Rodeo Guide 2015 by Steamboat Pilot & Today

2015 Ofﬁcial Program

SteamboatProRodeo.com Award-Winning Pro Rodeo • June 19 - August 22, 2015

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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We thank our dedicated sponsors

for helping to keep the rodeo tradition alive in 2015! PRESENTING SPONSOR

ALL-AROUND COWBOY

City of Steamboat Springs

Steamboat eBusiness Justin Boots

SERIES SPONSOR Wrangler

SPECIALTY ACT SPONSORS Joe Bishop Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association

TIMED EVENT END, CALF AND RAM SCRAMBLES F.M. Light & Sons

SCOREBOARD TITLE, JUNIOR BARREL RACING AND PEE WEE BARREL RACING Steamboat Flyfisher

OFFICIAL BEER SPONSOR B&K Distributing Coors Rodeo

OFFICIAL SPIRIT SPONSOR Jack Daniel’s

ANNOUNCER STAND Wells Fargo

OFFICIAL SOFT DRINK FLAG GIRLS SPONSOR Coca-Cola Bottling Co High Country

KIDS’ PROGRAM HANDOUT In Celebration of Kids

CHUTE SPONSORS Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club Hotel Bristol Mambo Italiano Steamboat Powersports Wahl Home Products Yampa Valley Bank

PAT MANTLE MEMORIAL SADDLE BRONC RIDING Sombrero Ranches

SCOREBOARD QUARTER PANELS Coors Rodeo Jack Daniel’s RAM Rodeo Yampa Valley Electric Association

KIDS’ SCRAMBLE GATE

Sounds of the Valley Audiology

RODEO CLOWN / BARRELMEN ACTS Neal and Laurie Sittig Guardian Property Management

THE DARLING ROUND

The Family of Travis Darling

OUTGATE

BULL RIDING

Mountain View Car Wash

Booco’s Contract Services, Inc.

ARENA SIGNS

PERMIT BULL RIDING VisitSteamboat.com

BAREBACK RIDING Ski Town Cleaners

BARREL RACING RAM Rodeo

SADDLE BRONC RIDING Mountain Valley Bank

TIE-DOWN ROPING Christy Sports/SportStalker

TEAM ROPING Steamboat Lake Marina

STEER WRESTLING Ron and Janice Forcum

REGIONAL TEAM ROPING Ore House at the Pine Grove

VIP SECTION Flat Tops Ranch Supply

ROUGH STOCK RETURN ALLEY Steamboat Select Insurance Group

TICKET SPONSORS The Egg & I Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation

GRAND ENTRY GATE Christy Belton/Ranch Marketing Associates

Ace at the Curve Aqua Vita Spas Atlantic Tool & Die Cook Chevrolet Photo Express House Ranch Rollers, LLC Waste Management Steamboat Springs

PATRON SPONSORS

Ace at the Curve Bruce and Leslie Allbright Larry Benz Richard and Meggie Counts Dawes & Associates David and Shannon Dillard Hideaway Ranch, LLC Huber Family/Elk Pass Ranch Dave and Iwona Jones/Truffle Pig Don and Faith Martin Donna Meitus, CPA, PC Mark and Maureen Miller Russ and Lauri Posey Rabbit Ears Motel Stephen and Julie Siegele Dan and Trisha Simons

PRE-RODEO ENTERTAINMENT Ron and Janice Forcum

VETERINARIANS

Steamboat Veterinary Hospital Dr. Mike Gotchey Dr. Lee Meyring Dr. Nate Daughenbaugh

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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Board members: Brent Romick, Chairman John Shipley, President Ward Van Scoyk, Treasurer Steve Dawes, Director emeritus John kerst, Director emeritus Chad Bedell Jake Booco Mark Gossman Walter Magill Ren Martyn John overstreet Craig Robinson Michael Sisk Paul Strong Dean Vogelaar administrator/ corporate Secretary Char Mighton rodeo Secretary Barbara Duggan timers linda urie, Doris Mayhan

The 2015 official Program for the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series is produced by Steamboat Today.

Photo by Zan Blundell

 WElcomE 

big Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series welcome! Whether you came from across the globe or right down the street, we thank our fans for filling the stands and cheering on many of Pro Rodeo’s best contestants, clowns, bullfighters and specialty acts. The goal of our Board of Directors each year is to produce America’s best Summer Pro Rodeo Series. The 2015 series promises to be the biggest and best yet. Contestants will compete for a total payout of more than $250,000 during the 10-week series. We’re also proud that in 2014, for the fourth straight year, we won the Mountain States Circuit — Best Small Rodeo of the Year award, after being recognized in 2002 as the Best Small Outdoor Rodeo in America. I’m sure you will enjoy our rodeo. It says a lot about Steamboat Springs to have more annual pro rodeos than any other community in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah or New Mexico. On behalf of our volunteer Board of Directors, the City of Steamboat Springs, our many sponsors and others who make this rodeo possible, it’s my pleasure to tip my hat and invite you to sit back and enjoy an exciting evening of rodeo action. — Brent Romick, Chairman of the Board/Arena Director SteamboatProrodeo.com

Suzanne Schlicht, publisher eugene Buchanan, magazine editor lisa Schlichtman, editor laura Tamucci, local sales manager Jenni DeFouw, sales lindsay Porter, creative services supervisor Photographers Matt Stensland, John F. Russell, Joel Reichenberger, Ben ingersoll (with special thanks to Zan and David Blundell) advertising design and production Veronika khanisenko, Chris McGaw, Mack Maschmeier, Jessica Wagner For advertising information, call Jenni DeFouw at 970-871-4235. Cover photo by Fred McClanahan Jr.

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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 EvEnt SchEdulE

ll performances are held at Brent Romick Rodeo Arena at Howelsen Hill, 501 Howelsen Parkway in downtown Steamboat Springs. Tickets at the gate are $20 for adults, $10 for kids 7 to 15 and free for children 6 and younger. Pre-sale tickets are $18 for adults and $9 for kids 7 to 15 and are available at F.M. Light & Sons, the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association Visitors Center, Steamboat Central Reservations and Gondola General. All tickets are general admission. The main seating area is covered, while overflow seating is not. Handicap parking and seating are available. Visit www.steamboatprorodeo. com for sales and more information. The barbecue is open from 6 to

inSiDe

Welcome ........................... Schedule ........................... Entertainment ................... Calf/Ram Scrambles .........

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5 7 8 9

oRDeR oF eVenTS

9:30 p.m. Pre-rodeo entertainment appears from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.

(Subject to change) Opening Ceremonies Permit Bull Riding Sponsor Flags Team Roping Bareback Riding Clown Act Steer Wrestling Calf Scramble Saddle Bronc Riding Clown Act Tie-Down Roping Ram Scramble Regional Team Roping Cowgirls Barrel Racing Junior & Pee-Wee Barrel Racing Bull Riding

June 19-20 — 7:30 p.m. 26-27 — 7:30 p.m.

JulY 2 — WRCA Ranch Rodeo, 7:30 p.m. 3 — 7:30 p.m. 4 — 6:30 p.m. (followed by ﬁreworks) 10-11 — 7:30 p.m. 17-18 — 7:30 p.m. 24-25 — 7:30 p.m. 31 — 7:30 p.m.

auGuST 1 — 7:30 p.m. 7-8 — 7:30 p.m. 14-15 — 7:30 p.m. 21-22 — 7:30 p.m.

Pat Mantle Memorial ...... 10 National Patriot Program 11 Behind the Scenes ......... 13 The Darling Round ......... 14 Rodeo History ................. 15

Events .............................. Stock Contractors ........... Clowns ............................ Mini Bareback ................ Past Champions ..............

