lead him around on a horse named Bob. The flies were bad the first day and Bob would shake to get them off. He finally shook Trey out of the saddle in the process. I jumped off my horse as quick as I could and scooped Trey up, he was crying. I started to walk for home, but Trey was pointing at Bob wanting to get back on. That was the first sign of his toughness.

Eventually we moved to a bigger place down in South Texas where we could ranch and raise our family. We worked a lot of cows for different people. Trey always wanted to go so I bought a Shetland named Coco. He was always ready to go work cows. Working cows wasn’t always fun, in the summer the mosquitoes would carry you away. The canals would have water in them and sometimes it would take too long a ride

to get to a crossing, we would have to swim the canal. Trey didn’t care for that much, but he would do it. Coco would go under and push off the bottom with Trey hanging on the saddle horn.

In 1996, a friend of ours in Houston, Denise Poole, called and asked if Trey wanted to enter the mutton bustin at the PBR. I said we’d come, Trey had already worn out a rocking horse, the dogs and me. He would ride anything that would stand still long enough for him to get on. So off we went to the big city, none of us knowing what to expect. The event was in the Summit, which is about the size of the Thomas & Mack.

Justin Boots was a big sponsor and their Justin girls were down there helping. Trey got on the sheep and I told him, “Don’t let go till I come get you.” Well he took that to heart.

The sheep went to the other end of the arena, Trey hanging on for life and was coming back when I hollered let go. That place went nuts, everyone standing and cheering when Trey was awarded 90 points. All those Justin girls hugging him and taking pictures with him and his Justin buckle.

That day would change the course of our lives forever. It was one of those defining moments that you never forget.

Soon we were going to every calf riding Trey could find in the Cowboy Sports News, a monthly publication for rodeos, in Texas. We would drive two hours to Madisonville for a calf continued on page 17 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 15

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continued from page 15

riding, win a $30 buckle and drive home. He would go on to win his first saddle at nine years old, that year. It was a good time to be in rough stock events. Mutton bustin’, calf riding and steer riding had taken off in our area and it seemed like there was always something to go to.

Trey still had other interests; he loved playing baseball, even though he was the littlest guy on the field. He was always the leadoff hitter because the pitchers couldn’t pitch to him because he was so small, but he could run fast and steal bases. He would get really mad cause he wanted to hit the ball, not walk. There was something about rodeo where being small didn’t really matter that much, other sports they all wanted the big kids. Trey played everything with such intensity and would get really mad if he didn’t win, but his anger was at himself because he was the smallest kid and wanted to be a winner.

It wasn’t long before Trey wasn’t satisfied with just rough stock. He wanted to rope calves. Well we started shopping for a horse and ended up with a flea-bit gray named Spec.

We couldn’t have asked for a better first horse. I had team roped some, but I didn’t know much about calf roping. I could teach him how to swing a rope, but not much else. I believe people come into your life for a reason and Walter Beaver was such a person. Walter Beaver the nicest and most intelligent man that I ever met. He had a gentle and firm hand when it came to horses and roping too. He was a grandpa, mentor and friend to all my kids and it was a privilege to have known him.

He put in many long hours giving Trey roping lessons which we traded hay for. He never let Trey’s size be an excuse for not performing well, even though sometimes it was obvious.

But in the end, Trey enjoyed great success in youth rodeo roping, most of the saddles he won were in roping events.

Trey’s first year of junior high school rodeo he was the Texas Jr. High State Champion bull rider and also qualified in the team roping. He roped against Tuff Cooper and many others who came that first year. He went on to the Nationals, in Gallup and finished Reserve World Champion after getting on some of the biggest bulls he had ever been on.

Trey would enjoy great success in Texas High School Rodeo. Trey roped calves, team roped, steer wrestled, and road bulls. He went to state in all those events. Trey’s junior year he went to Nationals in the bull riding and his senior year he went to Nationals in the calf roping.

Trey attended Wharton County Jr.

College for two years. His first year at college he roped steers and calves and rode bulls, finishing one spot out in the bull riding, calf roping and the All-round, for the college nationals.

The following year he qualified for the College National Finals, in the bull riding and went on to qualify for his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals.

It has been very difficult going to college along with his pro career. Trey now attends Sam Houston State University, in Huntsville, where he qualified for the College Nationals in bull riding again in 2013. A lot of people have not understood why he stays in college with his successful rodeo career, some have even told me he should quit school. I’m not going to tell you we haven’t had a few heart to heart talks about it, but as proud of his National Finals qualifications as his mom and I are, we are just as proud of him staying in college and setting a good example for his sister and younger brother.

In 2013 a bull stepped on him and broke his femur bringing an impressive riding summer run to an abrupt halt. He won $65,000 in just two months. He still managed to end the year in 12th place. This meant he had to start working out and rehabbing to turn a six month recovery into three months, which is how far away the finals were. After winning the fifth round they put Trey on crutches because whenever he would walk the screws in his bones had hollowed out and would move.

Another disappointing final for him. He came home and had surgery two days later to remove the screws. I thank God every day for giving me the words to support Trey in those trying times and making him humble enough to accept them.

I’m not going to make any predictions, but he is coming into this year’s NFR healthy and confident. Expectations are high and I think people know he is the real deal.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 17

Cooper Clay Cooper

Early Years Clay Cooper grew up being a little cowboy on the family ranch in the San Fernando Valley close to Los Angeles.

His stepfather, Gene O’Brien, worked as a wrangler on western movies and television shows like Gunsmoke and Bonanza. Weekends found O’Brien producing team ropings in addition to running his horse and cattle business.

Clay learned to ride at an early age and had started to rope by the age of five. Growing up in the arena, listening to stories about the pros’ and who roped the best, made a lasting impression on the youngster. By the age of seven, Clay started Junior Rodeo and has been competing and winning ever since.

Clay became involved in acting due to his stepfather and “being in the right place at the right time.” They were casting for a movie called The Cowboys starring John Wayne. There were fifteen kids involved, all who knew each other from Junior Rodeo, with several chosen for acting roles.

As a nine year-old Clay landed the role of the youngest and smallest cowboy.

Though he enjoyed a successful acting

career through his early teenage years, Clay ultimately decided to pursue his true passion – roping.

A Spiritual Journey In 1980, after moving to Arizona, Clay received a phone call from his father who wanted to speak with him.

The next night the elder Cooper talked to his son about God, salvation and shared scripture from the Bible. Clay immediately believed and received this message. However, at the time he was on his own and traveling with a crowd that was a little wild. God wouldn’t fully change his life for another six years.

A few years later Clay had started “buddying” and traveling with older cowboys, Allen Bach and Jimmie Cooper. During an all night drive Bach initiated Bible study. Clay knew he had made an earlier commitment to God and had not acted on it. It was during this session that Clay drew the metaphorical line in the sand that changed his life.

Winning his first world title in 1985 was the completion of an important goal and task for Clay. World champions don’t receive their gold buckles immediately because the buckles are made with their names on them. When Clay received his buckle, he realized that God had orchestrated this world championship title and with it came a large responsibility. Knowing he did not do it alone and realizing it was for a greater purpose, Clay became determined to be worthy of his status.

Clay readily admits it’s been a journey of many ups and downs with much learned through mistakes. Yet he has remained committed to be the person God wanted him to be. Through filling that role, he has enjoyed many woncontinued on page 20 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 19

continued from page 19

derful experiences and developed lasting relationships over the last twentythree years. He is constantly amazed at God’s work and His blessings. One great lesson Clay shares is that you don’t have to be perfect to receive God, just be willing to admit your mistakes.

Rodeo Career By the time Clay turned fifteen he was winning consistently and often being turned away from local jackpots

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because ropers didn’t want to compete against him. Getting a driver’s license the following year, coupled with his consistent winnings enabled Clay to travel and compete more.

The following year Clay made the move to Arizona, to be near his father, and started roping for a living while learning to make it on his own. He was truly living his dream and pursued it with a driving force. He recognized he needed to learn how to handle pres-

sure, the importance of riding better horses, and the need to continually improve.

His goal was to win a world championship and the cowboys he roped with all shared the same goal. They gained confidence as they progressed through the amateur rodeos and jackpots. Soon, once again, Clay found himself repeatedly banned from jackpots where ropers did not want to compete against him. This limited his earning potential and resulted in Clay joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1981 where he qualified for the National Finals the same year.

Over the years Clay has qualified for 27 National Finals and won seven world titles. In 2007 he became the tenth rodeo competitor to surpass $2 million in career earnings. Even with his long list of accomplishments this Hall of Fame cowboy continues to do what he loves. Maybe one day he will hang up his rope, but that day is not today. He comes in to this year’s NFR still looking to compete. Perhaps he will surprise some upstart not giving him the respect he deserves.

Rodeo Athletes Magazine | Fall 2014 21

Peebles Steven Peebles

Let Him Ride

By Amy Peebles

The sandy beaches, boardwalk, music, and laughter of Santa Cruz, California welcomed a new baby boy May 2, 1989. His name, destined to be known across the rodeo world someday, was Steven Richard Peebles.

The first mile marker shaping Steven’s life was when I ran into a bull rider I had once dated years before, Rhett.

We got to talking about our current lives. I told him Steven, two years old at the time, had decided he wanted to be “one of those rodeo guys on the big bulls”. Ever since we had gone to our hometown rodeo, Salinas Pro Rodeo, Steven had rodeo on his toddler brain. When I off-handedly said that no kid of mine would be a rodeo cowboy Rhett told me that whatever Steven’s dreams were I had to let him follow them. One week after our run in I read Rhett’s obituary. A bull had killed him. As I read his story I kept hearing his words; “If it’s his dream, you gotta let him ride”.

Years passed and Steven participated in many sports. He was pushed hard by his dad to be the best, try harder, do better, and practice more. He tried almost everything; soccer, basketball, baseball, football, and wrestling. He had natural athletic talent and excelled at whatever he tried. When Steven was ten in an overtime basketball game he shot the ball across the regulation sized court in the final second to score

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the winning points. He was hitting baseballs out of the park and running faster than the soccer ball could roll.

At age 11 Steven came to his dad and I and told us he needed to start riding in smaller rodeos if he was ever going to make it in the rodeo world. To my dismay, none of the other activities he tried enticed him as much as rodeo. We told him he needed to stick with the sports he was already involved with. He got so mad his face turned red. He fought back and told us when he was 18 he would ride full sized bulls and get killed because we wouldn’t let him learn the right way now. He was always so strong willed. We signed him up with Danny Webb to ride in a junior rodeo in California. He would be steer riding. We were able to acquire gear for him to use from an old friend who was no longer riding. Steven was off and riding after his dreams.

The following year our family decided to move to Oregon to be closer to more family and a better atmosphere to raise three boys. The boys would now have an aunt, uncle, grandma, and grandpa nearby as they were growing up. We moved in around the corner from Steven’s uncle, Bob Sailors. Bob had retired from bareback riding, he was once the winner of the Salinas rodeo and was a team roper when we moved up to Oregon. Being near to someone in his family

who loved rodeo was a pivotal moment for Steven in being able to truly pursue riding.

Between pee wee rodeos in Central Oregon and junior rodeos all over the state Steven was doing it all. He found himself learning as much about the rodeo as he could. Absorbing as much as he could, he tried steer riding, bull riding, bareback riding, team roping, and calf tying. He was on a roll and living out the start of his dream.

Then there was the accident that threatened to change his career path. Steven had his first major injury. He was in the practice pen in Madras, Oregon with PBR bull rider Ross Coleman, when he broke his elbow. It was determined he would need surgery to recover. His dad wanted them to put on the brakes and was no longer willing to sign the permission slips needed to participate in rodeo events, he just wasn’t sure that the risks Steven was taking were worth it.

Shortly after the injury Steven’s father and I divorced and I received full custody of all three boys. I was still deliberating with myself if I wanted to keep signing permission slips and let Steven ride when Rhett’s words from years ago

came back to me, “If it’s his dream, you gotta let him ride.”

With every permission slip signed I slowly began to think of it as signing off on his dreams.

An old friend’s words helped me to remember how important Steven’s dreams were. At a Redmond, Oregon rodeo Steven tossed me his chaps to hold for him. As they landed in my arms I noticed staring back at me was that bull rider’s name written on the inside of the chaps. They were his old chaps! I couldn’t believe that they were a part of Steven’s gear. He saw the shock in my face and I later told him about the words Rhett had given me when Steven was so young. He liked to think that maybe Rhett was looking out for him even now.

Throughout his journey to where he is today there are so many people that have helped Steven. His uncle Bob Sailor set him up with Clint Cory and Bobby Mote for bareback riding lessons. In return for their generosity, Steven would do work around Bobby’s ranch. There is no doubt about the impact these riders and so many others had on Steven’s career. continued on page 24

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Steven’s sophomore year of high school he the State bareback rider award. The following year he won state again. That year he went on to compete in nationals. He spent every night visualizing bringing home the gold and what would follow. He was seeing his dream come together. I waited for his call to tell me how the first round went.

