Sheridan WYO Rodeo 2014

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Sheridan WYO Rodeo | THE SHERIDAN PRESS 5

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FEATURES 24 Sankey anniversary This is the 20th year the Sheridan WYO Rodeo has contracted with Sankey Pro Rodeo.

BY HANNAH WIEST

90 C.J. Box | Parade marshal Box joins a long list of people who have been honored in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade.

BY TOM RINGLEY

102 Broader impacts A self-starting economic stimulus.

BY TRACEE DAVIS

70

Where The West is 1 From historical to recreational to cultural to theatrical, there is an amazing diversity and collection of interests to choose from.

BY ALISA BRANTZ

Nick Albrecht sits on the horse chutes to get a front row seat at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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CONTENTS

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

14 WELCOME

34-50 Event breakdown

67 Sponsors

86 Sneakers & Spurs

Check out these ideas of other things to do in town.

What to know about each event of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

“This is a community event and that's what makes it so special."

Participants on the rise for the Sneakers and Spurs 5k.

17 Rodeo president’s letter 54 Will Rasmussen

74 Volunteers

88 Bed races

Let’s get WYO’d!

80-year legacy of homegrown community collaboration.

What has four wheels, eight legs and carries two people at a time?

76 Spurs & Spikes

90 C.J. Box: Parade marshal

This announcer likes Sheridan best!

20 Fairground improvements 56 Pick-up men Crews work all week to maintain the rodeo grounds.

Pick them up, set them down — these guys protect cowboys

Gold tournament honors Chris LeDoux.

Box joins a long list of people who have been honored in the parade.

22 Rodeo security

58 Bull fighters

94 Duck races

Feel safe? You should with these guys.

34 years of fearless fight — How about one more round?

78 Teepee Raising & Powwow Celebrate Native American culture.

Rubber duckies help Kiwanis raise money for children.

28 Indian Relay Races

60 Crash Cooper

82 Boot Kickoff

96 Carnival & Street dance

Strength, glory and tribute — Riding for the horses.

While a regular at the rodeo, his act is anything but routine.

Music, food, fun — Something for the entire family!

After a thrilling night of rodeo, crowds mix and mingle.

32 Starting with a BANG

62 Rodeo royalty

84 Pancake breakfast

104 Contestant list

Oscar Rucki’s cannon blast kicks off the A lifelong committment, Sheridan WYO Rodeo. a year of service.

Sheridan WYO Rodeo tradition, fill up before the parade.

List of contestants competing in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

ON THE COVER: Dusty Hausauer of Dickinson, North Dakota, competes in saddle bronc riding during the 2013 Sheridan WYO Rodeo at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

8 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

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Licia Bleidner

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Enjoyed the Sheridan WYO Rodeo?

View more images and stories on our website at www.thesheridanpress.com.

THE SHERIDAN PRESS PUBLISHER: Stephen Woody EDITORIAL Managing Editor: Kristen Czaban Journalist: Alisa Brantz Journalist: Hannah Wiest Journalist: Christina Schmidt Journalist: Tracee Davis Sports Editor: Mike Pruden Editorial Graphics: Doug Sanders Photojournalist: Justin Sheely SALES DEPARTMENT Marketing Director: Phil Ashley Advertising Sales: Janea LaMeres Advertising Sales: Lisa Marton Legals & Obituaries: Sheree Cossel Classifieds: Maureen Legerski

See the Sheridan WYO Rodeo magazine and other Destination Sheridan publications for FREE online at

www.thesheridanpress.com

GRAPHICS Graphic Designer: Jonathan Cates Graphic Designer: Nicole Scofield OFFICE MANAGER: Becky Martini CIRCULATION Circulation Manager: Yvonne Cossel Circulation Clerk: Tami Starbuck PRODUCTION Production Manager: Mark Blumenshine Pressman: Todd Martin Pressman: Thomas Miller Mailroom Supervisor: Chad Riegler Operator: Zack Boren Inserter: Thomas Hopping Inserter: Kathy Adamson Inserter: Shawn Hart

Destination Sheridan is a lifestyle magazine dedicated to serving the greater Sheridan Area. It’s circulation reach is into visitor centers, places of hospitality, motels, local businesses and other establishments in the northern Wyoming area, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado and home delivery customers of The Sheridan Press. It is also available online: www.thesheridanpress.com.

All photos in Destination Sheridan are by Justin Sheely or are file photos from The Sheridan Press archives unless credited otherwise.

Copyright Sheridan Newspapers, Inc. Feedback: Send letters regarding editorial content to The Sheridan Press, P.O. Box 2006/144 Grinnell St., Sheridan, Wyoming 82801; or news@thesheridanpress.com.

Letters and email submissions must include the writer’s complete name, hometown and phone number.

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If you would like to advertise in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo magazine or any other Destination Sheridan magazines, please contact any of the following sales representatives.

DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENT: Janea LaMeres janea@thesheridanpress.com ph: 307-672-2431 ext. 7023 Lisa Marton lisa@thesheridanpress.com ph: 307-672-2431 ext. 7022

Classifieds: Maureen Legerski classifieds@thesheridanpress.com ph: 307-672-2431

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The Sheridan Press CONTRIBUTORS Kristen Czaban

Stephen Woody

Kristen Czaban has covered just about every beat in the newsroom at The Press in her six years at the company and now serves as the managing editor. As a former Chicago resident, she wasn’t sure how she would find her place in the Wild West, but she quickly took advantage of every Western opportunity available —hunting, brandings, etc.

She has helped develop new websites, started a women’s conference in Sheridan known as the FAB (For. About. By) Women’s Conference and has a goal this summer to summit Cloud Peak in the Bighorn Mountains. She lives in Sheridan with her husband and their weimeraner pal, Toby, and enjoys hiking, good books and loud music.