16 20 22 27 28

Wrangler Network .......... Ranch Rodeo .................. Rodeo Terminology ....... Arena Improvements ..... 8 seconds: Chad Bedell .

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

 Entertainment Clowns, bands, barbecue spice up evening

here’s plenty more going on at the rodeo than the competition you see in the arena. Before each and every performance, you can sample award-winning barbecue at the concession stand and browse wares from our many vendor partners, all while your kids play in the playground or even test their own bucking’ luck on a mechanical bull or inside the family-friendly, inflatable bounce house. Because of the intimacy of the rodeo grounds, it’s likely you’ll run into a contestant (easily identified by their back number) before the event. When

you do, be sure to introduce yourself to them and learn about their lifestyle. For professional athletes, they really are accessible. There, you can take your or your kids’ picture with them and get their autograph, and then memorize the number on their back to root for them in the rodeo arena later. And the rodeo’s contestants aren’t the evening’s only entertainers. Each night you can also enjoy live music from some of the region’s best bands, both local and from afar, that play on the entertainment stage from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Included in this year’s lineup are such local acts as Ragweed, Jon

Band Schedule

Concessionaires If you like what you see from the stands at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series, you’ll also like what you put in your stomach. Serving up the best rodeo-style vittles anywhere are Janice and Ron Forcum of RJAZ Food Service, who have been cooking food for the rodeo for 20 years. Try award-winning apple-smoked barbecue, from chicken and pork to beef and their best-selling ribs, as well as burgers, bratwurst, hot dogs, desserts and more. In all, 33 employees roam the rodeo grounds every night, at your service for your dining, drinking and entertainment pleasure (Janice and Ron also book the bands playing from 6 to 7:15 p.m. every night). For them, it’s just another night at the family dinner table.

Gibbs and the Yampa Valley Boys, as well as such national bands as Michael Jonas and Jonna Aviza and Cheri’ Pepper. Go ahead, kick up your heels and dance along. Once the rodeo action starts, the country’s best clowns and specialty acts add to the picture, ensuring that the entertainment lasts all night long and offers something for everyone. “Between our clowns, specialty acts, bands and other entertainment, there’s a lot going on every night,” says Rodeo Series chairman Brent Romick. “It’s all part of what makes our Steamboat rodeo such an award-winning event.”

June 19 Instant Cash June 20 Ragweed June 26 Trevor G. Potter June 27 Jesse Christensen July 3 Trevor G. Potter July 4 Instant Cash & Friends July 10 Jon Gibbs July 11 Yampa Valley Boys July 17 Stanley Johnson July 18 TBD July 24 TBD

July 25 Jesse Christensen July 31 Michael Jonas and Jonna Aviza Aug. 1 Ragweed Aug. 7 Cheri’ Pepper Aug. 8 Jesse Christensen Aug. 14 Cheri’ Pepper Aug. 15 Jon Gibbs Aug. 21 Trevor G. Potter Aug. 22 Instant Cash * Entertainment subject to change

“We love it,” Janice says. “We’re outside meeting people and serving them great food at an award-winning, small town rodeo. It’s a fun, great place to be — it’s Steamboat!”

Photo by Zan Blundell

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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 ScramBlES Events let kids join the fun

ippee-ki-yay! Cowboys and cowgirls aren’t the only ones with the chance to compete in Brent Romick Arena at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. Your young’uns can get in on the action every night as well, down to the dirt on their boots. All they have to do is join the Calf and Ram Scramble. Just listen for the announcer to mention when to line up your children at the west end of the arena, and then get ready to cheer them on as they scurry around to grab a ribbon off the tail of a calf or ram. The Calf Scramble is for kids 6 to 12, while the Ram Scramble is for kids 5 and younger. The young ones compete just the same as the big kids, with a sheep substituted for

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a calf. “It’s definitely one of our most popular events,” says the rodeo series’ Char Mighton, adding that up to 100 kids take part in the tailgrabbing action every night. “For a lot of visitors, it’s the highlight of their trip.” The format is simple: Kids gather in the arena, the calf or ram is released and the children then run around trying to grab the ribbon off its tail. Sometimes, it takes a few seconds and other times 10 minutes as the calves and rams twist and turn away from every outreached hand. Eventually, someone winds up with the ribbon, winning bragging rights and special prizes. And every child walks away a winner for participating.

Photo by Joel reichenberger

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

 lEgEndary

Pat Mantle Memorial Bronc Riding

olin Stalley is on a roll, one that, in the past three years, has earned him prestige among his peers as well as a little additional prize money. At the end of every season, the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series’ top six saddle bronc riders face off in the annual Pat Mantle Memorial Bronc Riding — a single-ride event paying homage to the late Pat Mantle, a cowboy with long-running ties to the local rodeo series. The winner gets $2,000 in prize money as well as a commemorative rifle. For the third year in a row, it was Stalley, a 31-year-old rider from Riverton, Wyoming, winning top honors last season. With a high-flying final run, he again managed to wrestle the title away from four-time Pat Mantle winner Brandon Munn, the only cowboy who has won the award more times.

“The last three years I’ve been able to make it down to Steamboat enough times to pull off the win, and I’ve had great rides at the last event,” Stalley says. The contest celebrates Mantle, a Marlboro Man look-alike who grew up raising cattle and horses on his family’s ranch in Dinosaur National Monument and represents all things rodeo in Steamboat. Known for his annual horse roundups in nearby Brown’s Park, Mantle, who died in 1992, played an integral role in developing Steamboat’s rodeo. A fierce rodeo competitor in bronc riding and roping, Mantle created the 7-11 Rodeo Co., became a rodeo producer and rode as a pick-up man into his 50s. He also operated the Sombrero Ranch Stables in Estes Park, Boulder, Grand Lake and Steamboat, helping visitors enjoy time in the saddle. Every fall, some 600 of his horses were

“When we were kids, if we told our daddy we were hungry, he’d just hand us a stick and point at a jack rabbit ...”

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— Pat Mantle

returned to Northwest Colorado to graze, and he’d round them up again come spring. He was so tough, in fact, that once, while working a rodeo in Boulder, an ornery bull named Long John known for jumping the fence threw a cowboy and made straight for the railing where two little girls were sitting. Riding his favorite horse named Fritz, Mantle roped Long John at the top of his jump and pulled him back into the arena.

• • • • •

Photo by Larry Pierce

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WranglEr national Patriot Program EntErS SEcond yEar

onor. Respect. Bravery. People salute the core principles of America’s soldiers because they so proudly reflect the ways of the West. The Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series is honored to support the Wrangler® National Patriot™ program, created to fund and support America’s wounded and fallen soldiers and their families, and help inspire all Americans rally around each other in patriotism. “We have a high level of pride and respect for the individuals serving in the U.S. military who show heroism every day to protect our country,” says Wrangler Specialty Apparel President Phil McAdams. “This is our chance to give back to those veterans who have suffered injuries fighting for our freedom

and to their families who have lost a loved one while on duty. It’s a cause we believe will resonate with the Western industry and rodeo community.” The concept for the program was conceived in Steamboat by Wrangler’s Jeff Chadwick and local American 300 founder Rob Powers. Thanks to the rodeo series, Wrangler, American 300, Tim Borden, Joe Bishop and Romick Rodeo LLC, last year’s Cowboys’ Roundup Days raised more than $15,000 for the program. “That was an exceptional first-year effort, and this year should be even better,” says rodeo series chairman Brent Romick. As with last year, the 2015 rodeo series will again team up with

Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports — STARS — whose mission is to empower and enrich lives through adaptive recreational activities. The partnership will help fund the weeklong STARS and Stripes Heroes Program, enabling veterans to experience Steamboat’s many outdoor activities. “We’re honored to have the support of the rodeo series and Wrangler,” says STARS Executive Director Julie Taulman. “All contributions help injured veterans and Wounded Warriors regain their independence and self esteem through adaptive sports such as kayaking, waterskiing, biking and skiing.” For more information or to make a donation to this year’s Patriot Program, visit www.steamboatprorodeo.com.