When Steven finally called he was not calling with good news. He and some of his friends had been kicked out of the national finals for alcohol use. Initially he was angry and upset. He was upset with himself, upset that he had ruined all his chances, and upset that he had let so many people down. I told him that I did not think that all was lost. This was a turning point where he learned about following through with his life outside of rodeo. He either paid back or worked off anything sponsors had given him for nationals, he cleaned himself up, his grades improved, and he started working all around harder than ever. Steven worked very hard to earn back the trust and respect of the many people he had lost it from.

His senior year came and Steven was doing very well all around, not only in rodeo. Six weeks before the state finals he broke his ankle. Although he was unable to ride in most of the spring rodeos he was still able to qualify for state.

Against his doctor’s predictions he was completely healed six weeks after his ankle had been surgically plated and he made it to state finals, where he won for a third time. That year he was also honored by having the chance to ride in a shoot-out with Bobby Mote for a fundraiser for his team to go to nationals again. At nationals Steven placed in the top ten and was awarded a full ride scholarship to Walla Walla College in Washington. During one of his two years of college his team took the men’s national championship for the first time in the college’s history. He was also awarded rookie of the year in the PRCA, and qualified to go to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Now, five years past his rookie year, Steven has endured many more injuries and obstacles. Even with so much to overcome he has gone to compete in Vegas at the NFR every year. He has persevered through a badly broken leg, hip surgery, broken arms, damaged elbow, concussions, and stitches. Those are only the physical obstacles he has had to overcome to keep on living his dream. Since he was two years old he has known he wanted to live a rodeo life and he has fought against anything standing in his way to get where he wanted. He has grown not only into an amazing rodeo athlete, but also into a great young man. He has helped me through financial difficulties I have faced and he has always been there for his brothers as well. He is living his dream of riding and as difficult as it is at times, I am always glad I listened to those words “if it’s his dream, you gotta let him ride.”

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Rodeo Rodeo Athletes Athletes Magazine Magazine | December | Fall 2014 25

Tarleton Tarleton Rodeo Association

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The Tarleton Rodeo Association has been part of a winning tradition since 1947. They have won six team national championship titles and 22 individual national championships. Tarleton had one of the largest teams in the nation with 120 card holding student members in 2013-2014.

Maintaining that tradition, Tarleton State University’s rodeo teams closed out their 2013-14 season at the College National Finals Rodeo with their men’s team capturing reserve champion team honors along with a repeat national team roping title won by senior Billy Bob Brown and a reserve champion bareback riding title earned by Richmond Champion.

Tarleton’s CNFR qualifiers represented the purple and white in grand fashion as the men’s team finished in second place, a mere 25 points behind University of Tennessee-Martin. In addition to reserve champion team honors and Brown’s back-to-back national team roping title, the three-time CNFR qualifier won the men’s reserve champion All-Around title after earning 320 points in two events. Last year, Brown led the men’s standings and was crowned the All-Around Cowboy. Brown and his heeling partner Logan Medlin of Eastern New Mexico University, repeated as national champions after earning 280 points in the event and a 5.7-second effort in the short-round and 26.0 in the

average. The duo outpaced the competition across four rounds to earn the CNFR’s national title.

In the rough stock events, Champion, who’s become known as the “Million-Dollar Cowboy” following his record-breaking performance in The American earlier this spring, continued his winning ways by earning reserve champion honors in the bareback event.

Champion, this year’s Southwest Region bareback champion, qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo and will ride with the best in the world at Las Vegas, Nevada. He not only dominated the NIRA Southwest region, he also won other big rodeos which included: Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork, Utah, Roundup Rodeo in Dodge City, Kansas, Round-Up Rodeo in Gladewater, Texas, and National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Colorado.

Shay Carroll won the 2012 CNFR with Tyler Schnaufer. After the CNFR he and NFR qualifier Charly Crawford hit the rodeo trail hard and Carroll qualified for his first NFR. The team won the Ellensburg, Washington Rodeo, Farm-City Pro Rodeo, and Clovis New Mexico’s Pioneer Days Rodeo. Carroll graduated from Tarleton State University before hitting the road this summer.

Saddle bronc rider, Travis Nelson put forth impressive rides to finish 8th in the final CNFR standings. South-

west Region reserve champion steer wrestler Jace Melvin a junior member of the men’s team, collected 80 points in his first-ever CNFR appearance. Melvin is an All-Around cowboy competing in the steer wrestling, tiedown roping, and team roping during the region rodeos. Russell Ilse also competed in his first CNFR appearance in the tie-down roping , placing in the second round with his 8.7 second run.

Coaching Staff: Part of Tarleton’s great success comes from its talented core of coaches and support staff. The rodeo program operates under the Office of Rodeo Activities and is part of the Student Life Division.

The rodeo program is greatly supported by the President of Tarleton State University, Dr. Dominic Dottavio, Vice President of Student Life, Darla Doty, Tarleton alumni, and the great people and companies of the Stephenville area.

Mr. Mark Eakin serves as the director of Rodeo Activities and head coach.

Eakin graduated from Tarleton in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree. As a member of the Vernon Regional College and the Tarleton State University rodeo team, Eakin qualified for the CNFR in saddle bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling, and tiedown roping. Before returning to Tarleton as the head coach, he received his Mascontinued on page 28 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 27

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ter of Science degree from West Texas A&M and led the rodeo team to numerous National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association championship titles. Under his leadership both Men and Women teams have qualified for the CNFR the past five years. Eakin has also won many Coach of the Southwest Region awards. Tibba Smith serves as the assistant coach. Smith graduated from Tarleton State University in 2003 with a degree in Business Administration. Between her time at Western Texas College and Tarleton State University she qualified for the CNFR in the breakaway roping four times, goat tying two times, and barrel racing once. She won many rounds and several top four finishes in the goat tying and breakaway roping averages, along with a national title as a Women’s team member in 2000 and third place women’s team member in 2003. Craig Wisehart serves as the Rodeo Operations Coordinator and Assistant Coach. Wisehart graduated from Tarleton State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in AGSD. As a member of the college rodeo team, Craig competed in bareback riding and finished second in the 2010 Southwest Region. He was third place overall in the 2013 PRCA Mountain States Region bareback riding and won second place during the circuit finals in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

The coaching staff competed in every event except bull riding at the CNFR, that is something that is hard to find anywhere in the nation. All three coaches are still actively competing and winning, along with putting on or assisting with clinics within their different events.

Practice Facility and Stephenville, Texas: In addition to great coaching and support from other staff at the university Tarleton has strived to develop an environment that breeds excellence.

The home of Tarleton State University is Stephenville, Texas. The team has a practice facility that was laid out for maximum productivity. Former Coach Bob Doty worked hard to make sure the 28 www.rodeoathletes.com

Tarleton State University rodeo team would have a great place to call home.

There are three arenas’: one for team roping, barrel racing, and steer wrestling, another for all rough stock events, and another for tie down, breakaway, and goat tying. Along with the arenas, the bucking and roping stock have big covered pens and turn outs.

Stephenville’s location, weather, and daily jackpots definitely help to bring some of the best rodeo athletes to Tarleton State University. Many PRCA cowboys and cowgirls also call it home.

Coach Eakin teaches a Rodeo Productions class where one of their grades depends on producing a good quality rodeo. They are held at the Lone Star Arena with the contestants mainly being NFR qualifiers and current rodeo team members. The Tarleton Stampede was voted the “Southwest Rodeo of the Year” five of the last six years.

A Lasting Legacy: Tarleton’s program not only helps their student athletes excel while attending the university, it also helps them develop the tools to succeed after. This

year Tarleton will have 10 past members competing at the NFR: Reese Riemer, Shay Carroll, Richmond Champion, Bray Arms, Turtle Powell, Jim Ross Cooper, Bradley Harter, Ryan Watkins, Jacob Crawley, and Timber Moore.

Billy Bob Brown will be crowned the Overall 2014 All-Around Rookie of the Year, along with current student, Kody Lamb, taking the 2014 Rookie of the Year Bareback Rider. Reese Reimer was the 2013 Rookie of the Year Tiedown Roper.

As you can see Tarleton State University has a model program that other schools would be wise to pay attention to. They have made efforts to recruit the best athletes and then give them the support they need to succeed. They are a terrific benefit to the sport of rodeo as a whole by advancing what it means to have a rodeo program, because that is exactly what Tarleton has, a program that rivals any other collegiate sport.

It is why we here at Rodeo Athletes expect to continue to see great things from them in the future and pick them to make a serious run for the Men’s National Title this year.

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Hanchey

Shane Hanchey

By Shane Hanchey and Garrett Baxter

“A lefty that becomes a right handed world champion.�

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Photo by Tiffany McGhan

In January of 2006 Shane struck out on a voyage to his When Shane was little boy he always dreamed of being a left handed roper, but his older brother took him under brother’s ranch in Florida. While down there he hauled to his wing and helped him switch over to his right hand. At a few ropings. His life would change forever when Buck the time Shane had no idea what that would do for him looked at Shane and said, “You can have him if you want him.” At that point he knew it was time later on in his career, but Shane credits to make the hardest decision of his life. it for what catapulted him into becoming When Shane returned home he met with the star he is in the western industry. his baseball coach to tell him he would When he was younger Shane’s dreams Tip If you want to be the never be back, and struck out on the trail had to do with baseball. He had a love best, you need to hang to become the best roper in the world. for baseball and saw himself becoming a with the best, and never be complacent.

Since that day he has devoted his whole major league baseball player. As a young Shane Hanchey career to roping and his number one man Shane’s talent for baseball landed horse Reata. him on youth and high school teams Shane had a disappointing freshman with a remarkable group of guys, three year after quitting baseball. Struggling eventually went on to the major leagues.

They were a dominating force to be reckoned with in their at just 5 feet tall and 100 pounds he did not make it to the region. Between the ages of 10 and 15, he devoted the National High School Rodeo Finals like he had planned. majority of his time to baseball and his teammates. How- That would all change his sophomore year thanks to a very ever, at the age of 15 Shane began to feel pressure from special horse named Reata. As a sophomore he won third his other peers to do high school rodeo. At that point his in his state in calf roping. Prior to his first trip to nationals brother was riding a horse that belonged to Buck Daniel Shane was practicing at his house two days before leaving from Florida. Shane was able to utilize this relationship when he stepped off Reata and hung his foot in the stirrup and haul Buck’s horse and win his first high school rodeo. tearing every ligament in his ankle. He had to battle that It was at that point he realized how fun it was to ride a continued on page 32 great horse and feel the excitement of winning.

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Being eighteen during his senior year gave him some great opportunities to rodeo at a higher level, so he convinced his parents it would be good for him to home school and rodeo as much as possible. Shane hit every permit rodeo he could hit where he won in Guymon, Oklahoma and placed at Dodge City. He had one of the greatest permit years by taking home over $30,000. He did this while still pursuing another high school state title. Shane went into state with a sixty point lead and the desire to break his own record by winning six straight rounds and two average titles as well. With no pressure on him he won all three rounds again, the average and his second state title, breaking his own record. Going into nationals he wanted the title, but only came out third in the nation.

Shane says that “staying focused coming out of high school and moving onto the next level in his life was not easy,� In 2009 he set a goal to win rookie of the year and qualify for the NFR, but that was when adversity stuck. Reata suffered an injury over the 4th of July that not many horses come back from and compete. With the help of great friends Shane battled through the challenge of riding horses he was not accustom to ridcontinued from page 31 ing. He was able to win $42,000 giving injury at the national high school finals at him just enough to win the Rookie of the end of his sophomore year. But with the Year title, but he fell disappointingly QUOTE Adversity causes some the experience of nationals under his belt short of making the NFR. men to break; others to Shane had a very special year his junior In 2010 he set out upset at not accombreak records.�

William Arthur Ward year. He went into state 53 points behind plishing one of his main goals and wantthe leader with the thought he might not ing to prove to people he was as great make nationals. Hope remained with as his competitors. He channeled that the fact that there were still 60 points disappointment into passion and had a available to him at state if he won every year to remember. He won Fort Worth, round and the average. Shane saw this as an opportunity Texas at the beginning of the year and never looked back. to prove he was worthy of advancing to Nationals with By February he had already won $55,000 and was on the his peers. He rose to the challenge capturing the points he verge of making his first NFR. He had Reata back, makneeded to win his first state title and setting a new state re- ing them a force to be reckoned with. That year he won cord in the process. He was the first calf roper to ever win $80,000 at the NFR and took third in the average and all three rounds and the average. Shane went on to finish third in the world. He was finally able to prove to himself 5th and the national finals. that he was a great calf roper.

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In 2011 he had a real gut check when he went through the first four months not being able to pull a check anywhere that counted in the world standings. Shane could not understand what was going on when the year before he had already won over $55,000 and now he was at the tail end of the pack. Despite his disappointing start Shane was able to realize one of his biggest dreams. Living close to Rodeo Huston he had always had the goal to win it and in 2011 he was able to check that accomplishment off his bucket list. By April it looked like he was going to be an outsider looking in on the NFR. However, at Reno he started his most successful run ever, winning over $28,000 and putting him back in the running to make the NFR. Shane had one of the hardest NFR’s of his career only placing two times. He did however learn a lot about himself and a great lesson not to take the good times for granted.