Stephen Woody first visited Sheridan in 1976 and likely said, or thought something like this: “This is cool place. I’d like to live here someday.” The dream was realized in 2011 when he became the Press’ publisher. He has been a community daily newspaper publisher since 1980 in four distinctly different markets (Arizona, North Carolina, Colorado) with Sheridan being the destination. A second-generation, award-winning newspaper publisher and journalist, Woody has written more than 7,000 columns and editorials and has been active in local leadership positions. He’s a cancer survivor who has landed “butter side up” thanks to family, friends, good medicine and angels. He enjoys golf, books, jazz and relentlessly spoils his children and grandchildren.

Hannah Wiest

Tracee Davis

Hannah Wiest wrote her first piece of journalism — a gripping report about her year of living in a motorhome and traveling around the U.S. — when she was 6 years old. She has since visited 49 states and nine countries. Wiest dabbled in angstridden poetry in her teens before regaining her senses and earning a journalism degree at the University of Wyoming in 2005. She now covers government and outdoors reporting for The Sheridan Press. Wiest enjoys bike riding, backpacking and coffee.

Tracee Davis grew up on the sleepy streets of Kemmerer, Wyoming. After high school, she spent more than six years pursuing youthful, and sometimes violent, exploits on three other continents.

She returned to Wyoming with an unparalleled appreciation of the culture, land and people of the Rocky Mountains. Today, she is a committed wife and mother, a practitioner of yoga and a chocoholic. Tracee tries to live by “The Four Agreements” outlined by Don Miguel Ruiz. They are: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions and always do your best. These guidelines, she says, directly translate into her career as a writer.

Justin Sheely Photojournalist Justin Sheely joined The Sheridan Press staff full time in 2013. He’s rarely seen without a camera — even at his own wedding. He loves coffee and Star Wars.

Nicole Scofield Art Director Nicole Scofield has worked full time at The Sheridan Press since April 2012. Originally a South Dakota native, Nicole attended Black Hills State University majoring in art communications. When not at work, Nicole enjoys exploring her love of Western arts.

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Alisa Brantz Alisa Brantz is a Sheridan transplant, though with her family’s local roots and her quickly formed community ties you wouldn’t know it. She’s a Chicago girl who came to Wyoming by way of Denver, where she met and married Sheridan native Jake. Brantz started at The Press covering sports and the people news before moving to features and education coverage. Giving back to her new hometown, she serves on the Board of Directors at the Dog and Cat Shelter and as team coordinator for the newly formed local roller derby league. Proud mother of Braelynn Grace, 2, she enjoys hiking and fishing the Bighorns as well as all things Disney and watching football at home.

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WELCOME TO SHERIDAN Visit, Live and Learn in Sheridan County How to find out about opportunities When asked, I am eager to share with friends and strangers alike the strengths of Sheridan as I see it. Our tax-friendly state provides unlimited opportunities for businesses to thrive, but Sheridan County provides something extra that sets us apart from other areas of the West.

For years, area leaders have Wendy Smith: President, invested in and achieved a triSheridan County Chamber of Commerce fecta: outdoor recreation, arts Board of Directors and culture, and an impressive menu of educational opportunities for all ages.

The Bighorn Mountains provide a haven for hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing, fishing and hunting. But you need not step foot in the Cloud Peak Wilderness area to enjoy many of these activities. Sheridan boasts almost 15 miles of walking paths and parks looping throughout the city; Kleenburn Recreation Area, Tongue River Canyon, Soldier Ridge Trail and many other locations provide outdoor fun and are mere minutes away.

Thanks to the Sheridan Community Land Trust (www.sheridanclt.org ), Sheridan Travel & Tourism (www.sheridanwyoming.com) and the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce (www.sheridanwyomingchamber.org), information regarding all of these opportunities is readily available.

Sheridan County Board of Commissioners Welcome all rodeo fans to the 84th annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo!

The commissioners and Sheridan County citizens are proud of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and its many contributions to the community. The Sheridan WYO Rodeo offers world class rodeo entertainment as a Wrangler Million Dollar Silver Tour Rodeo, which draws the best contestants from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.

In addition, the weeklong Sheridan WYO Rodeo celebration has an incalculable positive effect on the economic development of the Sheridan area. It offers multiple opportunities for local organizations to garner financial support for various charitable causes and for local businesses to increase sales.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo, aside from its entertainment and economic development values, also serves to remind us of our cultural roots and historic traditions which make Sheridan County what it is today. It is certain the Sheridan WYO Rodeo helped the Sheridan community garner the award of “#1 Small Town for Cowboy Charm” by Western Horseman Magazine.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo doesn’t just happen. The staging of each annual rodeo is totally a volunteer effort spearheaded by the board of directors that is supported by a small army of volunteers. When the generous local and corporate sponsors are added

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In addition to the outdoor activities, the Sheridan area has a number of leaders, volunteers and art aficionados committed to sharing their passion with others. Most evenings, visitors and locals may be found enjoying a live musical event at any number of locations, or catching a theatrical production at one of the many (including the NEW Mars Theater) stages in town. The Civic Theatre Guild (www.sheridanstage.com) and WYO Theater, along with the Sheridan Public Arts Council (www.sheridanpublicarts.com) and Sheridan Artists Guild, et al (www.artinsheridan.com) all provide information regarding performances and other fine art events.

Nicely completing the trifecta, and providing an important complement to the items aforementioned, Sheridan visitors and residents truly embrace the local community college’s mantra: Never stop learning. Many, many organizations, including the YMCA (www.ymcasheridan.org) and The Brinton Museum (www.bbmandm.org) invite the public to participate in lectures, workshops, trainings and classes. Sheridan College (www.sheridan.edu) hosts a number of lecture series, bringing internationally known talent in to share their expertise. The college also offers a number of outdoor learning opportunities at its SpearO-Wigwam Mountain Campus (www.spearowigwam.com).