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 behind the scenes

lot of work goes on behind the rides you see every night at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. From announcers and chute bosses to arena directors and burger flippers, it’s a combined effort to pull off one of the best rodeos in the country (a winner of the PRCA’s Rodeo of the Year). So tip your collective cowboy hats to:

Brent Romick As arena director and chairman of the board, Brent Romick wears a big hat. He’s responsible for the event’s entire production, coordinating the rough stock and timed events, specialty acts and chute boss to ensure everything fits into a two-hour performance. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun,” says Romick, a member of the PCRA since 1975. Romick has competed since his youth in riding and roping events and is a former series champion in team roping, bull riding, bareback, calf roping and steer wrestling. He still competes in team roping while striving to produce the best pro rodeo series in the nation.

John Shipley Shortly after arriving in Steamboat in 1982, John Shipley announced he was going to ride bareback horses at the Friday night Jackpot Rodeo. So he attended two rodeo schools and promptly got bucked off week after week. It wasn’t until a last minute substitution for a missing announcer that he realized he had “more aptitude describing it than doing it.” The switch — especially after tutoring under Hall of Fame announcer Hadley Barrett — led to him joining the PRCA SteamboatProRodeo.com

as an announcer in 1987. Since then, he’s announced rodeos from Montana to Florida, receiving the PRCA’s coveted life membership Gold Card. Career highlights include announcing the National Finals Steer Roping, the Ram National Circuit Finals and Cheyenne Frontier Days. A 26-year president of the rodeo committee, Shipley now concentrates his efforts solely on Steamboat to the benefit of riders and spectators alike. “I love playing a small part in keeping an important part of our heritage alive,” he says.

Jake Booco

Growing up just a horse-trot away from Brent Romick Arena, Jake Booco has been competing in the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo for 14 years, becoming the Steamboat bull riding champion in 2013. Now he’s riding less but giving back by serving on the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series’ board. He also serves as an active contestant consultant, acting as a liaison between riders and event organizers. But don’t be surprised if you still see him atop an occasional bull as well. “It’s always fun to ride in front of your hometown crowd,” he says. “Steamboat is my hometown rodeo, and it’s great because a lot of family and friends can come watch.”

Char Mighton

way of life, the people I work with and our guests’ excitement during every performance. It’s also great to watch the competitors progress through the season toward the season championships.”

Other Board Members A lot more people contribute behind the scenes to make the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series such a resounding success. Their “day” jobs include banker, lawyer, orthopedic surgeon, engineer/surveyor, CPA, ranch manager, real estate broker, property manager and more — including representatives from our partner, the City of Steamboat Springs — who take precious time away from their jobs and families to volunteer and keep the local rodeo tradition alive. They aren’t in the spotlight and they don’t get the recognition they deserve, but they’re the backbone of the Series. So tip your hat to them and thank them for a job well done.

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Paperwork piles up as high as the manure at a rodeo. Managing all that red tape for the Steamboat series is Char Mighton, the rodeo’s administrator since 1998 and the glue that helps keep it all together. “There’s quite a few logistics to deal with inputting on a weekly rodeo series,” says Mighton, who also hires personnel, handles ticket distribution, supervises the gate and maintains standings. “I love the rodeo’s Western

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

 thE darling round Special saddle bronc event honors cowboy

n July 17 and 18, saddle bronc riders will have a little more riding on the line. For the third year in a row, cowboys in the fi fth weekend of the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series will have a chance to honor one of their own by competing in a special saddle bronc riding contest called The Darling Round. Paying tribute to Travis Darling, a locally raised PRCA rider who was killed in a car accident in Texas in 2012, the event’s purse will be doubled to $2,000. But it’s the memory of Darling that matters most. “It’s our way to honor someone who was an integral part of our local rodeo series,” says Rodeo Committee President John Shipley. Darling was born and raised in Steamboat Springs. He had been on

the road competing in PRCA rodeos before moving to Rockdale, Texas, to train cutting horses in fall 2012 when the accident occured. Darling represented Colorado at the National High School Finals Rodeo in saddle bronc and cutting and attended Casper College on a full rodeo scholarship, earning an associate degree in agriculture, business and animal science. In 2009, Darling qualified for the College National Finals and won the Steamboat series’ Saddle Bronc season championship and the coveted Pat Mantle Memorial Bronc Riding. Throughout five seasons, he won his share of 10 PRCA saddle bronc titles. Darling’s spirit lives on as friends and family share stories of his life. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

Saddle bronc rider and artist Will Berg of kaycee, Wyoming, created this graphite-on-paper illustration to honor friend Travis Darling.

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rodEo hiStory 101

hen you watch the action-packed Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series, you’re taking part in a time-honored tradition in town that has seen cowboys riding bulls and broncs for more than a century. “Ranching and rodeo have been important here forever,” says longtime rodeo announcer John Shipley. “They’re part of our town’s whole tradition.” Since the fi rst white settlers arrived in Steamboat Springs in the late 19th century, roping and riding have been a part of daily life with the sport blossoming by necessity. Those early settlers established homesteads and raised horses and livestock as a way of life. Every year, cattle would have to be rounded up, ornery bulls corralled and calves roped for branding. It’s those same skills, long used on area ranches, that you see displayed today in Romick Arena. Those cowboys’ rodeo skills migrated from ranches to competitions, quickly becoming a vital part of town gatherings. In the early days, spectators would form a rodeo ring by positioning their horses in a circle, heads turned inward. Later, cars were used to form the circle. The makeshift arenas didn’t dampen competitiveness. In the early 1900s, Steamboat reared some of the toughest buckers in the business, including such famous horses as Pin Ears, Carrie Nation and General Pershing. Weekly festivities called the “Friday Night Jackpot” arose in the mid-1970s where riders competed for their combined entry fees. “Those original Friday night rodeos were pretty wild and loosely regulated,” says series’ board chairman and arena director Brent Romick. In 1982, local Steve Dawes helped the Jackpot Rodeo grow to include Saturday nights, and the Steamboat Springs Rodeo Series was born. In 1989, the 10-week series became sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and saw its name changed to the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. Throughout this 112-year history — from the fi rst Cowboys’ Roundup Days, now celebrated every Fourth of July, to today’s weekly pro series, a winner of the PRCA’s Small Outdoor Rodeo of the Year — the town’s ranching roots have continued to shine through. In fact, many of the town’s original homesteads still provide stock for the events, which attract some of the nation’s top competitors trying to earn their way to the National Finals. So tip your hat to the cowboys keeping one of Steamboat’s most lost-lasting traditions alive (and don’t be surprised if some of the cowboys ask you to form a circle with your cars after the show is over).

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

Photo by Joel Reichenberger

 event round-up Who to watch for at this year’s series

eaching the overall winner’s podium at the end of each season is no easy task. It takes consistency, skill, guts and a little luck. If last year’s tight-as-abelt-buckle rodeo season was any indication, this year will be no exception, with some of the best rodeo athletes in the country duking it out for the end-of-the-year champion honors. Each event often comes down to the fence wire, with many category winners determined by the last ride or run of the season. Following is a synopsis of each event you’ll see at Romick Arena as well as a few riders to root for who have a shot at the overall title.