He came into 2012 like a storm winning all over the place. He went to Canada and achieved a new accomplishment by making the Canadian Finals and the NFR. But as many rodeo athletes learn adversity is always right around the corner. On his way to the Canadian finals in November Reata began to colick. He needed surgery and would be out for six months. Luckily enough he was able to rely on his good friends Tuf and Clint Cooper to help him out in a pinch, riding their horses during the NFR and winning $82,000.

The spring of 2013 he was still down his partner Reata, but with a great backup horse named Sweetness he was able to win Denver which carried him through another dry spell until he got Reata back for the 4th of July.

During the Cowboy Christmas run Reata

came up lame on his back left leg, so again he was back to a backup horse named Pearl that belonged to Cody Ohl. In September he was able to win $15,000 in two days, sliding into the NFR. With Reata back and healthy Shane had the most memorable NFR of his life setting two records with his lifelong teammate Reata. The first was an NFR average record and the second was the most NFR money won along with their first world title.

Reata and Shane’s story is not a common one. They have grown together from the beginning and have now accomplished so much together. It started with a boy on a trip to Florida and continued through trials and triumphs eventually culminating with the two of them ending up as world champions together. This is a true friendship that has been through the refiner’s fire and is now ready to write its page in the history books of rodeo this year at the 2014 NFR.

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Driggers Kaleb Driggers

Roping Dummy: The Kaleb Driggers Story

By Laura Driggers

Roping dummies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors; Kaleb Driggers has roped almost all of them. Most kids want the latest video games for Christmas, but Kaleb always wanted a new dummy. When his family loaded up the horse trailer, the first thing in was Kaleb’s “Motsinger.”

When his family loaded up in the car, the first thing in was “The Toy” dummy. If Kaleb didn’t have a roping dummy around, he would use whatever was available: people’s legs, the gearshift, a dog, his sister’s neck, or a goat. He would send his Grandpa into fits when he was out in public and just pretended to rope! It didn’t matter if you were in the dentist office or the grocery store, Kaleb walked around pretending to rope. His Grandpa would say, “Make him stop! People are going to think there is something wrong with him!” Well, maybe there is, but that’s a whole different story!

Kaleb got his first “rope” when he was about 2 months old. It was the sash off his mother’s bathrobe. He held and slobbered on it for a few months. After that he graduated to a piece of twine and yarn.

He would crawl around everywhere holding onto that twine the whole time. While crawling around, he found a toy roping dummy of his Dad’s. He could swing the legs on it and it would squeak.

That would keep him busy for long periods of time and that began his love for roping dummies.

Kaleb started going to junior rodeos when he was about 4 years old.

He wasn’t old enough to compete, but his cousins went, so he thought he had to go also. If he heard about them getting ready for a rodeo, he would beg his Mom and Dad to go. They 36 www.rodeoathletes.com

would tell him that he couldn’t enter the rodeo, so there was no use in going. However, in Kaleb fashion he would tell us, “Yes, there is! I can rope the dummy.” With that his family started their adventure in the Jr. Rodeo world; his parents hauling around a four year old so that he could rope the dummy.

One time he went with his cousins to the rodeo when his parents were unable to attend. This particular rodeo was held at a college campus and was being put on by the rodeo team.

When they got home, his nieces informed his parents that they had almost gotten into a fight over Kaleb.

Kaleb had been roping the dummy with several of the college kids and after some time of roping with Kaleb, they had decided to make a wager with him. Well, he ended up beating them and they didn’t want to pay up. His cousins weren’t having that. They told them if they bet him, they better pay up. They eventually paid him and went on their way. It wasn’t until on the ride home that Kaleb told them he had acted like he couldn’t catch the dummy during the “warm up”, but when they made the bet he miraculously started catching.

This only fueled his love of roping the dummy and making money. When he was between seven to ten years old, he would come home with his pockets full of change. When his parents would ask him about it he would just reply, “Oh I won that roping the dummy.” As a teenager, when he needed money he would just plan a jackpot dummy roping. One summer he worked to make money so he could enter the jackpots at the High School Rodeo Finals. After several nights of not winning anything, his money was gone.

His mother thought this would be a great time to teach him a lesson about spending his money wisely. However, he wasn’t as concerned about it as she was. Kaleb’s reply was just, “Ahh, don’t worry about it Mom. I’ll just go start a jackpot dummy roping and have all I need.” Sure enough, he was back in the jackpot pen that night.

His parents shared many fond memories of Kaleb growing up and most of them included a rope and roping dummy. The first buckle Kaleb won was at a big Thanksgiving roping held in Florida that they attended for many years. Kaleb and his Dad went into the arena and his Mom videoed from the sideline.

When he won, tears of joy and pride streaked down her face, but she thought to herself, “I had better get it together before someone sees me.

They would think I was being a silly Mom for crying over a dummy roping contest.” She didn’t feel so bad about crying when Kaleb and his Dad came out of the arena and Kaleb was sporting a BIG ole grin and his Dad’s face was also glistening.

Kaleb’s Mom thought she was helping him to become a well rounded person by buying him all different kinds of toys and sporting equipment, but he always went back to roping the dummy. Her good friend told her one day, “Leave him alone and let him rope the dummy if he wants. If he wants to play ball or whatever he will, but he has an amazing swing. If he keeps it up, he will probably make a lot of money one day with that swing.” Laughing she said sure. It turned out the be the best advise she has ever taken.

Now days you can still find Kaleb roping the dummy. He may be standing up to rope it, standing on the back of a horse trailer, or he just may be sitting down; but however he decides to rope, he still enjoys it. His mother’s favorite time to watch him rope the dummy is when he ropes with a group of kids.

He has a good time roping the dummy and helping others. So, when your child wants to rope the dummy, let them. It’s an easy way to keep up with them. They are around a group of like minded peers, and it keeps them out of potentially harmful situations. Kaleb is now chasing his dream of a gold buckle and roping the dummy is still a big part of his life.

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Frost

Joe Frost The Life and Times of Joe Frost

By Shane & Lisa Frost

Joe Ferd Frost was named after his grandfather, who he never had the pleasure to know--besides through stories told to him from his father Shane, Grandmother Lucille, and Elsie and Clyde Frost. Joe was raised in Randlett, Utah on the very farm that was started by his grandfather, who passed away in an automobile accident in 1985.

When Joe was one and a half years old, Shane and I went to Vegas for my first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. We came across a stuffed bull on wheels while we were there and knew it would be the perfect Christmas gift for him. He also got a bouncing horse, and between bull rides and sliding off the side of the bouncing horse onto his dad’s back saying, “bulldog” we could not have gone wrong.

At one of Joe’s first rodeos he competed in the calf riding.

He won a gift card to IFA. When we took him to pick out what he wanted to buy, he grabbed a big, red lawn seeder. It had wheels on it and you had to push it. The minute we got home he made his dad weld the head of a rake on to it, so that it had a little plow on it and he could farm and plant. His favorite thing to do was to hook his little brother, Josh, up to it, and pretend that Josh was a draft horse named Big John from the movie, For Richer or Poorer, staring Tim Allen.

I put Joe in front of people as often as I could by entering him in talent competitions. I would have him sing the national anthem at rodeos and he would sing at family parties until he got more involved in rodeo and we could not find the time to practice anymore. When Joe was in high school, he was his sophomore and junior class president. He was the student body president and also served as the Roosevelt FFA Chapter President as a senior. He always loved being involved and contributes to making things better for everyone. I know this has helped him with his public speaking.

Joe has always loved drawing and building stuff with twine and rope. When he was in school he had a teacher that was able to inspire him with his drawing and painting. I have his drawings throughout my house.

When Joe got to college he was able to go down to Pittsburg, Oklahoma and meet Jim Ward in person. Jim built bull ropes for Lane and Shane, and had built many ropes for 38 www.rodeoathletes.com

Joe throughout Jr. High and High School. Jim showed him a few things and Joe began building his own ropes as well as ropes for his two younger brothers. It is something that has turned into a passion for Joe and he will spend any free time he has building bull ropes. continued on page 40

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While growing up, Joe’s dad Shane, was an auctioneer.

Joe loved this so much he would set up an auction for his farm animals and ask his dad to sell them for him. When Joe was four he would set up pillows around the living room and Shane would be the animal for Joe to practice his auctioneering. Joe has auctioneered at many different functions, and truly enjoys it. He has done County 4-H sales, Panhandle State University Rodeo Team’s Annual Auction, and other fundraiser auctions.

Joe has always had a love for animals: pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle kept him busy throughout his school years. Joe was involved in the local livestock shows and when he turned ten, he was able to buy his own small herd of cows. He put the money he earned into a college fund.

Joe loves working on the farm. For his 10th birthday, he asked for a pair of fencing pliers and some tie wire that he used to build corrals for his goats. Whether it is building fence, moving sprinklers, bailing hay, or working cows, he’s never afraid of work and it seems to unwind him after long stints of travels on the rodeo trail. A few days working at home always gives him a fresh start when he leaves home and he swears that’s when he rides his best. Shane always says, “Manual labor is the cure all for getting bucked off.”

Joe has two brothers and a sister: Josh, Jate, and Jacelyn. Through the years they have spent numerous hours on the farm and in the arena. They are very close; Joe has always had a great appreciation of family and people in his life. People tell me all the time that Joe will just call them out of the blue to see how they are doing. He has such a love for life and for what each day has to offer. We have tried to instill in our kids how important goals are. At the beginning of the year we have them write their goals on paper. They also have to write down how they are going to go about achieving their goals. We have them post it where they see it every day.

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throughout his life. The first and most influential has been his dad, who expects a lot out of him. Joe always says, “It’s nice to know that I have someone who believes in me so much that he expects me to ride 100% of the bulls I get on.” In the past three and a half years, Joe has attended college at Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma where he has been coached by Craig Latham and Robert Etbauer, whom he looks up to a lot. He always says, “Craig and Robert might not be teaching me anything that Dad hasn’t told me all my life, but they are sure enough reinforcing all of it!” In the past few years Joe has had the pleasure of getting to know Denny Flynn, who Shane talks about being one of Lane’s heroes. In June of 2013, after spending several days at Denny’s place during the PRCA Rodeo in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Joe called and said it was pretty obvious why Lane thought so much of Denny. Joe says he has such a great attitude and so much good advice on being a good person and having a positive influence on others. Between Shane, Craig, Robert, and Denny, all the advice and things he has learned can all be tied back to demonstrating good character traits. It is that strength of character that has carried Joe to where he is in not only his career, but also in his life as a whole.

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Pierce Carlee Pierce

Can you take the country out of the girl?

By Carissa Branch

It is easy to say I like my job; I enjoy what I do for a living. It is a whole different thing to say I love my job, it is my dream and I am living it. Carlee has loved being around animals her whole life. As a little girl it was a major part of growing up. From the moment she was brought home from the hospital she has been around horses. She has passion inside of her that is as big as Texas when it comes to barrel racing. To say it is in her blood is an understatement. Carlee lives because she breathes the air that is rodeo. When a small child she could be caught out in the horse pasture walking right under the horses without worry of danger.

They knew she was there and she knew they loved her as much as she did them.

Carlee was raised in the smell and the grit of rodeo. She has been born and bred to love the smell of the dirt, the feel of the wind in her hair from running her horse and the way she feels when she circles the last barrel. That dedication started at an early age because of the influence of watching our mother do the same thing. Watching our mother she was building a dream that was unwavering and that grew like wild fire. She felt the need to hear her name called out for having the fastest time and she felt the addiction to the speed of the horse beneath her.

Carlee could make a horse out of anything, if she found a stick it was sure to have a name and she rode it as fast as her little legs would go. If she had an open space she would run around any object she could use as a barrel and yell out her name that she was the winner. My sister is an inspirational person who does what she loves and shares that love with every little fan she comes across. Carlee is never too busy to give a hug to a fan or send them a letter thanking them for their support.

A Need for Speed (Danita Walker, Mom) I guess the best place to start is the day I brought Carlee home from the hospital, she was two days old and had already attended her first rodeo. From there on out it was a way of life for her. Many people would think, “Wow! Two days old and already out there in the dirt?� When you come from a rodeo family this is the norm, the way we make a living.

Six months down the road God had a different plan, I woke up to a baby girl who was not well, continued on page 44 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 43

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unresponsive and I knew I had to get help. Carlee was diagnosed with Spinal Meningitis. I thought my world was falling apart, my baby girl was in the ICU with tubes coming out of her and I was not allowed to touch or hold her. This precious little baby was fighting for her life, I was told by doctors that the likelihood of her survival was very slim and that I would have to make arrangements.

That is really the first time in my life I begged God for anything. I believe it was prayer that saved Carlee because after a month she was getting better.

We have teased her that the reason she is so ornery is because she had to literally fight for her life.

When Carlee was a little over a year she received her first horse for Christmas. It was a stuffed animal big enough for her to ride and she was in heaven, until she realized it wasn’t near fast enough. Carlee has always wanted to be around horses. Most little girls want ponies, not Carlee, she 44 www.rodeoathletes.com

wanted a big horse that would go fast. When Carlee was in second grade she attended a private Christian academy that was smack in the middle of Phoenix, Arizona. That was very city compared to what she was used to. For show and tell I had to haul her mare Sugar Babe down for all the kids to see. This was amazing to most because many had never seen a real horse, let alone rode one. As Carlee grew up it was harder and harder to keep a horse under her, they were never fast enough. She would always tell me “how am I supposed to win if I don’t have a fast horse?”