Whether the topic is local fauna and flora, photography or “How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci,” the educational opportunities are right here for all ages.

Whether you are visiting the Sheridan area, or call it home, I hope you enjoy at least a few of the outdoor, art and educational opportunities available.

Wendy Smith President, Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

to the mix, success is the result. One example of the rodeo’s success is that in the last few years attendance records have reached unprecedented highs.

You, the fans, are key to the success of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Without your enthusiasm, your excitement, your appreciation and your “rodeo attitude,” the efforts of the rodeo board, volunteers and sponsors would be for naught. So, thank you.

And welcome again to the Sheridan WYO rodeo.

Sheridan County Board of Commissioners From left: Robert Rolston, Steve Maier, Terry Cram, Mike Nickel, Tom Ringley

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President, Sheridan WYO Rodeo ZANE GARSTAD

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, I would like to welcome you to Sheridan and the 2014 Sheridan WYO Rodeo. We celebrate the 84th year of this community event that has grown tremendously from its humble beginnings in 1931 to the substantial expansion of recent years.

The growth and popularity of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and surrounding events is an example of the combined efforts of various groups working together to bring the best in entertainment to our community and fans.

We want to pay tribute to one of our own Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board members, Shane Winkler, our World Champion Indian Relay director, who was tragically taken from us this winter.

We will miss him, but know that he is looking down on us from above and is with us every step of the way.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo wouldn’t be what it is today without the great support from the residents and businesses of Sheridan and the surrounding area. Local businesses and organizations work hand-in-hand to provide products and services vital to the success of all the events associated with rodeo week.

We truly appreciate the tremendous support the rodeo receives from our sponsors. As you look through the rodeo program please review all the local and national sponsors that are vital partners in attracting the top cowboys and cowgirls throughout North America. As they support us, we ask that you support them as well.

This year marks the fifth year that the WYO Rodeo is a major stop on the Wrangler Million Dollar Silver Tour. Our top-notch rodeo action is the result of professional contract people who produce the rodeo: from our stock contractor Ike Sankey; our announcer, Will Rasmussen; pick-up men, Billy Ward and Bobby Marriot; the various contract acts; to the folks working behind the

scenes. With the prize money, topnotch stock, and smooth production, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo attracts the top athletes in the world of professional rodeo to give you the best possible entertainment, including the ever-popular World Champion Indian Relay Races.

This is the 20th anniversary of the Sankey Rodeo Company working with the WYO Rodeo, starting in 1994. They have been great partners and have been a huge part of the WYO’s success over the years. The facts speak for themselves – our attendance has grown from 8,552 in 1994 to 19,354 in 2013, an increase of 126 percent; prize money has risen more than 600 percent since 1994 from $40,970 to a record high of $291,417 last year. This tremendous growth was attained by the effort, quality, professionalism and passion for the sport that the Sankeys possess and bring to our community year after year.

Last but not least, we extend our thanks to you – the people in the seats supporting our rodeo. This event wouldn’t happen if you weren’t here; we recognize and appreciate your contribution to the WYO Rodeo.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo is fortunate to work with all these groups who are so passionate and committed to making this event what it is today. Thank you for joining us for the 2014 Sheridan WYO Rodeo. So sit back, relax and get ready…

Let’s Get WYO’d!!

Zane Garstad President, 2013 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Sheridan WYO Rodeo | THE SHERIDAN PRESS 17

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The grandstand arena and track must be prepped weeks in advance, and throughout the rodeo. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Behind the Scenes What goes into maintaining the rodeo grounds before the big week of entertainment?

“It’s all in the details, everything, big and small.”

BY HANNAH WIEST Sometimes it’s what you don’t notice at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo that means the crew of the Sheridan County Fairgrounds has done its job: that restroom sink that works just fine, the fact that you’re not lost because a well-placed sign told you where to go and that freshly mowed grass that looks like grass and not a mini landfill for rodeo-goers’ trash.

“It’s all about the details, everything, big and small,” Fairgrounds Director Jamie Ringley said. “It’s constant maintenance. It’s like a battleship. You have to keep painting it; you have to keep maintaining it, otherwise it’s going to rust.”

Like any good host would, the staff of the fairgrounds works day in and day out to make sure their 40-acre “home” is clean and welcoming for the tens of thousands of guests who will visit during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

“We want them to have the best experience possible up here, and that includes having the place looking good and being functional,” Ringley said.

The chore list is not short.

“It’s pretty much mowing, weed eating, cleaning, repairing any broken gates, hinges, fences, spraying for weeds, cleaning stalls, pretty much making everything look as good as possible,” Maintenance Supervisor Dakota Smith said. “We like to make everything look as good as it can for the events. It makes a big difference around here.”

For the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, the main thing is the dirt. The grandstand arena and track where all the rodeo-ing takes place must be prepped weeks in advance, and throughout the rodeo.

The dirt needs to be 6 to 7 inches deep. It needs to be soft and airy, moist

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but not muddy and definitely not dry.

If it’s too shallow, horses will slide around and struggle to stop, posing danger for horses and riders alike. If it’s too deep, there is a risk of broken legs on rodeo animals.

During rodeo week, the fairgrounds maintenance team begins work at 4 a.m.

They use a water truck to dump four or five 1,500-gallon loads of water before slack begins at 9 a.m.

Once the water has been dropped, crews use the cultipacker — a wheel with multiple saw-toothed rollers pulled behind a tractor — to stir up the dirt, bringing moisture to the surface, crushing dirt clods and compressing stones.