Bareback Riding Sponsor: Ski Town Cleaners The most physically demanding event in a pro rodeo may be bareback riding. Cowboys use one hand to grasp a leather “rigging” to stay on the horse and are judged on their spurring technique and bucking action of the horse. To score higher points, riders must turn the toes of their boots outward and lean way back. No score will be given if the cowboy does not “mark out” the horse. Judges watch closely to ensure that as

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

“I love coming to Steamboat. I like the atmosphere, and it has a great crowd every night.” — 2014 team roping winner Tyler Schnaufer, Pueblo, Colorado

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the horse comes out of the chute, the cowboy’s feet are above its shoulders. The feet must remain there until the horse’s front feet hit the ground. A bareback rider must remain on the animal for eight seconds. Keep an eye on: It had been seven years, the age of some of the horses you’ll see in the arena, since Southern Colorado’s Micky Downare won the Steamboat rodeo’s overall bareback riding crown. But bouncing back to form after his 2007 win, Downare topped the standings last year as well by riding consistently enough to pick up the 2014 title. Not that it will be easy to three-peat this season. To do so, he’ll have

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to have more high-scoring rides than 2013 winner Anthony Thomas and 2012 winner Craig Wisehart of Kersey, Colorado, who also won top bareback honors in 2009 and 2010. And don’t discount the Streweler brothers, Larry and David, from making a run for the podium as well. Larry won the title in 2008, and David captured the crown in 2011.

Team Roping Sponsor: Steamboat Lake Marina (Regional Team Roping: Ore House at the Pine Grove) Team roping demands close cooperation between two cowboys — “header” and “heeler” — and their horses. The steer is given a head start as the header waits behind a rope barrier. If the header breaks the barrier, a 10-second penalty is assessed. The heeler follows. The header is the first one to rope and must catch the steer either around the horns, neck or one horn and the head. As soon as the header secures the loop, he “dallies” the rope around the saddle horn and rides to the left, turning the steer away from a right-handed heeler. As the header rides away, the heeler tries to rope the steer’s hind feet. A five-second penalty is assessed if the heeler catches only one foot. The two riders then back their horses to take the slack out of their ropes. The clock stops when all the slack has been taken up and the ropers are facing one another. Keep an eye on: In team roping, look for tough competition from reigning Steamboat series champs Tyler Schnaufer and J.W. Borrego from Pueblo, Colorado, even though they won’t be riding together. Roping with various partners, they each amassed enough points last year to carry them to the 2014 podium, beating out Laramie, Wyoming’s Paul Beckett and Clayton Van Aken, who won the 2013 crown. But they’re not going to tie up this season as easily as they rope their steers. They’ll likely also face fierce competition from 2012 winners Lee Hagler (Fort Lupton, Colorado) and Riley Pedro (Nunn, Colorado), as well as the father-son team of Lee and Luke Lancaster, who won in 2010, and 2011 champs Lance Allen and Jake Day. This season, Schnaufer, 25, will be roping with his younger brother, Trevor, 20, and plans to attend every Steamboat rodeo. “It’ll be fun roping with my brother for the first time,” says the Pueblo header. “I love coming to Steamboat. I like the atmosphere, and it has a great crowd every night.”

Tie-down Roping Sponsors: Christy Sports, SportStalker After giving the calf a head start, the horse and rider begin their chase. As the cowboy throws his loop, the horse comes to a stop. With his horse still skidding to a stop, the cowboy dismounts, runs to the calf, throws it to the ground and ties any three legs together with a “pigging string.” The horse must keep slack out of the rope but not pull so tight that the calf is dragged. When the roper finishes tying, he throws his hands in the air to signal to the flag judge. Then, he gets back on his horse and rides toward the calf, putting slack back into the rope. The calf must remain tied for six seconds after the rope is slack or the cowboy will receive a “no time.” Keep an eye on: For tie-down ropers, it can all come SteamboatProRodeo.com

down to the tie. It can come down to the wire, too, as far as the end-of-the-year standings. For the second year in a row, the man to beat is Jake Hamilton, who won the crown in 2013 by barely besting Kersey, Colorado’s Chase Johnston in a duel that came down to the last event of the season, and again in 2014, proving he’s the roper to beat heading into this year’s season. Just don’t count Johnston out yet. “It’s been super close each year,” says Wyoming’s Hamilton, adding the top honors often come down to the last calf of the season. “I love competing in Steamboat — it’s a great facility and great crowd. Everyone likes to win a Steamboat series.”

Steer Wrestling Sponsors: Ron and Janice Forcum Steer wrestlers, also known as bulldoggers, try to toss a steer onto its back after jumping off a quarter horse. Courage, timing and balance are essential. The objective: Get the steer on the ground the fastest using only strength and leverage. Done correctly, the event takes only three to five seconds. The cowboy starts his run behind a barrier with another cowboy called a hazer, who keeps the steer from turning away. The steer is then given a head start. When it reaches the “scoreline” and the rope barrier is released, the steer wrestler and the hazer chase the steer until the wrestler can make his jump. The wrestler then hooks his right arm around the steer’s right horn, grasps the left horn with his left hand and digs his heels into the dirt and uses leverage to bring down the animal. Keep an eye on: In the rough-and-tumble steer wrestling event, look for Wyoming’s Cutter DeHart to try to retain his 2014 crown, but not without a run for his money from fellow Wyoming steer wrestler Dan Cathcart, who won the title in 2013. Wrapping up a Wyoming trifecta, 2012 winner Tony Larsen of nearby Sheridan, Wyoming, is also in the running to top the podium this year, as is three-time series champion Shawn Mills. “I’ve been competing in Steamboat every year since 1990,” says Cathcart, a mainstay rider on the Steamboat circuit who is not going down without a fight. “It’s a great get-away and a great rodeo. They treat all the contestants well, it has a good climate and is a great town. I vote for it as Rodeo of the Year every season.” As for winning the crown again, Cathcart adds it comes down to luck and simply showing up. “A handful of guys could win it every year,” he says. “I’m fortunate to be able to make it to most of the events each year. It just comes down to where you’re sitting toward the end of the season.”

Saddle Bronc Riding Sponsor: Mountain Valley Bank Unlike bareback riding, where the cowboy grabs a rigging fastened to the horse’s back, a saddle bronc rider grips a thick rein attached to the horse’s halter. He must then mark out the horse as in bareback riding. As the horse bucks, the rider bends his knees to pull his heels back and then snaps his feet back to the horse’s shoulder as the animal’s front feet hit the ground, synchronizing spurring with the horse’s movements. The rider is judged on spurring action, body control and 2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

Photo by Zan Blundell

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

the degree to which he keeps his toes turned out. The horse’s bucking action contributes to the score, just as in bareback riding. Keep an eye on: While Riverton, Wyoming’s Colin Stalley rode away with the 2013 saddle bronc title, and is a three-time consecutive winner of the coveted Pat Mantle Memorial Bronc Riding Championship, Missouri’s Cody Martin is the reigning champion, besting all other riders in 2014. Also look for pressure from Wheatland, Wyoming’s Brandon Munn, another past winner of the Steamboat title who has also won the Pat Mantle three times previously. “The Steamboat rodeo’s always great,” says Stalley, who plans to make it down for as many Steamboat rodeos as he can. “There are always great animals here and a great crowd.” As he guns for his fourth overall title, Munn adds that winning requires placing well in the majority of events, with several top two finishes and a few top four results. “It takes consistency and a little luck,” he says.