Carlee had her share of wins growing up and when she married and began riding again after she had her kids it was the same thing. Only this time it was, “Mom, how am I ever going to make it to the NFR if I don’t have a fast horse?” Carlee has always has always dreamed about making it to the National Finals. That dream came when she finally found the horse that had as much love and determination for the sport as she did. That horse was Dillon.

They loved to work together and the ambition they both had was recognizable the moment they went into the area.

Carlee and Dillon made that dream happen in 2011 when they went out and broke the area record. I cannot explain the joy and excitement of not just myself and her family, but the look on my daughter’s face.

Carlee has always followed her heart and tried her best to do the things she knew God had guided her to do. For many years Carlee wanted to do two things, sing the national anthem at the NFR and qualify for the NFR. I have known from the moment Carlee was born that she had a will and a fight in her that would take her places. I never in my wildest dreams thought that her love for rodeo would take her this far though. It is a rare moment when you step back and look to realize you did it, I have lived my

dream. As Carlee’s mom I have been able to do that. My dream for my daughter was for her to know what she wanted to do and to do it to the best of her ability. I live my dream everyday knowing that I have this little girl who has grown into an amazing woman.

She loves God, her family and lives every moment knowing that not everyone gets this kind of life, this opportunity to do what they love. She is humble and grateful and for that I too am thankful.

Reflections of a Child Growing into her Dreams (Travis Walker, Dad) The best part of being a daddy would have to be watching a little bitty thing grow up to become a loving, caring, beautiful soul. My daughter Carlee has from an early age shown to be a devoted person not only to her family and animals, but to the Lord. We raised Carlee and all our children to be followers of Christ and to show love and compassion to all they come in contact with, both people and animals alike. My wife Danita and I owned a business in which we raised calves and brought them to slaughter. We had one calf that Carlee had an instant bond with, it was a brahma cross she named Brainie. This calf followed her around like a dog. Carlee absolutely refused to let go of that little guy, she literally made that calf a pet.

Carlee would get up every morning and feed him and then take a ride. Yes that’s right, take a ride on her calf. That was quite a sight to say the least but she loved that calf.

Carlee was also very involved with helping her mom with the English bulldogs we bred and raised. She would help

bottle feed those pups until they were able to get around on their own. She had a loving instinct with every animal we had on our farm.

I have many moments when I think back on life with my daughter that have made me laugh, cry and on occasion mad. I cannot compare any of those with the range of emotions I felt when I stood next to my little girl when she received her number the very first time she went to the NFR. I‘m an old farmer and crying isn’t something you find yourself doing too often, but when I look at her living this dream that she has had her whole life, well you can’t help but make this old farmer cry. I will forever have the wonderful memories of watching my little girl grow into the wonderful woman she has become. I know that at the end of every day I have been blessed to be able to call her my daughter.

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Minor Minor Brothers

Mamas DO let your babies grow up to be Cowboys!

By Mary Minor, mother

When Riley called and asked me to write about Brady and his life growing up, it was exactly 30 years ago since I spent my first Halloween in the hospital. I ended up there on October 29, 1984, when Brady decided he needed to arrive way too early. My due date was around the 10th of January, but I had gone into premature labor with other complications that kept me in the hospital for 46 days. Luckily Brady didn’t arrive then; I did get to go home eventually. I later delivered Brady on Sunday, December 16, 1984. We were very blessed as he was still 3 weeks early, but we got to go home before Christmas.

I had spent Halloween, my birthday, and Thanksgiving in the hospital and I was determined not to spend Christmas there too.

The first few months of Brady’s life were a blur as I was teaching full time and my husband, Brent, was ranching.

I remember that Brady took his first horse ride at 4 months old. Brent and I were so proud of our darling blond hair, blue eyed baby boy. He and Riley have given us so much joy.

Fast forward to April of 1986 when I purchased Brady’s first pony named Sparky. He was all bay, about 30” tall, and so perfect to learn to ride on. I led Brady many miles that spring and summer and really do believe that Brady has achieved good balance on a horse due to that pony. Sparky was passed on to Riley and several other little ones before moving to greener pastures.

There was another pony that I had been waiting to purchase from Gary Hockett. He finally called one day and said that his family was done with him.

We met and I paid $150 for the pony with the saddle, bridle, halter, and pad.

This was definitely the best money I have ever spent. He was all white with a

black head and neck. When we unloaded him, I asked Brady what he wanted to name him. He chose “Blackie” even though his body was all white. Blackie has gone down in history for our family as the best teacher and friend a little cowboy could have. He taught both Brady and Riley how to ride and rope.

Yes, Brady competed on Blackie at his first Jr. Rodeo when he was 4 years old.

He heeled for his cousin, Jason Minor, who was 5 years old. This is one of our greatest memories to this day and will never forget the pride we felt watching them rope together. Brady and Jason ended up roping together in high school rodeo as well. They were the reserve champions the first year and were the champs the next two years. Brady had to get another partner for his senior year since Jason had graduated and Riley had decided to skip the high school rocontinued on page 48 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 47

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deos and went straight to the amateurs.

So Brady roped with Quentin Josie.

They were both heelers at the time so they flipped a coin to see who would be the header. Brady lost and he had to head his senior year. This story has a great ending as he and Quentin won the year end team roping and Brady was also the calf roping champion. Going to the National High School Rodeo Finals was a highlight each year that we enjoyed very much.

Even though I wished Riley would have roped in the high school rodeos with Brady, he so enjoyed competing at the jackpots and amateur rodeos. His goal was to win both northwest amateur associations as a header in 2004 and he accomplished his mission. Many thanks to BJ and Bucky Campbell for heeling for Riley. Riley and BJ went on to the pro rodeos and were a team in

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2006 and part of 2007. Riley bought his pro card at 18 as soon as he filled his permit in 2006. Brady waited until 2004 to buy his card as he and Mike Fuller were a team.

The USTRC ropings have played a large part of Brady and Riley’s careers. Both my dad, Jerry Anderson, and I roped with Brady in Oklahoma City in 1994. What a thrill and experience we will treasure forever. Riley and Brady were the reserve champs of the #11 in Oklahoma City in 2001 and they were the Open champs in 2004. To my knowledge they hold the record at 16 and 19 years of age for being the youngest team to win the USTRC Open roping. Before the short round of the Open that year, Barry Berg called me and told me that my babies were high call. Praise be to God for blessing them. They both purchased land in Arizona with their winnings.

Speaking of Arizona, this is where my boys have gone with their grandparents, Jerry and Janis Anderson, since they were very little to practice roping each winter. For years they would take a month’s worth of school work with them as their grandma, Janis Anderson, was a retired teacher and she made sure they did their homework.

Riley and Brady started competing together in the pro rodeos in March of 2007. I am very proud to say that they are now the longest standing team that has stayed together through thick and thin. They have qualified for the NFR five times since 2008. Brady qualified previously in 2006 with Garrett Tonozzi. In 2010, they got moved out of the Top 15 the very last weekend of the season, so we know what a heartbreak that is. However, they were blessed to be the reserve champs at the George Strait Team Roping Classic that year. In

2012, Riley broke his leg in February at the San Antonio Rodeo. Their highlight that year was being the Reserve Champs at the Bob Feist Invitational.

If only I had spent money on roping tapes throughout the years, I would be rich. All my boys ever wanted for Christmas was the new BFI, George Strait, etc. video. I have to admit that my husband and I have enjoyed watching them as well. Roping and ranching is in our blood.

When our boys are home in Ellensburg, their time is spent helping their dad and me work or move cattle. Each boy has 80 head of cows of their own.

We so enjoy this time together. My parents have always roped with us too, so there is much family time spent practicing. The boys’ grandma, Janis, was so happy that she was able to rope with them on her 70th birthday in January 2006. Their grandpa, Jerry, is turning 80 on November 6 and has decided he is happy driving the tractor to water and

work the arena for the boys. He did rope with them until his stroke in 2009. Their grandparents have definitely been the backbone to their careers as they have driven many miles for my boys to rope steers. Their granny Janny has a good eye for horses as well and has found them some great ones. My dad, Jerry, gave up his nice head horse, Ogie, for Riley to compete on. Riley had so much success on Ogie that he still wishes he had him today. Ogie is the horse he rode for the jackpots, amateurs, and pro rodeos until Bill Spratt sold him Cadillac. After Cadillac, Riley bought Dollar from Speedy and still uses him to this day.

There have been so many people who have helped my boys follow their dreams and achieve their goals. We are thankful for each and every one of them.

Because my boys have saved their roping money, they have been able to provide homes for their wives as well as nice trucks and living quarter trailers.

My husband and I are proud to say that they have paid their own entry fees since about age 10 and have made it their goal to be one of the Top 15.

This is one mama who is so happy that her babies grew up to be cowboys.

My heart is filled with love for my two little ranchers and ropers that grew up to be cowboys.

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Eldridge

Dakota Eldridge Family: A Foundation for Success

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Dakota has had a great first three years in the PRCA. His first year, he won the rookie all-around and steer wrestling titles. His second year, he made it to the NFR in 15th position, but ended up 5th in the world by the end of his first National Finals Rodeo. This year, Dakota comes into the NFR in 9th place looking to improve on his already impressive start to his career. We caught up with his family and biggest fans to find out more about this talented young athlete.

A Sister’s Perspective by Natacia Eldridge It all started back in 1990 when I was born, the sweet child, who encouraged my parents to have another child. So in 1991 my brother, Dakota was born, the wild child. He did encourage my parents to not have any more children. Dakota and I were raised by exceptional parents, Mark and Veronica Eldridge. They raised us in Elko which is a small mining and ranching town in northern Nevada. Both of our parents were also raised in Elko, as well as their parents. So our roots run deep and our family is big. I think I can speak for Dakota as well when I say; I personally wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our grounded, hardworking parents, large extended family, and many friends helped shape us both into who we are today.

Mom and Dad worked extremely hard to give Dakota and I everything we could possibly ask for growing up. We lived outside of town, on about 30 acres, where dad built an 52 www.rodeoathletes.com

arena for us to practice in and mom kept a beautiful home where we sat down and ate a warm homemade dinner every night as a family. Dakota and I started riding before we can remember. Our dad is an excellent horse hand and roper, so we always had great horses to ride and a harsh critic to tell us what we were doing wrong. Our mom was our biggest fan, making sure our runs were videoed, our clothes were ironed, well fed, and doing okay. As you can imagine, rodeo quickly became a large part of our family life. We started with junior rodeos then went on to high school rodeos, all of which we traveled to as a family creating memories for Dakota and I that we will cherish forever.

Although, our parents worked extremely hard to give us everything we could ask for within reason, they also taught us some extremely valuable life lessons of hard work, determination, and humbleness. One example I will never forget is when we first started junior rodeo, all my dad had was an old 1996 extended cab Dodge pickup and a white trailer that wasn’t really white anymore because it was so old and rusted.

Our legs were cramped up in the back of that old Dodge, and Dakota and I fought like crazy back there because one of us was taking up more than our half of the backseat or something silly like that. It was very humiliating pulling up to the rodeos with such a dorky rig while all of our friends had new fancy trucks and trailers. One early morning, we were on our

way to a junior rodeo and we made a comment about how embarrassing our rig was.

My dad turned around and said to us, “Our rig may be embarrassing but I can guarantee you have some of the best horses at the rodeo inside that rusty old trailer.” He then went on to explain that this was a perfect example for many situations we would encounter throughout life. “It doesn’t always matter what it looks like on the outside, but what is on the inside is what matters most.” Him and my mom then told us to pull our horses out of that “embarrassing” old trailer and go kick everyone’s butt because then it wouldn’t matter what kind of rig we pulled up in.

We ended up using that truck and trailer all throughout junior rodeo. Dad didn’t break down and buy a new truck until we got into high school. Probably the only reason he did was because Dakota’s legs were getting so long that he had encroached on my half of the backseat, which really caused that “lovely backseat sibling fighting” that him and my mom just couldn’t take any longer. Now that Dakota and I are older, we couldn’t be more thankful for that old Dodge, the lessons it taught us, and the memories we made as a family inside of it.

Before the Bright Lights of Las Vegas

by Lorey Eldridge, Grandma Twenty-three years ago, long before the bright lights of Las Vegas, a little blonde haired boy was destined to become a cowboy. As soon as he could sit in a saddle he was loaded up along with his old white horse, Hank, and headed off to the Wine Cup Ranch with the Eldridge cowboys to brand calves. Spring time in northeastern Nevada can be darn cold.

He was so bundled up he looked like a little cowboy robot.

We all had to keep an eye on little Dakota out there though, as once in a while he would nod off and take a cat nap on old Hank. Hank would just stand there and let the tired little cowboy rest. I can just see that knee-high, blue-eyed cowboy, so small next to big old Hank, as he gently brushed Hank’s belly, seeing as he couldn’t reach much further. Soon Dakota out grew Hank and he had to get a faster horse to keep up to his dad.