After the cultipacker, out comes the arena-vator. It uses hooks to give the dirt a final fluff-up before the cowboys, cowgirls, clowns and livestock sink their boots

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and hooves into it.

The crew works the dirt following slack, adding more water if needed and making sure it is just right for the evening rodeo.

Then, when everyone else has gone home, crews drop another 12,000 gallons of water to mold the foundation for the rodeo the next day. They wrap up about 1 a.m. and have three hours before their next work day begins.

“Mountain Dew is a staple. And coffee, and energy drinks,” Smith said. “We try to sleep as little as possible.”

This year, the crew has also painted

the fence around the main arena, the crow’s nest on both arenas, office spaces, stall doors and more.

During the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, students from the Wyoming Girl’s School pick up trash in the grandstands, Ringley said. The grandstands are also cleaned each day – because people do notice sticky soda spills, and not in a good way, Smith said.

Apart from maintenance, fairgrounds staff also help keep the Sheridan WYO Rodeo – and all the other events at the grounds throughout the summer – running smooth logistically.

Administrative Assistant Stephanie Zezas keeps impeccable records and makes sure everything and everyone is properly assigned and in-the-know on where to go.

It is those unnoticed details that make the rest of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo so noticeable and alluring. Add in details like the “Exhibit Hall” sign Smith made out of 16-guage sheet metal and a plasma torch, and the fairgrounds sparkle.

“Just having that knowledge of knowing you’re making people happy in one way or another keeps you going,” Smith said.

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Rodeo Security “Our major purpose of security is to make sure that everyone has a good time and that they’re safe.”

BY HANNAH WIEST

Last year, 19,354 people came into and out of the gates at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds for the nightly rodeo events at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

The grounds also accommodated parking for rodeo-goers, dozens of stock animals, hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls with their horses and trailers, a plethora of carnival rides and the kids and, shall we say, “older kids,” eager to ride those rides.

That’s a lot of activity on a couple acres of ground.

It’s the activity that gives the Sheridan WYO Rodeo its renowned, alluring buzz of excitement. It’s also the activity that could prove problematic if not expertly monitored in a way that keeps all the fun, fun, while also making that fun safe.

“I would say obviously when we have an event the size of the WYO then our number one concern is the safety and security of everyone involved. Our major purpose of security is to make sure that everyone has a good time and that they’re safe,” Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors member Nick Siddle said.

Siddle has been in charge of security at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo for 10 years. He said the event has been mostly problemfree in that time due to the round-the-clock work of a security crew, the Sheridan Police Department and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.

“Just the fact that we have police presence on the ground helps alleviate problems. Our goal is to stop problems before

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they start, and I think we’ve been fairly successful,” Siddle said.

“If you keep people under control, you solve a lot of problems before they ever start.”

The rodeo board hires Crowd Management Services out of Billings, Montana, which is the same company that oversees security at the Metra in Billings.

The crew of 35-40 mans ticket gates, provides crowd control, directs traffic, manages parking, checks wristbands to control alcohol consumption and generally watches any situation that could create trouble.

The security service also keeps crew members on the grounds overnight to ensure safety for all the people who camp on the grounds and peace for surrounding neighborhoods, Siddle said.

Before the rodeo begins, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo board meets with the security company and representatives from SPD and the SCSO to coordinate security and response efforts, Siddle said.

When show time comes, it can all run smoothly and safely, which gives the Sheridan WYO Rodeo that good “buzz” for those nearly 20,000 rodeo-goers and all the contestants and carnival revelers, too.

“Most of the time it’s just directing people where they need to be,” Siddle said. “People are cooperative as long you work well with them and direct them.”

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Caleb Bennett, from Morgan, Utah, rides Blues Man in the bareback riding competition during the 2013 Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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Celebrating Rodeo Family This July will mark the 20th year the Sheridan WYO Rodeo has contracted with Sankey Pro Rodeo, known as one of the nation’s premier rodeo families and stock contractors.

BY HANNAH WIEST

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

To those unfamiliar with rodeo, the term “stock contractor” may not mean much.

However, for the cowboys and cowgirls, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors and the people in the grandstands each night, the stock contractor means everything.

Without the stock contractor, there is no rodeo because there are no bucking broncs or mighty bulls for athletes to ride.

This year will mark the 20th year the Sheridan WYO Rodeo has contracted with Sankey Pro Rodeo, known as one of the nation’s premier rodeo families and stock contractors.

Sankey Pro Rodeo Co-Owner Ryan Sankey said it takes a lot of work to pick which stock will make an appearance at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, which is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association silver series in the Wrangler Million Dollar tour.

“We have the understanding that the WYO is putting on a world-class event and that it needs the best of the best for stock,” Sankey said.

Early each year, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo submits an approval application to the PRCA that delineates rodeo dates, events and prize money. At that time, the rodeo board begins working with Sankey Pro Rodeo to establish how many broncs,

The Sheridan Press | File photo bareback horses and bulls will be needed for each event, Sankey said.

Throughout the spring, Sankey Pro Rodeo staff work with rodeo organizers on production issues such as what the specialty act will be, the physical layout of the rodeo and event scheduling.

For example, there can’t be any wagon tracks in the arena prior to steer wrestling, so events and acts need to be scheduled accordingly.

Entries for the Sheridan WYO Rodeo close a month in advance. At that time, PROCOM, the arm of the PRCA that handles rodeo entries, chooses and organizes contestants.

Sankey Pro Rodeo uses the PROCOM list to determine how many of each type of stock animal will be needed for each night.

“We call PROCOM and see that on Wednesday night there are 12 bareback riders, and on Thursday there are 15, and so on.

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Then we pull out our stock list and say, ‘This one is going, this one is not,’” Sankey said.