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BaRRel RaCinG Sponsors: RAM Rodeo (Pee Wee & Juniors: Steamboat Flyﬁsher) The goal of barrel racing is to run a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels in the fastest time. The horses pivot on their haunches at high speeds and execute each turn with only inches to spare. Normally, quarter horses are used in barrel racing. A knocked-over barrel incurs a five-second penalty. Keep an eye on: Local favorite Wendy McKee might not have had to travel as far as other competitors in last year’s barrel racing event to get to Steamboat, and she made the most of it by posting her second straight overall title in the tight-turning race. But expect 2012 title winner Sami Jo Sweeney from Fort Lupton, Colorado, to pressure her all the way to the fi nal podium in August. And don’t rule out an unprecedented sixth podium fi nish by perennial favorite and five-time winner Julie Haskins from nearby Maybell, Colorado, who knows Romick Arena as well as anyone.

Bull RiDinG

Sponsor: Booco’s Contract Services In what is hoped to be an eight-second ride, the rider holds a flat-braided rope in his glove hand. As he settles onto his bull in the chute, he pulls the rope’s tail through a loop and wraps the rope around his riding hand, at times weaving it through his fingers for better grip. Each bull has a different style of bucking — some spin, others circle, others throw in jumps or kicks, and others move sideways in mid-

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air. As the cowboy waves his free hand to counter the bull’s gyration and maintain his balance, he must avoid touching the bull with that hand or he is disqualified. The cowboy’s control and the bull’s bucking efforts each account for half the score. Keep an eye on: It’s been a long time coming for Yoder, Wyoming’s Clayton Savage, 28, to regain the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series’ coveted bull-riding crown. Winning the hold-onto-the-seat-of-your-pants event for three years straight from 2007 to 2009, Savage finally wound up on top again last year after a five-year drought by besting local favorite and 2013 series winner Jake Booco, of Hayden, when the end-of-the-season points were tallied. But don’t count out Booco, 2012 winner Dillon Kujala of Burns, Colorado, or 2011 winner Brady Menge from giving Savage a run for his money this season. “There are a lot of great circuit riders that come to Steamboat every year, and just about any of them could win on any given day,” says Savage, adding the Steamboat rodeo’s bulls are some of the best in the business. “I love coming to Steamboat because the atmosphere is great, the people are nice and it’s a beautiful arena in the mountains. Plus, the bonuses they give riders are great also.” Adds rodeo announcer John Shipley, “Bull riding is one of the crowd favorites, and it always seems to come down to the wire for the title.”

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

 BEhind thE Stock Contractors: The secret to success

ehind every great ride you see in Romick Arena are the unsung heroes of all rodeos: the animals providing cowboys their rides. Top-notch stock is what lures top-notch riders, and the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series brings in only the best. The animals beneath every contestant are as athletic as their riders, bred specifically for rodeoing. They’re taken care of by the best stock providers in the country, arriving fresh and ready to go every weekend. And this is where the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series truly shines. The rodeo’s animal needs are subcontracted to some of the best stock contractors in the country, providing fresh mounts at every event — something not many rodeos offer.

“The Steamboat rodeo uses a bunch of different stock contractors, so they always have great horses,” says threetime Pat Mantle Memorial Bronc Riding winner Colin Stalley. “Competitors love that about the Steamboat rodeo.” This year’s contractor lineup promises high-flying fun all season long. The 10week series will see animals from three stock contractors, ensuring the best buckers in the business. “Every contractor has its own competitor following, so three contractors ensure well-rounded participation,” says rodeo administrator Char Mighton. “Everyone’s always excited about riding fresh mounts.” Providing stock for the first four weeks this season is Southwick’s Rocky Mountain Rodeo from Jay Em,

Wyoming, followed by Picket Pro Rodeo of Fairfield, Texas, for the next three weekends, and Avondale’s Harry Vold Rodeo Co. closing out the final three weekends of Steamboat rodeo action. “Quality animals are the key to a great rodeo,” says stock provider Kirsten Vold, whose 32,000-acre Avondale ranch houses more than 600 horses and 150 bulls. “Riders and spectators always see quality buckers in Steamboat.” The Steamboat rodeo is also high on Southwick’s list, which supplies 35 rodeos a year. “We have good, fat, healthy livestock that will buck,” says owner Glenn Southwick. “And we know everything about them — from the up-and-comers to the potential superstars.”

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Rodeo Entertainers

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ou can call them clowns, but barrelmen is probably more accurate. While part of their job is to entertain audiences during breaks in the action, their real job, along with the bullfighters, is to protect cowboys’ backs once they’re off their mounts — which is risky business. How would you like to lure a bucking bull away from its intended target? But they’re also great entertainers, whose acts have been polished for years. Following are the performers you’ll see jumping into barrels and backfiring jalopies this season.

J.W. Winklepleck June 19-20, July 10-11, July 24-25, Aug. 21-22 Opening and closing out this year’s Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series is crowd favorite J.W. Winklepleck. Winklepleck started riding in Steamboat in 1994, won the bareback competition in 2000 and almost another in 2007 before turning to entertaining. “I enjoy both clowning and riding,” he says. “But you can’t ride bucking horses forever.” He’s since carved out a niche as a barrelman and performer, getting up close with the audience the whole time. On any given night you’re as apt to see him riding a bucking bronc or donning his clown gear and snowboarding (manureboarding?) behind a horse — something near and dear to those in Steamboat. He’s also known for his announcer rapport, with his banter providing some of the best entertainment of the night. “The atmosphere at the Steamboat rodeo is way above most other rodeos,” he says. “You can’t beat the scenery; it’s a fun committee and a great town.”

Keith Isley June 26-27, July 3-4 Ask Keith Isley to speak in front of people at a Kiwanis Club meeting and he couldn’t do it. Believe it or not, he has a shy side. But with “make-up on in front of 10,000 people,” he says, “it’s non-stop action.” Isley got into rodeo at 15, bareback riding and taking on bulls. He realized early on he enjoyed protecting the cowboys more than

J.W. Winklepleck

Photo by Zan Blundell

competing. He’s been voted PRCA Clown of the Year three years running and is an eight-time PRCA Specialty Act of the Year award winner. He also swept the Coors Man in the Can, Comedy Act of the Year and Clown of the Year awards at the annual PRCA Awards. His acts include trick roping and riding, as well as animal routines. “We do quite a few different acts,” Isley says. “We try to do something different every night.” What started as a weekend gig has now turned into a career. He’ll work the biggest rodeo in the world one week and a high school rodeo the next. “I’m the most blessed person in the rodeo business,” he says. “I’m going to make dang sure I don’t forget where I came from.”

Troy Lerwill July 17-18 That Troy Lerwill’s nickname is “The Wild Child” should say something about what’s in store in his act. Hint: It usually involves motorcycles. The Payson, Utah, native started his rodeo career before he reached puberty and was competing on a motorcycle by age 10. By 18,

The McMillan Family trick riders Aug. 7-8

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Ranch-raised in Soap Lake, Washington, and born with the desire to ride and entertain, the seven — yes, seven — McMillan siblings, including Caleb, 13, Riley, 11, Hanna, 10, Nick, 10, Davey, 7, Zane, 5, and Josie, 4, will thrill you with riding stunts and fast-paced vaulting. With each riding their own horse that they trust with their lives, and taught by trick rider Joanie Parsons, they’ll wow you with riding tricks you never thought possible in their first visit to Steamboat’s Romick Arena. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind performance.

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

Lerwill was the top-ranked professional motocross rider in Utah. Now he’s moved on to safer sports, like bullfighting. Lerwill started his bullfighting career in 1994, first as a barrelman. But his lifelong love for motorcycles took over, and he quickly incorporated them into his acts. In 1998, “The Wild Child” was born. Now celebrating his two-wheeled act’s 17th year, Lerwill has performed at rodeos across the country, including the biggest of them all, the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, bringing his high-flying, wheel-spinning fun to crowds wherever he goes.