So his dad gave him Maggie Moe, a beautiful paint. I remember, one cold fall day out gathering cattle the cowboys couldn’t find Dakota. Everyone started looking for him and getting a little worried, but then as they looked up moments later, there was Dakota trotting out of a canyon on Maggie with a herd of cattle! He was a wild, mischievous boy, with more energy than you can imagine. He’s probably the reason for most of my gray hair.

Our Busy Little Guy! By Veronica & Mark Eldridge, Mom & Dad Since the day our little blonde haired boy arrived he was a busy one. As an infant he never stopped. We worried every time he was quiet, because that meant he was somewhere, taking something apart, to never be put back together again. As a little guy, Dakota was always very driven, wanting to do his best at whatever it may be; soccer, baseball, football, hunting, etc. We tried to keep our kids very busy; we felt this would be the best thing to keep them out of trouble. Dakota tried his hand at it all. Once him and Natacia got in junior high we mainly did rodeo from there on out. In the winter we signed them up for skiing lessons though since there weren’t many rodeos to go to. They were so mad and told us they weren’t going because skiing was stupid!

For once, I, as their mother, stood my ground and told them they were going. Little did we all know this would become our favorite winter activity to do as a family. We spent every single weekend at the Snowbowl, all of us skiing and having a good time. Dakota also went on to learn how to snowboard and does great at both skiing and snowboarding. Dakota actually became so good the Snowbowl operator had to ask him to slow down so other kids would not follow him. He was always fearless, and that certainly shows in his skiing and snowboarding, and well, in basically any activity that Dakota does.

Dakota’s senior year of high school, he knew I wanted him to play football along with all of the football coaches. Mark told him that we only wanted him to play if he could give it 100 percent. That night he came home and said, “Mom, I can’t, I want to rodeo and go on and pro rodeo someday.” We knew he would give rodeo 100 percent, and that he did! The rest is history, and we couldn’t be prouder of our “busy little guy!”

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Durfey Tyson Durfey

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Long before he won three Canadian championships and qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo seven times, Tyson Durfey dreamed of being a rodeo cowboy.

“As a kid, I was surrounded by cowboys,” said Durfey, who burst onto the rodeo scene by becoming the first American-born contestant to win a Canadian Professional Rodeo Association title when he earned the championship in 2006. “My dad was a cowboy, my grandfather was a cowboy and my brothers were cowboys.

All I wanted was to be a cowboy.”

Durfey looked up to the cowboys in his life. His father, Roy, is recognized in rodeo circles as one of the elite trainers of tie-down roping horses and calf ropers. It’s a skill he continues to practice on his land just outside of Savannah, Missouri, 56 www.rodeoathletes.com

in the state’s northwestern corner.

It’s in those rolling hills that 4-yearold Tyson Durfey would ride his pony alongside his father and hear the stories of true cowboys. He learned that Jesse James had ridden through the same brush and all the fine details of being a cowboy. Riding horses is just one thing a cowboy needs to know; they need to know what it means to stand up for people and to live by a strong moral code.

“One thing I still hold onto today is that when I give someone my word, that’s as good as anything I can give them and that I will stand by it,” he said. “For my dad, it was a way for him to babysit me. For me, it was a lifestyle. It was something I wanted to be and how I wanted to live my life.”

He watched deer bound across corn fields and cattle feast on grain.

He hunted rabbits and squir-

rels and held tightly to principles passed on to him through the generations and in his own imagination.

Part of that is being the son of Roy Durfey. Part of it is having two older brothers who also were cowboys and talented ropers. Wes is the oldest, 10 years older than Tyson. Travis is in the middle, five years removed from both siblings.

They were an amazing influence on Tyson, who has taken the competitive edge further than anyone in the family.

He won Canadian titles in 2006, 2008 and 2011, and this December will compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the seventh time in eight years.

But his influences are deeper than that. Tyson Durfey recalls watching greats like Joe Beaver and Troy Pruitt inside his home, taking those same lessons he was receiving. He saw the biggest names in the game compete on his father’s horses.

“At a young age, we were at the American Royal in Kansas City, and I was sitting on a horse and saw Fred Whitfield there,” Durfey said. “I had always heard my dad talking about him. Then all of a sudden, Fred Whitfield was walking over to me, this little redheaded kid sitting on a huge horse.

“He stuck his hand up to mine to shake it. It was a massive hand.

He looked at me with a really serious look on his face and asked me if I was going to be good. I just nodded my head and said, ‘Yes, sir.’ That was my first chance to meet Fred Whitfield, but it stuck with me all my life.”

Each meeting became a huge blessing and further fueled Durfey’s fire.

That ignition switch has paid plenty of dividends over his 31 years. In 2001 and 2002, he earned the Missouri High School Rodeo Association tie-down roping championship. Shortly afterward, he set out on his career in Pro Rodeo.

Along the way, he has racked up more than a million dollars in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association earnings. That doesn’t include the cash he’s earned north of the border, nor money earned at countless jackpots,

amateur rodeos and that cool $100,000 prize he earned earlier this year by winning RFD-TV’s “The American.”

As a redheaded youngster, he learned the lessons of great horses and what it takes to ride them correctly through each run. He got a front-row seat as Roy Durfey made his name as one of the greatest calf-roping horsemen in the game.

“I wanted to make my name competing and winning,” Tyson Durfey said. “I believe in the horsemanship, and I feel like I’m a work in progress.

I continue to work on it every day. If you get to where you think you’re good, then you’re not going to work at getting better. That’s what keeps all of us involved in the sport. It’s a never-ending story that keeps getting rewritten.”

Like any good novel, Durfey’s story line has changed over the years. He was just 23 years old when he won that first Canadian buckle and 24 when he competed in Las Vegas for the first time.

Though he called his 10-night run at the NFR a struggle that year, he learned a lot.

“If you would’ve told me in 2006 that I would’ve finished in the top 15 in the world, I would’ve been ecstatic, but instead, I felt like 2007 was a huge letdown. “I felt a lot of pressure that first year. I was so young and was so struc-

tured in the way I did things. I didn’t realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I just wanted to win and beat them, but at the end of the day, it boils down to being the best person you can be and doing the best you can do every time. I was more focused on trying to win than I was at trying to be the best I could be at the rodeo.”

Durfey’s second NFR went much better. He won a goround and placed in five others.

Most importantly, he finished second in the average. In 2009, he finished third in the 10-run aggregate while placing in seven rounds. He moved up nine spots to finish third in the world standings. That is his best finish to date.

“The thing about Las Vegas is you never know what’s going to happen.

You can look at everything and expect someone to have a great finals, and it just doesn’t work out that way.”

Those are the ups and downs of being a professional cowboy. Durfey knows the rodeo roller coaster is filled with equal parts of queasiness and thrills, whether the ride is in Las Vegas or near the Washington coast.

When he first started making

a name for himself, Tyson Durfey traveled the rodeo trail in a stock trailer hauling a borrowed horse.

“Half that year, I slept in the back of my truck,” he said.

Much has changed along this rollercoaster ride. A little more than a year ago, he married Australian-born country singer Shea Fisher, and the couple took a honeymoon shortly after the 2013 NFR. He finds great comfort in having a great home life, despite the gypsy lifestyle that comes with being a rodeo cowboy.

“My life has changed astronomically since I first got started. I’m married now; I have my own house, my own place, my own indoor arena.

I’ve been extremely blessed. I feel more grounded, more down to earth.”

That comfort has enabled Durfey to live the life he always dreamed of.

He’s a rodeo cowboy, just like his heroes. He has sponsors who not only support him but appreciate that he has the perfect personality for their brands.

He’s built his reputation through hard work, God-given talent and integrity. It has allowed Tyson Durfey many blessings throughout an already distinguished career. It’s allowed him to chase his gold-buckle dreams, ride fast horses and compete on his sport’s biggest stages every year.

It sounds like an amazing country song, most likely performed by Shea Fisher, who has fallen in love with a redheaded rodeo cowboy that is just carrying on a family legacy.

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O’Connell Tim O’Connell Setting Goals

By Joann O’Connell

What young boy doesn’t at some point dream of being a cowboy? Twenty-three year old, Tim O’Connell had that dream. Tim’s dad, Ray worked for Three Hills Rodeo, Mid States Rodeo and Cervi Championship Rodeo as a pick up man when Tim was born. So, before Tim could walk or talk he was going to rodeos. Tim also looked up to his older brother Will, who competed in rodeos growing up and is now a bullfighter and pick up man.

While growing up, Tim always wanted to be involved. At a young age he helped with “light-duty” work. I’ll never forget him asking Dave Morehead, owner of Three Hills Rodeo, “Dave, when do I get to start doing mediumduty work.” He never wanted to be left out of any of the excitement and always thought he could do anything that the bigger kids were doing.

During grade school and middle school, Tim tried his hand at other sports as well: baseball, football and wrestling. He would always fall back on his two favorites though, rodeo and wrestling. This worked out well for Tim since he could wrestle in the winter and be done by the time rodeo season began in the spring.

When it was time to start high school ro-

deo, Tim was on familiar ground. He had always been behind the chutes while his older brother Will competed. His freshman year, he thought he would be the next Ty Murray and competed in all the rough stock events.

He soon found his 100-pound body being tossed high into the air from the back of a bronc. He then decided he would forget about the horses and concentrate only on bull riding. I have to admit I was pretty thankful. I now only had one event to worry about. I am Tim and Will’s biggest fan, and love to watch them ride, but I am always thankful when they are done and still in one piece. Tim went on to qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo all four years. In his sophomore year, due to an injury to his elbow, he could not compete. However, he went out with a bang his senior year, winning the Wisconsin High School Bull Riding Championship in 2010.

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school. I think it was wrestling where Tim gained a lot of his self-discipline and goal setting. I remember his freshman year in wrestling. We were talking one night and he had told me that Coach had them all set a goal for the year. His was to make it to the state wrestling tournament. Coach responded by telling him he should set a more realistic goal for himself.

Well, that was all Tim needed to hear. He would prove Coach wrong. He qualified that year for the state wrestling tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. He got beat out the first round, but more importantly he had achieved his goal. He went on to qualify his junior and senior year in high school, finishing his senior year 4th in the State. Tim was always fun to watch because he was so intense and just gave it his all every time he stepped on the mat.

It was the spring of 2010, his senior year in high school, wrestling was over and rodeo season was starting back up. It was time for the Annual Buck Out at the Three Hills Ranch. Of course, Tim was there, he had attended every year since he was little. He would usually get on a few young bulls to knock the rust off before the season started.

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young riders in saddle bronc and bareback riding. Tim decided to give it a try on the bareback horses. The first couple rides did not go so hot, but by the third try things started to click. So much so, that Three Hills offered to buy his permit if he would come to all of their rodeos that summer. A couple of days later I remember seeing Marla Morehead, Co-owner of Three Hills Rodeo, and thanking her sarcastically for offering Tim a permit in the bareback riding. She replied saying that he was a natural. She had told Tim she was going to be his manager and she would get great seats at the NFR when he made it. I laughed.

The summer of 2010, his focus really turned toward bareback riding. In the fall he left for Iowa Central Community College, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. There he studied Fire Science and competed on the rodeo team. Terry Coleman, the rough stock coach at ICCC, helped him fine tune his bareback riding skills. College rodeo went great for Tim. He qualified in the spring of 2011 for the College National Finals. Being the goal setter that he was, he also had set his sights on making it to the Great Lakes Circuit Finals that year, and he did. In 2012, he won the Great Plains Region in college rodeo, graduated with a Fire Science degree from ICCC, qualified

for the college finals, won the Great Lakes Circuit and was the Permit Holder of the Year. That fall, he also transferred to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri to continue his schooling, and to join the MV rodeo team, where Coach Mason would help him perfect his skills.

In 2013, Tim bought his permanent card and set goals to win the college finals, the Rookie of the Year, and make it to the National Finals Rodeo. During the summer of 2013, I think people in the rodeo world were starting to find out just what this young cowboy from Zwingle, Iowa was made of.

Unfortunately, the start of Labor Day weekend, Tim suffered an injury to his clavicle that would take him to the sidelines for the next six months. His dream of making the NFR was crushed. In spite of this, he had won enough money to still hold on to the Rookie of the Year title. You could not find prouder parents when Tim was presented Resistol Rookie of the Year at the 6th round of the National Finals Rodeo.

Tim had to be reminded many times during his six months of healing to make sure he was completely healthy before he went back to riding. At the end of January 2014, it was time to go again. Tim’s goal of course was to make it to the NFR. Tim spent the summer traveling the country from rodeo to rodeo. It was probably late August when I asked Tim, why he was still going so hard since it looked like he was ahead enough not to be knocked out of the Top 15. Tim replied that if he was going to qualify, he now wanted to be going in the top half and not the bottom.

We patiently wait each night for a phone call from Tim to

report how he has done and where he is off to next. Many times this summer our Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons have been spent sitting around the computer listening to a live feed of the rodeo he is at. My heart pounding, waiting for him to ride and jumping as the announcer gives the play by play.