The Sankeys then send their list of which animals are going to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo to PROCOM, which randomizes the list and assigns competitors to stock.

“That’s the fun part,” Sankey said. “Once everyone is matched up, they send you the draw and you get to look through it and see who got what horse. That’s when you start making friendly family bets about how it’s going to go down.”

Once the Sankeys have brought their stock to Sheridan, the rodeos can begin. Two hours before each performance, the Sankeys and anyone who has anything to do with what’s going to happen in the arena that night sits down and schedules the timeline of events to the minute to ensure a flawless night of rodeo.

“The growth of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is a huge tribute to the dedication and vision of that committee,” Sankey said.

“They’re always asking, ‘Why can’t we do this?’ instead of ‘Why would we do this?’ Any organization that is willing to go big or go home is going to be successful.”

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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The Sheridan Press | File photo

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

WORLD CHAMPION Indian Relay Races Strength, glory and tribute

BY HANNAH WIEST Before the first race on the first night of last year’s World Championship Indian Relay Races at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, 11-month-old Canon Buddy Takes Horse had his little hands smeared with yellow paint and pressed against the chest of the rider for the Hoop Dancers.

Those little yellow handprints curled

around pectoral muscles tightening with the exertion of a 40-mph gallop and pulsed as Owen Chief’s heart pounded with the adrenaline of being a rider in one of the most intense horse races spectators will ever see.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo has started each night of its world-class rodeo with

World Championship Indian Relay Races for nearly 20 years now.

“It’s a kickoff for the performance and gets people in their seats and ready for the rest of the rodeo,” Indian Relay Race cocoordinator and Sheridan WYO Rodeo board member Lonnie Wright said. “It’s an eye-opener for the night.”

The races consist of one rider for each team racing three horses relay style around the 5/8-mile track — at a full gallop and bareback.

Teams also have two holders who make sure the two horses not being ridden are in position for their relay round and a catcher who grabs the rider’s horse as it comes to the starting line at a pounding 40 mph for an often one-foot hop Continued on page 30

ABOVE LEFT: Lynwood His Bad Horse Jr. of the Northern Cheyenne Nation rides into the arena for the fourth heat of the 2013 World Champion Indian Relay Race.

TOP RIGHT: Brandon Weed celebrates winning his heat.

ABOVE RIGHT: Hoop Dancers’ jockey Owen Chief of the Crow Nation waits as final touches are made to his body paint.

RIGHT: Brandon Weed’s horse runs over Curly Relay team jockey Clyde Jefferson during an exchange. Jefferson got up and finished the race after the accident.

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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The Sheridan Press | File photo transition between horses before the rider races off again.

The races are, indeed, eye opening.

They are also a crucial part of Indian culture and a tribute to the horses that have been the foundation of Indian tradition, glory and life for centuries.

“I think they made the relay so people can know that the Indians are still here,” Chief said last year before his first race as rider for the Hoop Dancers, his grandfather’s team from the Crow Nation based near Wyola, Montana.

His grandfather, Mervin White, who has raced at the relays in Sheridan for 18 years, agreed.

“We want to keep our culture alive.

We can’t lose it. We can’t lose our culture,

can’t lose it,” White said, his wrinkled face creasing with the passion of his words.

And so, White, who raced himself for 20 years, teaches the younger generations how to ride, catch and hold horses, and how to include the whole family in the race by painting the horses and rider and praying for blessing and protection.

Then, after the painting and the prayers, the teams race. One wins a pot of $30,000, and several lose, but most Indian relay racers would say the race is not about the money.

Tee Big Hair, a member of the Crow Nation from Garryowen, Montana, and a catcher on the 2012 champion team Blanket Bull, said it’s not about the adrenaline, either.

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It’s about strength, and glory and tribute.

“As a fellow rider used to say, ‘It’s partly about the money, but it’s really about the glory,’” Big Hair said. “We try like hell. That’s all we can do, is try like hell.”

Then, after the trying and the heartpounding exertion, the rider raises his hands into the air as the third horse crosses the finish line. Win or lose, he raises his hands, and his teammates raise their hands.

They raise their hands for the glory of the ride, Big Hair said, and for the glory of the trying like hell, the glory of the horse, and the glory of a culture still alive at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

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Starting off with a BANG! When the cannon booms, it’s time to rodeo

BY TOM RINGLEY The Sheridan Press | File Photo

For the last 23 years every performance of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo (The WYO) has started out with a bang—literally. When Oscar Rucki’s cannon fires at precisely 7 p.m., even if you expect it you’re still liable to spill your beer. And if you’re a first timer to The WYO then you might jump out of your boots. It definitely gets your attention and is a raucous way to start the rodeo.

Vicki Kane, longtime rodeo board member, is responsible. She’s the one that heard about the cannon and asked the owner, Rucki, to fire it to begin the first rodeo performance in 1991. Every rodeo performance since then has been opened with the roar of the cannon which has become a WYO tradition, like the Indian

Relay Races.

A cannon is what you get when three friends with fertile minds gather to drink beer and visit. It was at one of these sessions about 35 years ago that they decided to build a cannon.

So why a cannon? Seems logical since one of the men, Rucki, had an abiding interest in cannons because he likes things that go boom.

Today, Rucki is a retired Wyoming Department of Transportation employee and has a very impressive collection of antique firearms. The second man was Benny Belus, a childhood friend of Rucki’s and a talented machinist whose family lived east of town on Jim Creek Hill. The third man in the trio was close

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friend Bob Haugen a longtime salesman for Valley Motor Honda.

Together, the men created an impressive piece of armament. The sturdy cannon weighs about 300 pounds, is about 4.5 feet long and has a 2 inch bore. It can fire a 2-pound lead cannon ball (manufactured by Rucki) three-quarters of a mile.