“RoCkeT” RYan liTWin July 31-Aug. 1 One of the industry’s most recognizable talents, “Rocket Ryan” is a true entertainer combining quick wit, crowd interaction and high energy in every performance. With 10 years under his belt buckle as a professional rodeo entertainer, he works hard to bring something different to his performances. Spending an average of 160 days a year on the road entertaining rodeo fans around the world, the lifelong hunter and professional hunting guide now living

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

in College Station, Texas, is looking forward to his first visit to Steamboat. When not hunting, guiding or entertaining rodeo fans, you can also find the barrelman hosting a variety of hunting and other outdoor TV shows on the Pursuit Channel. “This will be my first time visiting Steamboat, but as a mountain man from Bozeman now living in Southeast Texas, I’m looking forward to the cooler temps and higher elevation,” he says.

JohnnY “BaCkFliP” DuDleY Aug. 7-8 Look for an exploding limousine and cow patty when Johnny “Backflip” Dudley hits the Romick Arena on Aug. 7 and 8, as well as his popular “mailman with a surprise.” Just don’t expect the 37-year-old’s trademark backflip, a nickname given to him by announcers for backflipping every time he entered the arena to ride. “It was a cool move to do when I was 22 years old and riding,” says the Denton, Texas, entertainer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “But I don’t do it too much anymore.” Instead, look for plenty of other action that will have you in stitches during Dudley’s first — and long-awaited — visit to

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Steamboat. “I’m really looking forward to performing at the Steamboat rodeo,” he says. “It’s been on my list for a long time.”

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John BeCk Aug. 14-15 Bluffdale, Utah’s John Beck worked his first rodeo as a clown at age 13, and he hasn’t looked back except to see if there’s a bull chasing him. A PRCA entertainer since age 18, he loves to make people laugh and put smiles on their faces; getting knocked around in the barrel is just icing on the cake. Whether it be a wild boar on the loose, an exercise session with Richard Simmons, a car explosion or riding a giant puppet, his antics will keep you on the edge of your seat. Selected to perform in two Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeos, he attributes his success to being taught by some of rodeo’s best — tricks of the trade he’s more than happy to pass along to spectators this year at Romick Arena.

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 mini bareback Small riders are a big draw

oney, I shrunk the horse! No, that’s not the newest movie coming out of Hollywood. It’s the latest rodeo event to hit the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. Debuting at the Steamboat rodeo last year, this year marks the second time the event will take place at Romick Arena, with the contests slated for July 25 and 26 and July 31 and Aug. 1, as young riders prepare for a berth in Las Vegas during the National Finals. The event features two categories, a youth division for riders 9 and younger and an older division for riders ages 10 to 13. Just like the bigger bareback riders, they’re required to mark out, spur and hang on for six seconds, with both horse and rider judged on a scale of one to 25. “Everything’s the same,” says Hayden’s Donnie Hayes, whose Rocky Mountain Mini Broncs down valley provides many of the horses for the competition. “It’s just like the big guys,

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just littler horses and littler kids. Last year, it went over really well, and this year should be even better.” Some of these diminutive horses are raised locally by Kaitlynn and Keenan Hayes and others come from Texas. While the average PRCA bareback horse weighs about 1,100 pounds, the miniature horses weigh between 350 pounds for the younger riders and 750 pounds for the older kids. And in that small package comes a whole lot of buck. At last year’s debut, says Hayes, regular PRCA riders like AJ Colletti and Christopher Thomas quickly embraced the younger generation of cowboy. “They sort of adopted the kids and coached them before they rode,” Hayes says. “They welcomed them with open arms.” The older riders recognized the commitment and talent of their smaller spin-offs, who have been riding a long time, starting with the Mutton Bustin’ events at the Routt County Fair. The kids also train on mechanical bulls

and bucking dummies, all part of what Hayes calls the “Buck-’em to Vegas Tour.” Coached by such local cowboys as Wayne Wagner, Rick Uptain and Hayes, local riders to keep your eyes on this year include J.D. Case in the younger division and Ezra Wagner, Kody Ingols, Keenan Hayes and Kollin Decker in the older division — all of whom are working toward qualifying for Nationals. As for the horses, favorite buckers include a small quarter horse named Snip and a Welsh pony named Barbie for the older riders, and 380-pound Shetland pony FizzBomb for the youngsters. “He’s pure dynamite,” Hayes says. “A great bucker.” No matter the size, with topnotch horses and riders it’s another great addition to the Steamboat rodeo. “It’s a great crowd pleaser,” says Hayes, adding 12 kids will compete each night. “It’s completely different than what you’d expect. They’re all fantastic riders.” 2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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Past Rodeo Series Champions Bareback Matt Webber, 1985; Tracy Lawton, 1986; Mark Darling, 1987; Brian Swingle, 1988; Jesse Banek, 1989; Gordon Griffith, 1990; Gordon Griffith, 1991; Shane Call, 1992; Shane Call, 1993; Rick Bradley, 1994; Rick Bradley, 1995; Rick Bradley, 1996; George Harty, 1997; Rick Bradley, 1998; Mitch Walz, 1999; J.W. Winklepleck, 2000; Travis Carlson, 2001; Gary Burgener, 2002; Zach Curran, 2003; Cody Fox, 2004; Jerad Schlegel, 2005; Jerad Schlegel, 2006; Micky Downare, 2007; Larry Streweler, 2008; Craig Wisehart, 2009; Craig Wisehart, 2010; David Streweler, 2011; Craig Wisehart, 2012; Anthony Thomas, 2013; Micky Downare, 2014.

Saddle bronc Marty Forester, 1985; Wes Hertzog, 1986; Steve Claypoole, 1987; Clay Keller, 1988; Dane Noyce, 1989; Wes Hertzog, 1990; Harry Virden, 1991; Chuck Halloway, 1992; Tommy Cress, 1993; Wes Hertzog, 1994; Brett Brooks, 1995; Colt Bruegman, 1996; Marty Forester, 1997; Mitch Walz, 1998; Mitch Walz, 1999; Josh Bilbrey, 2000; Bryan Costner, 2001; Chet Johnson, 2002; Ryan Rodewald, 2003; Ryan Rodewald, 2004; Britt Trumbull, 2005; Chance Skelton, 2006; Brandon Munn, 2007; Brandon Munn, 2008; Travis Darling, 2009; Jake Griffin, 2010; Jake Griffin, 2011; Brandon Munn, 2012; Colin Stalley, 2013; Cody Martin, 2014.

Bull riding Steve Cooper, 1985; Ty Rinaldo, 1986; Steve Baker, 1987; Nick Buckley, 1988; Scott Pofahl, 1989; Jeff Cathcart, 1990; Kevin Malovich, 1991; Doug Joseph, 1992; Trent Knez, 1993; Eddie Faircloth, 1994; Hunter Cathcart, 1995; Troy Hipsag, 1996; John Pinnt, 1997; Scott Jacobson, 1998; Sid Killingsworth, 1999; Clint Walker, 2000; Justin Mildenberger, 2001; Jarrod Ford, 2002; Josh Koschel, 2003; Ryan Greenlee, 2004; Josh Kaine Johnson, 2005; Luke Gray, 2006; Clayton Savage, 2007; Clayton Savage, 2008; Clayton Savage, 2009; Lonny Graham, 2010; Brady Menge, 2011; Dillon Kujala, 2012; Jake Booco, 2013; Clayton Savage, 2014.