This spring while Tim was riding at the Redding Challenge of Champions we were listening to a live feed and at the end of the ride Tim makes the whistle, but the announcer made it perfectly clear that Tim is not getting up after he was sent out the back door. He also let us know that he was being helped out by the Justin sports medicine team. We then had to begin the waiting game for a call from Tim. Finally after many unanswered calls and texts, Tim finally called to let us know he just had a sore shoulder. We worried about how he would get to the airport, because he had traveled alone to that rodeo.

He informed us that a group of bull riders were headed to the same airport and one of them would drive him there. One thing about this rodeo family, they always stick together!

Some highlights for Ray and I are when Tim and Will are home at the same time. Other times they may be on the road, but some of their buddies will stop in between rodeos. That is my time to cook up some home cooking. The guys know that whenever they need a place there is always a bed waiting for them. We truly love this rodeo family.

As of September 30, 2014 the season has ended and Tim O’Connell, the cowboy from Zwingle Iowa, is sitting in 4th place in the bareback riding event. We cannot wait for the rest of the story to unfold this December in Las Vegas.

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Bean

Since my sister was a very little girl she has set goals for herself and has done everything possible to bring them to fruition. As young girls we grew up on a ranch in west Texas with our parents and brother working cattle and going to rodeos. Jana was always determined to enter all the events that were offered to girls and she worked hard to master each one.

Jana Bean

By Jamie McMeans

When she makes up her mind to do something she will do it or die trying. The word can’t is not in her vocabulary. We all began our horseback careers riding in front of our parents while gathering cows. I remember Jana riding in front of both my Mom and Dad before she graduated to riding her continued on page 64 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 63

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own horse. Once this happened you would find us on our horses from sun-up to sun-down. As we got older we began to challenge each other to horse races even though we knew that we would be in big trouble if we got caught. These races were of course very competitive and Jana has this competitive spirit still today.

Her quest for an NFR appearance began at the young age of 3 with playdays and a horse named Honeysuckle. The poor horse never had to have her feet trimmed because Jana rode her so much they stayed worn down. Playdays became youth rodeos with Jana winning many all-around titles and buckles. Junior rodeos replaced the youth rodeos and Pudin replaced Honeysuckle. During this time Jana went from being one of the pack to the top of the pile. Her hard work and determination took her all the way to a National title in break-away roping at the College National Finals in Bozeman, Montana.

After graduating college with a teaching degree, Jana started her career as a futurity horse trainer. She scratched and pushed herself to the top as a futurity trainer and winner.

Many of her horses have gone on to become winners with their new owners. However, even as she was training futurity horses her love of rodeo and her desire to make the NFR was still there and brewing.

My admiration goes out to her as a mother and a Christian. She has always kept her faith strong and her family always came before her career. She had an opportunity to try to make the finals a few years before she actually made the leap. Jana decided to put off her run until her son graduated from high school and left for college. Not many people would have said no to the opportunity she was offered to stay home and support their son.

The one thing my sister has always done is put God first in her life. She is a strong and loving Christian before she is anything else. Her strong belief in prayer and faith has never weakened and many people have benefitted from this strong

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Christian woman in ways she will never know.

Throughout the years, Jana, has helped many people with their horses. She is always willing to help any and everyone who asks her. I have seen her be at barrel races long after they ended, riding horses for people who asked her for help.

These were horses she trained and sold as well as horses other people had trained. She has the uncanny ability to get on any horse and make winning runs as well as be able to fix a host of different problems. Many young girls have benefitted from the wisdom of Jana. She has tirelessly helped girls from peewee on up to college girls. Her love of the sport and her Christian giving spirit has encouraged many more than I’m sure she even knows.

2014 has been the year that Jana has made her National Finals dream come true. It wasn’t easy and it had many ups and downs for sure. Support from her family, friends, and sponsors helped her get to Vegas. However, it was her perseverance through all the highs and lows that actually put her into the top fifteen. Just after the 4th of July run both of her good horses went down and she had to start hauling her young horses to stay in the standings. Heza Bug Leo was out with an abscess and Dash Ta Freedom was out for the season. She picked her head up, loaded up her young ones and never stopped trying. The loss of Freedom knocked the breath out of her and made her stagger. Not only was he her barrel horse, he was her friend and he owned her heart. She won’t be running down the alley of the Thomas and Mack on him, but he will be there with her in spirit and will be waiting on her at home in the barn. Who knows, with God’s healing and Freedom’s heart, we may see this great team run down that alley next year. My sister has overcome huge obstacles to get to where she is now. I want everyone to know how special she is and that we are all so very proud of her and admire her.

Hass

Clayton Hass A Faithful Cowboy

By Suzy Hass

When Clayton was born his lungs were not developed.

He had to be placed into the NICU and put on a respirator.

He fought to breathe on his own, which worked against the machines and caused holes in his lungs. At that time, Clayton’s parents had to take a leap of faith and allow doctors to put him into a medically induced coma. For 11 days the machines would breathe for Clayton letting his lungs develop enough to function on their own. The Doctors declared his survival a miracle. Suzy and Jeff realized the hand of God was at work.

Clayton was raised in Terrell, Texas with his two older sisters: Shanda and Jennifer. His dad, Jeff, is a rancher and

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cowboy by profession and mother Suzy, is the office manager of the ranch. Clayton’s upbringing included being surrounded by cowboys, horses, and cattle. Roping and riding became second nature. He started going on cattle drives and gatherings when he was 6. He actually doctored cattle with his dad as early as age 7. Clayton has always had a love for animals and a way of handling them as well. Ranch life has helped make Clayton the great hand he is today.

His father said that “Clayton always loved doing anything that was outdoors He loves hunting and I must say we have had a lot of fun times together making memories. He became a very good shot with a deer rifle and killed his first deer at

head to the arena and practice. At the age of 15, Clayton started steer wrestling with Rusty Warner who worked on the ranch. Clayton met Byron Walker at a High School Rodeo not knowing what an impact the Walker Family would have on his life. Clayton instantly bonded with Byron, Mary, and Reagan, their son. Clayton’s high school years were wonderful and his senior year was spectacular competing in many rodeo associations.

After high school, Clayton joined the Volunteer Fire Department and decided to enroll in fire academy. Immediately after graduating from the fire academy he came back to the sport of rodeo with more passion than ever. Clayton received coaching from Byron Walker who believed in Clayton’s ability and he unselfishly shared his knowledge. This gave Clayton confidence in his talent. Clayton became more dedicated to his dream of one day making the National Finals Rodeo.

During this journey, the Walkers took Clayton in and treated him like their own. In 2011, Reagan Walker lost his life in an automobile accident. Clayton felt he had lost a brother.

This trying time made him realize that you only have one life to live and you should live it to the fullest, without regrets and without hesitation.

Having been successful in all of his events, Clayton has been quoted saying “I love to rope, but I have a passion for steer wrestling. There are a lot of variables in roping, especially in team roping, because you have to have a good partner and they’re depending on you to feed their family.

In bulldogging it’s more of me and the animal; that’s what I like. I still do all three events, but I mainly rope at the circuit rodeos.” Clayton says, “There’s no aspect of steer wrestling that I don’t like. I love everything about it. I guess you could say I’m kind of an adrenalin junkie. I enjoy the physical aspect of it.” Because of his dedication, sponsors and a great horse named Cadillac, 2014 has been his best year yet. He is currently sitting in the top 15 of the PRCA standings.

His mother Suzy says, “The qualities that I wanted to instill in my children went much deeper than money or gold buckles. It was very important to Jeff and me that we spend time together as a family. The hours spent in the practice continued on page 68

the age of 8. As he grew older he developed a passion to hog hunt, duck hunt and deer hunt with a bow. I must say whatever sport or event Clayton desired to pursue, he would give it all he had he did not want to just compete, he wanted to be the best that he could be.”

In high school he played baseball, football and was a member of several rodeo associations. Between his junior and senior year Clayton took on a growth spurt, this earned him the nickname of “Big County” from his coaches. Clayton was one of the captains of the football team. No matter the activity, Clayton was dedicated to many hours of practice. It was not uncommon to leave the football field to come home, Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 67

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pen and cheering each other on have linked our family with a tight bond and love that is immeasurable and irreplaceable.

No matter how many miles separate us, this bond continues.” He was successful if his father’s experiences are any indication. “There have been multiple occasions when we are at a rodeo random people approach me to share what a remarkable young man Clayton is. The best part is that it isn’t always about a win; sometimes you leave a lasting mark on people when you are not successful and you still remain a man with great character.”

From His Sister Shanda: I feel truly blessed to have Clayton as not only my brother but also my friend. From the moment he was born, he has helped shape my life. His strength and tenacity was evident at birth and has carried on throughout his life. My mom says that I was like a little momma to him. Those moments as small children created a special bond that has lasted into adulthood. Suffice to say, I am a proud big sister. Our parents raised us in a very close family and we spent most of our weekends together at the rodeo arena. I remember Clayton always tagging along behind me relentlessly asking questions and constantly roping my feet. Until he got older, then I could put him to work helping me saddle and warm up my horses. The great thing about Clayton is he was always willing to help, not only me but anyone who needed it. He volunteered with me at State Finals with the Special Olympics Rodeo and the joy he felt working with the kids was so evident through his laughter and the beaming smile on his face. And it didn’t stop there. Now that I have two boys of my own and he is “Uncle Clayton,” he usually has one of the kids tagging along with him when he is home. Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes when I’m watching him give piggy 68 www.rodeoathletes.com

back rides, playing bucking bull on the trampoline or out in the arena sharing his knowledge with the kids.

I am constantly texting or calling him for “boy” advice and asking him to have “talks” with my oldest, Colby.

And Tanner, well he has his own pretend horse and steer that he practices steer wrestling on in my living room, almost on a daily basis, because he wants to be just like Clayton when he grows up. He even makes me video him and then send it to Clayton to see if he got it. My boys think he hung the moon, and as a mother I couldn’t ask for a better role model. There is no one better at encouraging a young athlete or giving advice on working hard and never giving up. He has taught them to hunt, fish, golf, play baseball and of course rope. But more than that, he continues to teach them how to be respectful little men.

From His Sister Jennifer: One of my favorite memories of Clayton as a little boy was when he tried to train his little pony, Silver. He had him fenced in our back yard and would ride him as fast as he could, pull back on the reins until he reared up, and then Clayton would shout, “Hi-Ho Silver, Away.” He was so proud of himself and had the biggest grin on his face. Clayton constantly had a rope in his hand. It didn’t matter who or what he roped, including dummies, dogs, or whomever walked by. After naming all the sports Clayton has done you would think that Clayton has always been a natural athlete – I do believe that he has athletic abilities, but I know that just like that little boy who stayed with that horse until he had him rearing, Clayton doesn’t give up. He is smart, studies, and figures things out until he has accomplished what he sets out to do. He has never wanted to be mediocre at anything and after all the accomplishments and accolades that he has already received—he is still not satisfied; his eyes are on the National Finals Rodeo! If he never won another rodeo, I would still be the proudest sister in the world. More than any award, it is his heart that makes me love him so much. Behind the rodeo scene you would see a heart that is giving. I can recall when he would sponsor youth members for church camp when they were not able to go, volunteering to spend a week at Children’s Camp as the boys sponsor, and volunteering to help coach baseball.

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Guy

Nick Guy Guy Grabs Life By The Horns

By Diane Matousek

Being the mom of a professional steer wrestler and rodeo athlete has truly been one of the greatest things about my life.

I am proud of the fact Nick inherited his love for horses and competition from me.

Nick was always a happy kid and was constantly singing.

He sang on stage at four years old. I often wonder if he sings in the truck with his traveling partners. Nick is a natural born athlete, it really didn’t matter what sport he tried, he excelled.

Even though he is right handed, he learned to bat, golf and play hockey left handed because I am a lefty. It was the way I taught him. It served him well.

Hockey was Nick’s main sport growing up. Maybe because of the amount of traveling he did for hockey he slid easily into the constant travel of rodeo. At the National High School Finals he broke the steer wrestling record with a 3.2 second run and the record still holds. The man who had held the record before was in Springfield, Illinois that day and handed Nick a hundred dollar bill for breaking his old record.

After high school Nick played junior hockey. He only got into one fight on the ice and I will never forget it. The player he got into a fight with had been picking fights with the smaller guys all year. Nick called and told me not to bring his grandmother to the game in Iowa that night because according to his coach he was going to probably have to fight.

We were already on our way though. He didn’t want to fight, that was not his style of play, and he certainly didn’t want his Grandmother to see it. Nick has a very special relationship with his Grandma and was worried what she would think.

It was over fast and the other player needed a lot of dental work and a stretcher. Word got out and Nick never had to 70 www.rodeoathletes.com

fight again.

Nick received an offer from a college in Rapid City to be part of their rodeo team. It was a tough decision, but he hung up the skates in exchange for an excellent college rodeo career. His senior year at the college finals he tore his pectoral and bicep completely off on a set up steer. I was in the audience in Casper, Wyoming and you could hear it pop when it tore. Fortunately he was able to have surgery in Colorado Springs done by a doctor who works on the Colorado Rockies. The surgeon told me he had never drilled through such strong bones. Must have been the gallons of milk he drank growing up in the dairy state.

College rodeo really suited Nick, he loved the competition and was a leader on the team. His roommates always called him Dad because he took it very serious, he kept that rodeo team in line for sure.