Rucki and his mates thought they had adequately tested the cannon when they fired it successfully three times on a firing range without a hitch. This seemingly put to bed the theory from some of their friends that the cannon would not hold up because the parts were welded together. But, when they took it out to Bob Belus’ (Benny’s father) place east of town on Jim Creek Hill for another test,

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things got real interesting. They placed the cannon about 100 yards from the house and fired away.

The result was totally unexpected. The cannon exploded in a cloud of smoke and the heavy breech separated from the cannon.

The projectile flew toward the Belus’ log house, entered a porch window (for which Benny’s mother had just made new curtains), went through the bathroom and ended up embedded in a linen closet. Oops!

The damage was estimated to be about $1,700. Bob Belus was pretty philosophical about the mishap. Apparently his wife had a different opinion.

Undaunted, the intrepid cannon makers rebuilt the cannon and used all the parts except the breech. This time, they machined a breech which could be threaded on the barrel and this version has stood the test of time. The cannon has been fired well over 100 times without a mishap.

Years ago there were contests around the country in which cannon makers competed with others to find which cannon could fire the farthest and Rucki attended some of those. But mainly Rucki uses the cannon when requested for weddings, funerals and other social occasions for which the organizers think the boom of a cannon is appropriate. Just the other day, on June 5, Rucki took the cannon to Big Horn and fired it for the Big Horn Lions Club 50th anniversary celebration. It was a huge hit — and made a lot of noise.

Obviously, Rucki can’t shoot cannon balls from the cannon during public displays. Instead, he stuffs three old rags (he prefers rags from old Levis) and fires away. The result is a spectacular shower of shredded denim. It never fails to delight the crowd.

Rucki is generous with his cannon and gives others the exciting opportunity to actually light it off (under his supervision of course). Last year, during the 60th anniversary reunion of Miss Indian America during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Miss Indian America VII, Vivian Arviso, a close friend of Rucki’s wife, Camile, lit the cannon to open one of the rodeo performances.

She was delighted and so was the crowd.

So this year at The WYO, when the cannon fires and you jump, give thanks to Rucki and his mates who created something that has become a WYO tradition.

But it is louder than most!

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Breakdown of Events Learn the rules for each event in which professional cowboys and cowgirls will compete for a share of prizes.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

The annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo showcases four days of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo action. Here is a breakdown of the events in which fans will see some of the top cowboys and cowgirls from around the country compete for a share of prizes.

Bareback bronc riding Bareback riding is one of rodeo’s roughest and most demanding events.

The cowboy must attempt to remain on the back of a bucking bronco while grasping the leather rigging with only one hand. The rider is disqualified if he touches anything with his free hand.

If the cowboy fights through the eight-second ride, he is scored on his spurring technique, bucking strength of the horse and the form and skill used in completing the ride.

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Steer wrestling The steer wrestler has quite the task to complete in this event, and the fact that the best cowboys in the business often accomplish the task in less than 10 seconds makes it that much more impressive to watch. Cowboys must run down a speeding steer on horseback, dismount their horse directly onto the back of the steer, take it by the horns and flip it on its back.

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Timing, technique, strength and leverage are all vital in securing a top time.

Team roping This is rodeo’s premier team sport — an event where teamwork is an absolute necessity. Two cowboys — a header and a heeler — must work in tandem to rope a running steer.

The header, as the name implies, is responsible for roping the steer around the horns, neck or a combination of the two to turn the animal into position for the heeler.

It is the heeler’s duty to rope both hind legs of the steer. If only one leg is caught, a five-second penalty is assessed.

If the header does not allow the steer to get the allotted head start, the team is assessed a 10-second penalty.

Saddle bronc riding Saddle bronc riding comes straight from the traditions of the Wild West.

Early cowboys had to break horses for use on the ranch.

Naturally, this evolved into competition between the ranch hands as to who was the better breaker.

In this event, the cowboy places his feet over the bronc’s shoulders and syn-

chronizes his spurring action with the bronc’s bucking style while trying to hold on for eight seconds. As in bareback riding, the cowboy is scored on his spurring technique, the bucking strength of the horse and the form and skill used throughout.

Tie-down roping Tie-down roping, formerly known as calf roping, is a timed event in which a mounted cowboy runs down and ropes a scrambling calf.

After roping the calf, the cowboy dismounts, catches the animal, flips it on its back, and ties any three legs together with a sting he carries in his teeth. The calf must remain tied for six seconds to receive a score.

Bull riding Arguably rodeo’s most popular event, bull riding is a rather straightforward competition that pits a cowboy against an angry 1,500-pound bull.

The rider sits astride the bull in a chute and when the chute opens he must remain atop the bull for eight seconds by holding a rope looped around the animal’s midsection.

As in bronc riding, the cowboy must

not touch the bull with his free hand and if he lasts eight seconds he will be judged on technique, skill and bucking strength of the animal.

Steer roping One of rodeo’s rarer events (as it must be performed in a large arena), a mounted cowboy must rope a running steer about its horns — which are protected with horn wraps reinforced with rebar — position rope slack over the animal’s right hip and, angling his horse to the left for leverage, bring the bovine to the ground.

When the steer is lying on its side and the rope is taut, the cowboy must dismount his horse and tie any three of the steer’s legs. As in tie-down roping, the steer must remain tied for six seconds.

Barrel racing In barrel racing, a cowgirl and her horse race against the clock.

Horse and rider enter the arena at full speed, race around three barrels positioned in a clover pattern, then race back to the finish line.

The fastest time wins, and times are recorded to 1/100 of a second. Racers are penalized five seconds for each barrel knocked over during the run.