Tie-down Jerry Green, 1984; Ben Grave, 1985; Jerry Kraft, 1986; Lyle Horn, 1987; Dan Johnson, 1989; K.C. Jones, 1990; Dan Johnson, 1991; Lane Johnson, 1992; Dick Carroll, 1993; Lyle Horn, 1994; Cory Zion, 1995; Charlie Kingsbury, 1996; Jack Hadley, 1997; Jake Clark, 1998; J.D. Crouse, 1999; K.C. Jones,

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

Photo by Zan Blundell

2000; Cory Zion, 2001; Chris Downey, 2002; J.G. Marshall, 2003; K.C. Jones, 2004; Joe Colletti, 2005; Trevor Theil, 2006; Trevor Theil, 2007; Joe Colletti, 2008; Troy Hubbard, 2009; Darnell Johnson, 2010; Mark Black, 2011; Chase Johnston, 2012; Jake Hamilton, 2013; Jake Hamilton, 2014.

Steer wrestling Mardell McKnight, 1989; Mark McNamee, 1990; Dick Schneider, 1991; Eric Pickering, 1992; Eric Pickering, 1993; Craig Stein, 1994; Dan Cathcart, 1995; Eric Pickering, 1996; R.C. Harbour, 1997; Doug Cox, 1998; Leon Vick, 1999; Wade Corliss, 2000; Wade Corliss, 2001; Jimmy Allen, 2002; Eric Pickering, 2003; Bill Claunch, 2004; Cole Fritzlan, 2005: Shawn Mills, 2006; Jake Simmons, 2007; Wyatt Johnson, 2008; Theo Federer, 2009; Shawn Mills, 2010; Shawn Mills, 2011; Tony Larsen, 2012; Dan Cathcart, 2013; Cutter Dehart, 2014. SteamboatProRodeo.com

TeaM RoPinG Merrit Linke, 1985; Port Toft, 1986; Dan Haskins, 1987; Marty Seeley, 1988; Port Toft, 1989; Lee Lancaster and Chris Glover, 1990; Steve Winnery, 1991; Kevin Norell, 1992; Joe Roderick, 1993; Grant Scheer, 1994; Lee Lancaster and Lynn Lancaster, 1995; Greg Barrier and Dennis Hathcock, 1996; Randy Mekelburg and Lee Lancaster, 1997; Dwight Arnold and Mike Christnick, 1998; John Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor and Taz Green, 1999; Paul Griesman and Bret Tonozzi, 2000; Troy Kreutzer and Tim Kreutzer, 2001; Paul Beckett, 2002; Luke Lancaster and Jason Gilchrist, 2003; Lance Allen, 2004; Lance Allen and Paul Beckett, 2005; Shawn Hagler and Alan Erickson, 2006; Jerod Farella, 2007; Jay Tittel, 2008; Shawn Harler and Riley Pedro, 2009; Lee and Luke Lancaster, 2010; Lance Allen and Jake Day, 2011; Lee Hagler and Riley Pedro, 2012; Paul Beckett and Clayton Van Aken, 2013; Tyler Schnaufer and J.W. Borrego, 2014.

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Mekelburg, 1997; Mitch Walz, 1998; Mitch Walz, 1999; Chris Downey, 2001; Jarrod Ford, 2002; Luke Lancaster, 2003; K.C. Jones, 2004; K.C. Jones, 2005; Mario Baleztena, 2006; Joe Colletti, 2007; Mario Baleztena, 2008; Mario Baleztena, 2009; Cole Dorenkamp, 2010; K.C. Jones, 2011; Calvin Brevik, 2012; Clayton Van Aken, 2013; Cole Dorenkamp, 2014.

BaRRel RaCinG Tina Lenard, 1985; Coleen Burman, 1986; Casey Fawcett, 1987; Susan Campbell, 1988; Sonja Rose, 1989; Vicki Donaho, 1990; Raedene Spears, 1991; Julie Haskins, 1992; Julie Haskins, 1993; Mary Anderson, 1994; Mary Anderson, 1995; Mary Anderson, 1996; Mary Anderson, 1997; Gayla Shaefer, 1998; Mary Anderson, 1999; Casey Shelsted, 2000; Bonny Wheatley 2001; Belinda Brownell, 2002; Ranette Taylor, 2003; Bonnie Austin, 2004; Margie Ward, 2005; Margie Ward, 2006; Margie Ward, 2007; Kelly Koeppen, 2008; Julie Haskins, 2009; Julie Haskins, 2010; Julie Haskins, 2011; Sami Jo Sweeney, 2012; Wendy McKee, 2013; Wendy McKee, 2014.

PaT ManTle MeMoRial BRonC RiDinG

all-aRounD CoWBoY Steve Claypoole, 1987; Dar Haskins, 1991; Shane Call, 1992; Shane Call, 1993; Tammy Brennan, 1994; Tyke Bennett, 1995; Tyke Bennett, 1996; Randy

Marty Forester, 1993; Eudell Larsen, 1994; Brett Brooks, 1995; Justin Miller, 1996; Brett Brooks, 1997; Mitch Walz, 1998; Todd McCaughey, 1999; Mitch Walz, 2000; Mitch Walz, 2001; Chet Johnson, 2002; Britt Trumbull, 2003; Brandon Munn, 2004; Andy Kurtz, 2005; Chad Mosher, 2006; Tate Owens, 2007; Brandon Munn, 2008; Travis Darling, 2009; Brandon Munn, 2010; Brandon Munn, 2011; Colin Stalley, 2012; Colin Stalley, 2013; Colin Stalley, 2014.

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

 WranglEr livE Steamboat Rodeo Series to air on TV

ike the action you see at the Romick Rodeo Arena? Now you can watch the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series when you’re back home as well. This year, the series announced it will have a new presence on the Wrangler Network’s rodeo-only YouTube channel, letting you follow the action all summer long. The series has also revamped its Facebook page and website to make getting information — and entertainment — on the Steamboat rodeo easier than ever. “We’re finally stepping up our digital presence so our fans can follow the action year-round,” says Brent Romick, the series’ board chairman and arena director. The most exciting part of the

improvements will be the video clips coming to the Wrangler Network, a PRCA rodeo-specific portal billing itself as “the only online network built exclusively for those living the Western Lifestyle.” The site offers live rodeo coverage, stats and clips, songs from upand-coming country music artists, rodeo news, lifestyle content and more. On the video front, you’ll find clips of PRCAsanctioned rodeos, interviews with athletes and country musicians and, yes, even clips from the rodeos in Steamboat Springs. “It’ll be a great way for even more people to see what a world-class rodeo event we host here in Steamboat,” Romick adds. Info: www.wranglernetwork.com

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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Sanctioned Ranch Rodeo adds action to Roundup Days

Photo by Joel Reichenberger

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he heart and soul of the cowboy life centers around ranching, working cattle and exceptional horse-handling abilities. Put those skills into a team of cowboys competing against one another in an arena, and you have the excitement of a Working Ranch Cowboys Association Ranch Rodeo. In partnership with the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and the City of Steamboat Springs, the local Pro Rodeo Board is staging the WRCA event Thursday, July 2, starting at 7:30 p.m. in Romick Arena as part of the 112th Steamboat Springs Cowboys’ Roundup Days. The Steamboat event is one of 23 WRCAsanctioned performances representing ranch teams from Florida to Arizona. Participants meet strict guidelines as cowboys who make a living on working ranches. The winning team from each of the WRCA rodeos automatically qualifies for the WRCA World Championship scheduled in Amarillo, Texas, from Nov. 12 to 15. Steamboat will have 12 teams participating from Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Wyoming. Each team will compete in ranch bronc riding, trailer loading, wild cow milking, stray gathering and team sorting. In addition to competing for a spot in the National Championships, cash prizes will be awarded to the top teams. Rodeo’s roots in Steamboat date back to historic ranch rodeos on the same ground that is now home to Romick Arena. Ranchers and their families gathered at the site for picnics and other activities, but the highlight was always a friendly but fiercely competitive series of events focused on daily ranching chores centered around handling horses and cattle and roping skills. In the early days, there were no chutes or fenced arenas, and the spectators formed the outer boundaries. The action-packed Ranch Rodeos have become extremely popular from coast to coast in recent years as fans have enjoyed the skills of working cowboys. Tickets for the Ranch Rodeo are $20 for adults and $10 for kids. 2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

 Rodeo Terminology

ou might hear a few new words or phrases that aren’t in your regular vocabulary at rodeo events at Romick Arena. It’s all part of the jargon here at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. The following guide will help you decipher the drawl:

All-around cowboy

Hazer The cowboy who rides alongside the steer to keep it running straight in steer wrestling. Generally, steer wrestlers give 25 percent of whatever they win to their hazers. Often, one hazer will haze for several steer wrestlers, and many wrestlers haze for other wrestlers.