When Nick was still in college my husband John and I took Nick to Las Vegas to the National Finals Rodeo. I captured a memory there I will always cherish. Nick walked into the Thomas and Mack, looked over the edge of the balcony and with huge eyes said, “The next time I come here, I will be down there steer wrestling. I don’t want to come back here until I am.” Two years later he was steer wrestling at the National Finals.

Being the first timed event competitor from east of the Mississippi at the National Finals was a huge honor. When he rode into the Thomas and Mack carrying the Wisconsin flag I do believe it was probably one of his proudest moments.

It sure was mine.

For me being a rodeo mom means you never turn your

phone off at night. Nick knows that if he is driving and his companions are sleeping he can always call me to keep him company. We have had many long talks in the middle of the night while he was driving across the country to get to another rodeo.

Nick has a large support and fan base. He was voted into the first year of the All Star Rodeo by fan participation. That’s impressive coming from a state where rodeo isn’t prominent.

But regardless of his fans and family, I am the one who gets the call when things go wrong and he needs to vent. I am also the lucky one who gets the first call when he has that amazing run. I always know it will be a good call when I can hear him walking his horses back to the trailer. I love to get that call.

The calls I don’t love to get are like the one I received from Kansas City, he was in the back of a truck being hauled to an emergency room with a severely broken leg. I flew to Kansas City, hooked up his rig, loaded his horses and Nick in a full leg cast and drove him 11 hours back to Wisconsin to have surgery the next day. That was a long ride, he was in severe pain, and there was no singing.

That call came in October, the doctors said he might rodeo by late summer. That is not the way Nick saw it. I drove Nick and his rig to Arizona, he did his own style of rehab. Without so much as a practice run he went to Houston, in early March and won the round.

Nick has certainly had obstacles in his rodeo career, coming from Wisconsin means you’re always a long way from

where you need to be to rodeo. There are not a lot of places to practice and train, but he has overcome that by networking and making friends along the way.

A sense of direction and having the ability to remember how to get somewhere is one of his greatest assets, the guys he hauls with always appreciate that. He has always been that way, if he gets somewhere once he will never forget it. You will not get lost hauling with Nick. Being late is also unacceptable. So is wearing yellow, a cowboy superstition.

Earning a business degree in college means Nick could be working in a more normal career. But for him, being with his horses and competing at the highest level is his dream job. He lives for the competition. Even in his lowest times the thought of giving it up really wasn’t an option. It really is a mother’s wish to have your child living his dream and I believe Nick is. I look forward to my 3:00 am call and hopefully he will be singing.

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Rodgers Eric Rodgers

Dreaming Big in the Face of Adversity

By Eric Rodgers

Despite the adversities growing up on the Navajo reservation I felt safe to be out and about exploring my capabilities with less. I have learned that you appreciate more of what you do when you gain something huge with less to begin with. I have four sisters, it was not a cheap expense for my parents, but we managed and got to all the rodeos. At a very young age I learned the true meaning of responsibility and making it happen through self-discipline, determination and working hard to be where I am at with my professional career. It is possible for anyone no matter your nationality or lack of entry fee money. It takes being humble, having faith, being hopeful and dreaming big.

It has always been my dream to be a cowboy. Many acquaintances say that I was born to be a professional cowboy, but my mom says I was born to be her son. It goes back to when I was in preschool, I talked about roping even then. My teacher even included it in my report card. We camped at the Chuska Mountains for my first birthday. My T-shirt says “I want to be a professional cowboy”. That has

always been my dream and I went to bed thinking about roping.

When I was three years old my Dad was going to a roping and I wanted to go so bad, but he was catching a ride with his partner so I could not go. I cried and got very upset and threw a rock at my Dad’s parked truck and busted his window. Even when I was a toddler I went to the late Elmer Reed’s arena in south Phoenix to watch my Dad. Dad had to make sure he packed my milk and pampers. That was how my passion for roping was from a very young age.

Rough Rock Community High School was where I attended high school. I praise this school for having a program that supported the interests of students and treated rodeo just like any of their other sports programs.

This was great because I knew I was not college material. One teacher did write a letter to my mom telling her that I could try college, which I did at Diné College, but it was for their rodeo team. Rough Rock high school’s rodeo club paid our fees for high school rodeos. The catch was keeping good grades and attendance. My mother had

great contact with my teachers and the principal, which enabled me to do so.

Principal Clashin would call my mom to give her a heads up if I was lacking any homework and as soon as my mom arrived home I had to put down my rope. We would sit at the table doing homework for hours because my mind was outside wanting to rope the dummy, not focus on homework. She stood her ground on homework and thanks to her I finished high school and had a successful high school rodeo career under my belt. I made it each year to the High School National Finals and to the International Finals rodeo. I participated in all high school sports: football, basketball, softball and rodeo.

Putting up entry fee money was a problem, but we would borrow it in anticipation of the payout. The best times were when I borrowed money from my late grandmother; somehow her money was never a miss for first place. During elementary and high school I would take my dice and during lunch made money off classmates.

That was entry fee money too. Anothcontinued on page 74 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 73

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er time we had to get to a roping but lacked entry fee money so we pawned a saddle on the way into town. The next day we picked the saddle up from the pawn shop with my winnings.

I have always been on the road since I was fourteen. A good friend from Ft. McDowell took me under his wing to travel and hit the rodeos up north and the mid states. Everything was rodeo for me. It was my sixteenth birthday that I finally was going to be home to celebrate with my family. Mom fixed the feast but we pulled off at the rodeo grounds in Round Rock. Mom had to bring the party to the rodeo ground and make us eat. That’s how bad I enjoy roping.

The summer after I finished high school I had the opportunity to enter into the BFI (Bob Fiest Invitational).

This was awesome and at the same time I was very nervous. I was a young boy and there were many great ropers.

I had to psych my mind and it worked.

I came back among the professional in the short go round. This assured me that I can be among the professionals.

It was a great feeling. I know that I get asked how I did it and what it takes.

My parents get the same questions. It has been taught to me by my parents that through prayer, hope and faith anything is possible. You have to be humble, have true meaning to want it, respect self and others. Be caring, give and you shall in return be blessed with 74 www.rodeoathletes.com

richer happiness.

We live in the community of Round Rock, Navajo Nation, Arizona. These are trust land by the government. It is hard living and jobs are scares for young kids. There were jobs for adults so we were put in-charged to take care of the livestock by feeding, watering and herding. Branding was my favorite as I get to be boss of roping the calves from the ground and with just sisters I also got to steer wrestle the steers for medic services. I learned to drive my Dad’s old silver Ford truck which was stick shift while I had to haul water from the wind mill using the 55 gallon barrels. Of course I took my sisters so they can work too and that is why they say I was too bossy being the oldest child. When we first moved to where we live there was neither water nor electricity. Through the years we eventually got these necessities so it was good.

I have learned a lot by helping at ropings and rodeos by taking ropes off steers, chasing them into shoots, even working the bucking shoots. The next level was doing pickup man at rodeos.

I developed a lot of these skills by observing and doing.

There is a newspaper clipping at my Dad’s work about my winning my first dummy roping buckles when I was young and low and behold there was Cesar de la Cruz standing next to me in that clipping. I got a kick out of that clipping.

Jackpot and USTRC roping winnings were also backup for professional rodeo entry fee monies. There are many stories there which I will share at another time. I met a lot of great cowboys and their families at these places. There are many great people in the rodeo world.

If it is that I shared my

growing up stories with you that you would help others go beyond to explore their potential then I have succeeded to help another person. You have read that family support is another key component of my success because it’s through them I gained all this experience and accomplished all that needs to be at each phase of my life. A cowboy needs much support from families, friends and others not only through monetary support but words of encouragement. I surely get my share of this from people I associate with and I give it back to help them too. My parents tell me to not leave any stones unturned and this is usually my drive to socialize to know many people, organizations and associations.

My baggage is full as I am acknowledged as a representative of Native American Indians in my role as a Professional Navajo Cowboy. It is not easy living but young natives can become top professionals like Derrick Begay, Aaron Tsinigine, Brook Dahozy, Dustin Bird, Notah Begay, Shonie and JudeShimmel, and many others, even my youngest sister Heather Rogers making a name for herself in basketball. This brings the greatest blessing of joy to show there is hope for anyone to go beyond their potential despite of hardship environment.

This much I share and my rodeo life I will share another time. Those stories are full of fun and laughter that you do not want to miss. Happy Trails see you all at 2014 NFR.

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Bingham Tim Bingham Love What You Do or Do Something Else

By Tim Bingham

I am a first generation bull rider from Honeyville, Utah. My brother, sister and I were raised by my father and mother in a house my dad built us in West Haven, Utah, which at the time had very few people. Even though I was young I still remember being able to run around all over the place without having to worry about anything. Now, like many towns, there are houses in all directions.

West Haven was a great place for us to grow up. We spent our time riding horses and other outdoor activities. We also got into many sports, mostly because my best friend’s dad was our coach. Soccer, baseball, and basketball were an every year thing all the way up to high school. It’s a good thing I loved to run when I was younger because I’d say soccer was my best sport and I never was allowed to sit out. Once I got to junior high school I added track, where I ran the half mile and mile. I also wrestled. My parents always said I had a problem with losing, so it didn’t much matter what I chose to do, I tried to work at it until I was great at it. Looking at some old wrestling photos I can say it’s a good thing I was strong minded because I was not in any way intimidating When I was around nine years old one of my best friends asked if I wanted to get into youth rodeo. He figured we would enjoy it since we were always riding horses and living more of a country style life. My first event ever was the pony bareback riding. Surprisingly, I was able to hold on to split 2nd/3rd place. After all these years I still remember that feeling of excitement when I received my twelve dollar check.

My parents have always been the greatest supporters in the world. No matter what us children wanted to do, our parents were there giving continued on page 78 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 77

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us the best possible chance at success. In addition, they were never mad if we didn’t do well or wanted to quit and do something entirely different. As long as we were happy, they were happy. I guess you could describe it as spoiled!

Mini bulls were the next step and probably one of the best decisions we made growing up. The herd started out with just four bulls. It then quickly went up seven more and before we knew it we had twenty-one mini bulls. In our pen we had every breed, size, color, and difficulty of bull. In my opinion they helped me move up the ladder much quicker than just riding steers before bulls. My parents would haul us and our bulls all over to amateur rodeos.

When I got to seventh grade I was riding both big bulls and minis.

Whether I was ready or not I entered my first amateur pro rodeo.

Believe it or not this was when my name got out there because I actually stayed on and placed. All the older guys, who I didn’t really know at the time, were surprised this little dorky looking kid stuck it on his bull. My confidence was probably at an alltime high! From then on for a year or two I would enter the mini bulls and big bulls at all the rodeos. I took my share of slamming’s during that time, but come my freshman year in high school rodeo I had figured out how to ride good big bulls. When all the points were final for the year I had me a brand new saddle and buckle. For me being a ninth grader it felt like I’d just won the world!

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I’d go through high school rodeo finishing 2nd my sophomore year at state and 10th at nationals, won again junior year and 5th at nationals, and 3rd my senior year with a 4th place finish at nationals.

Of all of the places I went to rodeo, one arena still sticks out in my head, Panguitch, Utah. It seems everybody has one place they can’t overcome bad luck and this was my spot. In 6th grade I got hung on a bull that stepped all over my leg and ended up breaking it. The next time I was there was my first high school rodeo ever in the 9th grade where once again I got hung up and beat around eventually collapsing one of my lungs. In tenth grade I decided to try bronc riding when I took a horse hoof to the forehead fracturing my skull. I’m not usually one who believes in superstition, but I went years not seriously injured before reentering Panguitch my senior year. In those two years I won the RMPRA and was rookie of the year in IMPRA and was riding better than I ever had. One week before the Panguitch rodeo I took a bad landing. The result was a broken neck. I had a compression fracture in two places on my C6 vertebrae. If I hadn’t broken it the week before I’m positive Panguitch would have once again gotten the best of me. This was one of the scariest times in my entire life. I was dumb and tried to pretend like I was ok for three days before going to the doctor. I spent six months in a neck brace.

I thought when I turned eighteen I’d be ready to go pro just like everyone else, but my neck injury side lined me for a while. I was then able to graduate high school a half a year early. Something most people don’t know about me is that I took school as serious as I did sports. I graduated high school with a 3.9 GPA. I decided to go to Northeast Texas Community College located in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. In my mind I wasn’t going to get further in rodeo if I didn’t go somewhere that rodeo thrived during the college months.

Being confident and planning on a much greater year, I bought my rookie card. This didn’t exactly pan out as planned, but I made enough money to keep on going. During my rookie year my good friend Travis Atkinson taught me a lot about the road. I don’t remember what my year ending was in the PRCA but I barely missed college finals.

In 2013 I had switched to Hill College. In June the college national finals rodeo came around and finally I was in them! After winning the first round I broke my arm in three places because of a bad dismount. I was able to ride two out of the next three and luckily it was enough for the title. Being the champion of the entire college rodeo is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. Along with the broken arm I had a broken foot from a few days before and a torn up shoulder from the Reno Extreme Bulls the week after. This basically ended my 2013 season. Outside of rodeo however I was able to complete my college generals and get an associate’s degree. In all of my travels and partners one thing I try to do is stay positive and have fun no matter what. If you just enjoy the experience of rodeo the bad will eventually turn to good.