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Information from prca.com

2013 Bareback Results 1. Wes Stevenson, 86 points on Sankey Rodeo Company’s Thunder Monkey, $5,330; 2. Seth Hardwick, 84, $4,086; 3. (tie) Clint Cannon and Chase Erickson, 83, $2,487 each; 5. (tie) Tyler Nelson, Kaycee Feild, Zach Curran, J.R. Vezain and Jessy Davis, 81, $675 each.

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Information from prca.com

2013 Steer Wrestling Results FIRST ROUND: 1. Brad McGilchrist, 3.6 seconds, $2,440; 2. Dean Gorsuch, 4.2, $2,122; 3. Hunter Cure, 4.3, $1,803; 4. (tie) Ty Erickson and Brett Vosler, 4.7, $1,326 each; 6. (tie) Morgan Grant, Jacob Shofner and Wyatt Smith, 4.8, $530 each.

SECOND ROUND: 1. Hunter Cure, 3.9 seconds, $2,440; 2. Sterling Lambert, 4.5, $2,122; 3. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Seth Brockman, 4.6, $1,644 each; 5. (tie) Chason Floyd, Aaron Vosler, Casey McMillen and Jason Miller, 4.7, $690 each.

AVERAGE: 1. Hunter Cure, 8.2 seconds on two head, $2,440; 2. Brad McGilchrist, 9.7, $2,122; 3. Morgan Grant, 9.9, $1,803; 4. Tyler Pearson, 11.2, $1,485; 5. Sean Santucci, 11.3, $1,167; 6. Seth Brockman, 11.8, $849; 7. Dakota Eldridge, 12.1, $530; 8. Jacob Shofner, 12.5, $212.

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Courtesy photo | Eva Scofield

2013 Steer Roping Results FIRST ROUND: 1. Rocky Patterson, 10.6 seconds, $1,869; 2. J. Paul Williams, 11.0, $1,547; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 12.1, $1,224; 4. Jay Pixley, 12.7, $902; 5. Ryan Rochlitz, 12.8, $580; 6. J. Tom Fisher, 12.9, $322.

SECOND ROUND: 1. JoJo LeMond, 10.0 seconds, $1,869; 2. (tie) J.P. Wickett and Rocky Patterson, 11.3, $1,385 each; 4. Rod Hartness, 11.4, $902; 5. Joe Talbot, 11.8, $580; 6. Ralph Williams, 12.7, $322.

THIRD ROUND: 1. Dan Fisher, 9.9 seconds, $1,869; 2. Chet Herren, 10.0, $1,547; 3. Jason Evans, 10.2, $1,224; 4. Travis Mills, 11.2, $902; 5. Reo Lohse, 11.3, $580; 6. Scott Welch, 11.4, $322.

FOURTH ROUND: 1. Rocky Patterson, 11.0 seconds, $1,869; 2. JoJo LeMond, 11.8, $1,547; 3. Jay Pixley, 11.9, $1,224; 4. (tie) Ryan Rochlitz and Mike Lohof, 12.2, $741 each; 6. J.P. Wickett, 12.5, $322.

AVERAGE: 1. Rocky Patterson, 44.6 seconds on four head, $3,738; 2. J. Tom Fisher, 54.8, $3,093; 3. Joe Wells, 59.5, $2,449; 4. (tie) Casey Tillard and Shane Suggs, 61.9, $1,482 each; 6. Trent Mills, 63.0, $644.

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Information from prca.com

2013 Saddle Bronc Results 1. Chuck Schmidt, 84 points on Sankey Rodeo Company’s Tuca’s Warsong, $4,475; 2. (tie) Isaac Diaz, Taos Muncy and Jeremy Melancon, 82, $2,536 each; 5. (tie) Brady Nicholes and Colin Stalley, 81, $895 each; 7. (tie) Joaquin Real, Jacobs Crawley and Ty Atchison, 80, $348 each.

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Information from prca.com

2013 Team Roping Results FIRST ROUND: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Travis Graves, 5.0 seconds, $2,489 each; 2. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 5.1, $2,165; 3. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 5.2, $1,840; 4. (tie) Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper and Brooks Dahozy/Brandon Bates, 5.3, $1,353 each; 6. (tie) Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, Bubba Buckaloo/Cole Davison, Brady Tryan/Cody Doescher and Calvin Brevik/Travis Woodard, 5.4, $406 each.

SECOND ROUND: 1. (tie) Levi Simpson/John Robertson and Dustin Bird/Paul Eaves, 4.5 seconds, $2,327 each; 3. Clay Smith/Jake Smith, 4.7, $1,840; 4. (tie) Arky Rogers/Walt Woodard and Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 4.9, $1,353 each; 6. Lane Ivy/Lane Siggins, 5.0, $866; 7. (tie) Erich Rogers/Cory Petska, Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn and Chad Masters/Randon Adams, 5.1, $253 each.

AVERAGE: 1. Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 10.2 seconds on two head, $3,734 each; 2. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 10.3, $3,247; 3. Luke Brown/Kollin VonAhn, 10.5, $2,760; 4. Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 11.3, $2,273; 5. Miles Kobold/Doug Cox, 11.4, $1,786; 6. Jimmy Tanner/Shawn Harris, 11.6, $1,299; 7. (tie) Marcus Battaglia/Jordan Ketscher and Justin Davis/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 11.8, $568 each.

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Information from prca.com

2013 Tie-Down Results FIRST ROUND: 1. Trevor Brazile, 7.7 seconds, $2,513; 2. Cody Ohl, 7.9, $2,185; 3. Trent Creager, 8.2, $1,857; 4. Jake Cooper, 8.3, $1,530; 5. Reese Riemer, 8.6, $1,202; 6. (tie) Cole Hatzenbuehler and Justin Maass, 8.8, $710 each; 8. Will Blomberg, 8.9, $219.