A title given to the athlete who accumulates the most money in two or more events.

Hooey

Barrier

Header/Heeler

Two pieces of rope connected by a piece of kite string in front of the chute. In timed events, if the cowboy breaks through the barrier before it is released by another rope tied to the steer or calf, a 10-second penalty is assessed.

Chute The area where an animal is held prior to the event. In rough stock events, this is where the cowboy gets on the animal just in front of the grandstands. The timed-event chutes are at the west end of the stadium.

Initial contact rule Term used in bareback and saddle bronc riding referring to where the cowboy’s heels, or spurs, are positioned on the animal when it leaves the chute. The cowboy’s feet are required to be above the horse’s shoulders; if not, a judge will throw a yellow flag, nullifying the ride. The rule doesn’t apply to bull riding.

The half-hitch a tie-down roper uses to secure the calf.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo The biggest rodeo of the year, held in December, ups its purse this year to $10 million, thanks to a new contract with host city Las Vegas. Only the top 15 money winners in each event qualify for the 10-round rodeo, which determines the world champion in each event.

Rank

In team roping, the cowboy who catches the steer’s horns (header) and hind legs (heeler).

No, this is not the animal’s (or cowboy’s) smell. It’s a term used to describe a particularly vicious bull or bucking horse. Most often, it’s a compliment — generally, the ranker a bull or bronc, the higher the score.

Mountain States Circuit

Riding events

One of 12 professional rodeo regions, including rodeos in Colorado and Wyoming. Cowboys earn points for each performance, with those earning the most qualifying for the Ram National Circuit Finals.

A term used to refer to the saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding events.

Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo

Slack

Held in Kissimmee, Florida, on April 8, 9 and 10, 2016, and featuring contestants from each of rodeo’s 12 geographic circuit systems, this rodeo awards more than $1 million in cash and prizes, including $20,000 vouchers off a new Ram truck to eight different winners in eight rodeo events. World champions and weekend cowboys alike qualify based on how they do in their home circuits.

A few from the lighter side %&$!

Rough stock Livestock used in riding events as opposed to timed events.

Often, more cowboys enter a rodeo than there are slots to compete. Cowboys not scheduled to compete in the performance post their times or scores during slack, held after the Friday night performance. Scores and times from slack count just like those posted during the regular performance.

Timed events Any event in which a competitor is racing against the clock.

Manure That byproduct that comes from horses, and livestock’s derrieres responsible for the arena’s fragrant aroma.

from getting chafed. Pronounce it “chaps,” and you’re referring to a Ralph Lauren cologne.

Yeehaw! AKA Gosh Darnit!, a term you Multi-purpose exclamation of apmight hear when a bull rider fails Howdy proval or encouragement. to ride the necessary eight seconds Typical cowboy greeting, morning, or a heeler fails to rope a steer’s noon and night. Sometimes doubled Lawn-darted/ hind legs. A good time to cover your up to “Howdy, Howdy.” child’s ears with your cowboy hat. Chilled Terms used to describe various Chaps degrees of ugly, head-landing buckHyah! (Pronounced “shaps”) offs. Use: “Boy, Big Red lawn-darted A one-syllable version of “Giddyup” Leather leggings worn over jeans to prevent derrieres and thighs you. You got chilled.” used to spur a horse along.

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

SteamboatProRodeo.com

 imProvEmEntS Arena updates continue The Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series is one of the most successful rodeo series in the country and an integral element in the summertime culture of the Yampa Valley. At its heart is the Brent A. Romick Rodeo Arena, a vital part of the Howelsen Hill City Park complex and an important amenity for residents and visitors. With the last major rodeo facility improvement completed in 1990, which added the main grandstands, awnings and the current arena, the grounds are now ready for additional improvements. At the forefront is a proposed plan that creates a multi-use facility for different community events and uses, including the addition of several plaza spaces promoting year-round community gathering and accommodating a variety of activities and group sizes. (Notice

the beautiful new chutes, gates and pens under and around the grandstand.) Beneﬁts of the new plan include:  Increased safety for animals, contestants and visitors  A better guest experience  A centralized, multi-purpose plaza, amphitheater, vendor and kids play area that’s attractive to a broad range of user groups  Improved efficiency for operations and maintenance, making the facility more sustainable  More parking, including a centralized parking area in Howelsen Hill Park  Improved rodeo arenas, pens and chutes  Allowance for more efficient winter (Nordic) and summer (rodeo) activities  Better spectator seating

Improved vehicular and pedestrian circulation and access RV hook-ups The Rodeo Facility Improvement Committee is working with the Steamboat community to raise funds for these improvements. Interested donors are encouraged to visit www. steamboatsprings.net/recreation or www.steamboatprorodeo.com for more information.

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

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8 SEcondS With chad BEdEll

had Bedell is an Elk river valley cowboy through and through, his family ranching along the river for nearly 100 years. he got his first mount at age 3 and rode his horsemanship all the way to a World championship belt buckle in steer wrestling in 1996. these days, with a degree in agricultural economics from utah State university, the Steamboat Springs Pro rodeo Series board member serves as ranch manager at marabou ranch along the Elk river, raising a carefully managed herd of grass-fed, red angus steers while balancing the development needs of the 21st century in the new West. We caught up with him for his take on everything from ranching to rodeoing. My first horse was a big old quarter horse named Flipper Bee. We grew up right on the river at Moonhill, and we played a lot on horseback. We’d ride right through the willows and the sloughs playing tag. The traveling I did as a rodeo cowboy, mingling with cowboys from all across the country, helped me with my current career. Our philosophy with the ranch, where we have a herd of about 65 head on 1,800 acres, is not to put the land under pressure but to produce a healthier product while improving the environment. We’re deliberately understocked. It’s pretty much the same daily chores and duties as running a working ranch; you’re just working with many owners instead of one. Today’s steer wrestlers are bigger and faster than we were back in my day. The techniques are much the same, it’s just a new generation of young kids who are very talented. Rodeo has taught me the value of perseverance and the reward of hard work. It’s also given me some life-long friends that I never would have met otherwise. I love the camaraderie among contestants who help one another even though it may mean helping them beat you. As a young kid, I watched the Steamboat rodeo when Brent Romick started it as a weekly jackpot, so I guess it’s time to help out where I can. Steamboat’s rodeo committee has a lot of dedicated, intelligent people who donate a lot of time to make it work. It’s a great privilege to learn from these people and help make it a success. Photo by John f. russell

2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

SteamboatProrodeo.com

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2015 Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

SteamboatProrodeo.com