2014 has been my greatest year by far! The only downside to it is that I haven’t had any time at home. I figure

in order to get to where you want to be, you have to sacrifice and take all the opportunities that are placed in front of you. This year started off better than any of my others. I was riding more bulls than I had been in previous years. Consistency is an important part of rodeo. As long as you are consistent the money and points will work themselves out. No serious injuries this year and having the confidence and ability to stay positive through the ups and downs have helped too. I am happy with how everything seems to be playing out and excited to see where bull riding leads me in the future. No matter what bull riding and life has in store for me I can honestly say I am a very blessed person to have the family I have, to have friends throughout the country, and to get to see so many places. I don’t just have a love for bull riding, it has become a way of life.

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Edge Cole Edge

From Iowa Team Roper to Oklahoma Steer Wrestler

Being the middle of three kids, Cole has always been a bit on the ornery side. His first words were “bad boy!” In 1988, two years after Clay was born, Coles mother Melanie opened her first western store. The joke is that Melanie really had four kids, the 4th being the Western Edge. The Western Edge is definitely Melanie’s other baby and she has raised three hard working kids in that store. Cole was like most farm kids, he grew up helping on the farm and had many livestock chores. However, he also had to help in the store when needed and on the road at the many rodeos and fairs that the family traveled to sell their Western Edge merchandise. Growing up on the farm and watching his parents build a successful business showed Cole from a very early age what hard work and dedication can do for a person. Iowa is known for its farming and with the rest of Cole’s family heavily involved in farming there was never a shortage of work to be done. However it wasn’t all work for Cole. He, like his father, had a love for horses. His great grandpa, Glee Wagner, gave him a pony when he was just a little tyke and Cole broke it to ride himself. From then on Cole wanted to be on a horse all the time. His parents could tell at an early age that Cole had received a God given talent with horses.

Cole was very athletic in school and played football and basketball. He was on travelling teams that traveled the nation. As a farm kid, Cole was involved in 4H; showing live-

stock and creating projects each year for fair. However it was horses that took his main interest. His father started roping as a teenager and started his boys roping early on. The family travelled nearly every weekend in the summer to team roping jackpots. The boys were always roping, riding, or twirling a rope. It wasn’t until High School though that he really decided how much he wanted to rodeo. It was actually Kollin VonAhn, a childhood friend, who talked him into High School Rodeo.

He started going over to Kollin’s house to rope every week.

The VonAhns only lived about 45 minutes away, so he was there every chance he got. It was joked that Cole was as much of the VonAhn family as the Edges. It was as a Junior in High School that Cole gave up other sports to commit himself to the sport of rodeo. He credits the VonAhns for being the first truly influential people in his rodeo career, behind his parents.

Gene, Kollin’s dad, taught Cole a lot about horsemanship and that is something that really stuck with him. During his Senior year of High School he decide to add Steer Wrestling to his events, simply for All Around Points, as there were not many steer wrestlers in Iowa. It’s a wonder he ever made it past his first attempt. He took his practice head horse, a team roping steer, and Kraig VonAhn, who was his team roping partner at the time, and decided to “just do it.” The horse had never had a steer jumped on him, Kraig had never hazed a steer, and Cole continued on page 83 Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 81

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had definitely never jumped a steer. Thankfully all turned out ok and that’s where it all began. That weekend Cole won his first rodeo in the steer wrestling and went on to finish second in the IHSRA that year.

Coles High School rodeo buddies, Kollin VonAhn and J.W. Nelson decided to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University; a school rich in producing rodeo champions.

So Cole decided to follow suit. Upon arriving Cole informed the rodeo coach Sara Burks that he was also a “bulldogger” in hopes of getting a better scholarship. Even though Cole did indeed bulldog, to say he was a “bulldogger” was a stretch. His team roping far outweighed his steer wrestling. He had proven himself as a talented roper by making the NHSR finals in New Mexico and had some success in the USTRC. However, since he said he was a “bulldogger” Sara’s husband Jacob Burks made him get after it. He would make Cole practice every day and Cole would wreck out every day! Jacob and Sara are two more people Cole owes a lot of credit to for being where he is today. Cole went home that summer and didn’t do any steer wrestling, he team roped every day and came back to school with no intention of Steer Wrestling. However after his team roping partner cut him, his mind changed about steer wrestling. He was a bit fed up with the partner situation in team roping and decided to go at steer wrestling with a different attitude and mindset. With Jacob’s guidance, Cole started getting the hang of what it took to be an actual “bulldogger.” By 2006 Cole qualified for his first PRCA Great Lakes Circuit Finals. In 2007, Coles Senior year of college, he went on to win 2nd in the Central Plains Region and finished 3rd at the College National Finals. He also qualified for his 2nd Great Lakes Circuit Finals.

It was pretty safe to say at this point that Cole was actually a bulldogger now. While in college he also met Sean Mulligan, PRCA Steer Wrestler and four time NFR qualifier. Sean is another person who has played a large role in Cole’s career.

Cole lived at Sean’s place and practiced with him daily. Sean was Cole’s first traveling partner when he decided to rodeo full time. Sean really took him under his wing and taught him what it takes to be successful as a professional steer wrestler.

To this day Sean and Cole still practice together all the time.

Not only did Cole form his love for steer wrestling and meet some of his greatest friends and mentors while attending SOSU he also met his future wife, Torrie, who was also a member of the rodeo team. Finding someone with an understanding for the rodeo world and someone who has the same goals and dreams as you do has been a huge blessing to the both of them. Torrie was a native “Okie” and between her and the weather, Cole decided Oklahoma would be the place to call home.

The year 2012 was a big year, bringing good and bad. The year got off to a good start, however a freak accident in Clovis, California left Cole with a broken wrist that would need surgery immediately. “I remember him calling home telling me what had happened and I was so let down for him” says Torrie.

Cole flew home and had surgery to repair the damaged wrist. “We were getting married in October of that year so as upset as I was to see Cole injured I was happy to be able to have him home while we planned the wedding.”

On Oct 5th Cole and Torrie were married on their ranch in Durant, Oklahoma. “We are each other’s best friend and there is nothing better than knowing that God has allowed you to spend the rest of your life with your best friend.” After that injury things seemed to change, they both went to work for the Western Edge and Cole decided to start Welding. In 2013 Cole went to a few rodeos, but knew he needed to stay home and get healthy. 2013 was a huge year in deciding exactly where they were both going with their lives. They knew rodeo would always be a big part of their lives, but didn’t know if that would ever be Cole’s career again. After that summer of him doing welding jobs and Torrie helping in the 100 degree heat, they both realized what had to done to obtain both their dreams and goals. They decided to turn their horse operation into a priority and joined forces with David.

Together they created Western Edge performance horses.

Cole got back to the practice pen in the fall and knew he had to work harder than ever before. “We grew together so much and really made it a family effort. Our horse program and Coles steer wrestling go hand and hand,” says Torrie. Having a plan for where you want to be is so crucial Cole believes. It really helps a person focus on what is important in life. Cole has no plans of slowing down, this year has proved to him that Steer Wrestling is what he is meant to do. He will continue to rodeo as long as God allows.

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Robinson Clint Robinson

Full Circle

By Marla Robinson & Brooke Stephens, Mother and Sister Rodeo Athletes Magazine | December 2014 85

Clint Robinson was born into a rodeo family. He was born and raised in Farmington, Utah. Ten years ago he moved a couple hours south to Spanish Fork, Utah, where he now resides with his wife and two boys. Clint is the son of Lance Robinson who was also a Professional Cowboy and member of the PRCA. Lance competed at the National Finals during the 1980’s in the steer wrestling and team roping.

From the very beginning of his life, Clint showed great interest in and a love for horses, rodeo and sports. He spent much of his childhood on the road traveling with our family going to PRCA rodeos with his Dad. Clint was lucky enough to grow up around many great rodeo contenders. He was able to learn so much about life and how to be a good man.

Clint was always swinging a rope or had a ball in his hands. By the time Clint was six or seven he wanted nothing but to be on the back of the horse. One of his favorite things to do as a child was to practice roping. He would saddle up Lance’s old, retired calf horse, “Bluech” at the barn and then walk him back to our house. He would stand the horse in our drive way and practice roping and tying his calf dummy.

I would look out and see Bluech standing with his back leg cocked and his eyes literally closed while Clint spent hours upon hours just roping the dummy, jumping off and running down and tying it. To say that Bluech was part of the family is an understatement. Lance started his rodeo career on him and it was special to see it come full circle when Clint was able to also start his life on the back of the same horse.

Clint was in junior high and preparing for his first “real” rodeo on his calf roping horse “Mr. Robinson when just days

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before the rodeo, he found himself grounded from the rodeo by his mother for misbehaving while his father was out of town. To make matters worse, Lance let Clint’s friends ride his horse while he sat on the fence and watched. Clint was taught his first lesson of rodeo that day, and it wasn’t a fun one.

Along with his passion for rodeo, Clint excelled in baseball and basketball. He was on a Little League team that made it to the World Finals and was able to play in Kansas City against teams across the whole country. He played basketball and baseball while in junior high. But when Clint went into high school, he chose to devote all his time to rodeo.

Clint has never been one for a “huge social scene.” If he wasn’t practicing for a rodeo or working on the farm, he was in our basement watching reruns of the National Finals Rodeo or instructional videos about rodeo. He would spend countless hours just studying, practicing and perfecting his roping and tying. Clint’s first passion and real love has always been rodeo.

Many hours of work and practice were spent at his grandfather, Rick Robinson’s farm. During the summer they would start very early in the morning. It was on the farm and through all the hard work, that Clint formed many of his lifelong friends in the rodeo business.

We called Clint, Jake Ashworth

and Ryan Scott the “Barn Boys.” They spent most of their free time working, practicing, and riding in the Wasatch Mountains above our home. It was a great place to grow up for boys that had such a love of horses and rodeo.

We have raised our kids with two rules: 1) they had to do well at school and get good grades., and 2) they had to go to church. These two things had to be done if they wanted to participate in their other activities. We would support them in any way we could as long as they abided by those two rules.

Clint has had two generations of cowboys who have helped him with both horses and honed his rodeo skills. Clark Brown of North Platte, Nebraska, gave him his first horse, Mr. Robinson. Clint and Lance would travel to Nebraska and spend a few days at Clark’s farm. While there Clark would help him with his tie down roping and horseman skills. Sun up to sun down was spent roping on as many horses as Clark and Lance could keep saddled for him. Clark would always call Lance and say he had found a good horse that would be a perfect fit for Clint. Clint has been blessed to have the very best horses to choose from.

Over his life, Clint has taken great pride in learning and developing a talent of real horsemanship. He has a gift with horses. He is able to get inside their heads and know them.

Clint is able to get horses to perform to the best of their ability. Not only has Clint been able to break, train and teach horses, but he in turn has learned from them. As Clint has grown, he has been taught patience, diligence and compassion from the animals that he loves. Some of the hardest lessons for a child to learn were taught to our children through the farm and horses. Tough lessons like those about life and death. The most difficult to watch as a parent, was seeing your child suffer heartbreak from the loss of a beloved animal. Every cowboy knows the sting of losing that special horse. And over the years, we have lost a few. But at a very young age our children saw the reality of farm life. Clint, his older sister and the group of Barn Boys were our “foaling crew” during

foaling season. All the kids would sleep in the hayloft above the foaling barn on nights when the mares were close to foaling. Even on the coldest, winter nights, they never missed an opportunity to be there for a birth. From up in the hayloft they could see when a mare would go into labor. They would run to the house to grab an adult, but many were foaled just by the kids themselves. They always loved the chance to be there from the beginning and be part of those unique opportunities that not a lot of children get to see.

Tie down roping is Clint’s first love and real passion when it comes to rodeo events. But he is a talented all around cowboy. He is an accomplished steer wrestler and team roper. He has competed in all three events his entire life. He worked all three events in the amateurs, high school, college and in the PRCA. Clint joined the PRCA in 2003 reaching his life-long dream and goal of becoming a professional cowboy.

Clint has been married nine years to his wife Robyn and they have two boys, 3 year old Calder and 1 1/2 year old Ridge. And these boys are all boy, just like their dad! They both are already following in their dad’s footsteps. Clint’s love of rodeo and all things sports, run deep through their veins.

Robyn and the boys travel with Clint most of the year. When they are at home and not on the rodeo trail, Robyn helps him with roping and taking care of the horses.

When Clint is home he’s very involved with our family’s commercial horse operation. We raise Quarter horses for sales and racing. Clint helps with the feeding, foaling, trimming, breaking and the day to day labors of running the farm.

Clint also spends time training horses for the rodeo industry.

This year in December Clint will be attending his 5th National Finals Rodeo in the tie down roping in 4th place and will be riding his horse, Mikey. Clint has had so many who have loved, taught, helped and supported him through his entire life and rodeo career. As his parents and family we are so proud of the man, husband and father he is, along with his many rodeo accomplishments and accolades.

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