SECOND ROUND: 1. Scott Kormos, 7.2 seconds, $2,513; 2. Caleb Smidt, 7.5, $2,185; 3. Stran Smith, 8.6, $1,857; 4. (tie) Cade Swor, Cimarron Boardman and Trell Etbauer, 8.7, $1,202 each; 7. (tie) Seth Hopper and Monty Lewis, 8.9, $382 each.

AVERAGE: 1. Trevor Brazile, 17.1 seconds on two head, $3,769; 2. Stran Smith, 18.2, $3,278; 3. Monty Lewis, 18.6, $2,786; 4. (tie) Chase Williams and Seth Hopper, 18.9, $2,048 each; 6. Roger Nonella, 19.3, $1,311; 7. Reese Riemer, 19.4, $819; 8. (tie) Nate Baldwin and Shane Slack, 19.6, $164 each.

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2013 Barrel Racing Results 1. Sabrina Ketcham, 17.24 seconds, $4,835; 2. (tie) Benette Little and Kendra Dickson, 17.28, $3,505 each; 4. Nikkie Miller-Gosney, 17.31, $2,417; 5. Sheena Robbins, 17.34, $1,934; 6. (tie) Shelley Morgan and Shelby Frasier, 17.36, $1,330 each; 8. Victoria Williams, 17.39, $1,088; 9. Pamela Capper, 17.44, $967; 10. (tie) Michelle McLeod and Janna Beam, 17.48, $786 each; 12. Christina Richman, 17.51, $604; 13. Whitney Baker, 17.53, $483; 14. (tie) Nicole Aichele, Kassidy Dennison and Christy Loflin, 17.56, $201 each.

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Information from prca.com

2013 Bull Riding Results 1. (tie) Bobby Welsh on Sankey Rodeo Company’s Little Ears and Cole Echols on Robinson Pro Rodeo’s Thomas The Train, 89 points, $3,952 each; 3. Brett Stall, 88, $2,536; 4. (tie) J.W. Harris, Elliot Jacoby, Wesley Silcox and Clayton Savage, 86, $1,007 each; 8. Cody Campbell, 85, $447.

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Morning Slack A free preview for the die-hard rodeo fan who wants a taste of what is coming in the evening performance.

BY TRACEE DAVIS If you're looking for the most diehard rodeo fan in Sheridan, a good place to start looking would be in the fairground grandstands during the morning slack competitions.

While admission is free and the bleachers aren't packed

the way they are during the evening performances, those who watch the morning shakedown are treated to a show of raw talent and unrehearsed performances in each timed event.

Barrel racers, ropers and bulldoggers fight for the chance to compete for money in the evening show during morning slack competitions at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

They happen each Wednesday through Saturday morning during rodeo week in Sheridan, lasting three or four hours, and it's the first stop on the road to a gold buckle for cowboys and cowgirls competing in timed events.

“All the contestants compete one time, then the top 10 from that morning will wait and compete in the evening performance later that same

The Sheridan Press | File photo

52 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

day,” explained Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board President Zane Garstad, adding that by the time an athlete competes in the evening event, it's at least their second public performance of the day.

Slack competitions narrow down the pool of main competitors and prevent the night rodeo from getting excessively long.

Each day of slack competitions features a fresh crop of cowfolk vying for a spot in the money rounds later in the day.

Top athletes within the National Finals Rodeo circuit can be seen warming up their events and sizing up their competition.

“It's great to watch,” Garstad said.

“You get to see the top cowboys.”

Daily slack competitions are an open secret around Sheridan, though, because spectator attendance is a “touch and go” endeavor.

“A lot of people don't go because they have other plans,” Garstad said, referring to the plethora of activity that happens downtown and throughout the county during rodeo week.

However, for the die-hard rodeo fan who wants a taste of what's coming in the evening competitions, the slack competitions are a free preview.

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Announcer, Sheridan WYO Rodeo WILL RASMUSSEN

BY HANNAH WIEST

Rodeo announcer Will Rasmussen has been known to say, unapologetically and without a doubt, that his favorite rodeo to announce happens right here in Sheridan, Wyoming.

There is just something about the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event that is part of the top-tier silver series in the Wrangler Million Dollar tour.

“From the rodeo committee and their togetherness, and how everyone treats us with respect, and the Indian relay races, and how it feels in downtown Sheridan, it’s just special during that week,” Rasmussen said.

And Rasmussen would know. He has announced hundreds of rodeos around the nation in his nearly two decades of being a professional announcer. He has an-

Will Rasmussen knows rodeo, and he knows he likes Sheridan best.

He has announced the Sheridan WYO Rodeo more than a dozen times.

Courtesy Photo |

54 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

nounced the Sheridan WYO Rodeo more than a dozen times.

Rasmussen knows this big rodeo in this small Wyoming town has what it takes to grab people’s attention in a culture where plenty else is vying for their time and money.

“I want rodeo to be competitive in the entertainment field. I want people to come to the rodeo, but most of our job has been done if they walk out and they pay to come back again because it was a good experience for them,” Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen grew up in a family of rodeo enthusiasts — the “Rodeoing Rasmussens” — in which his father was an announcer, his mother a timer, one brother a competitor and another brother a rodeo clown. He announced his first rodeo in 1981 when his dad mistakenly booked two rodeos on the same weekend and Rasmussen had to help cover.

He was first asked to announce the Sheridan WYO Rodeo in 1999.

“I was so excited because my brother Flint used to go there when he was a rodeo clown. I’ll never forget the day Tracy Swanson called me and asked me to be the WYO Rodeo announcer,” Rasmussen said. “I grew up listening to my dad. He would love the WYO. I wish he could come down and watch.”

In 2005, Rasmussen gave up his work in the insurance business and became a full-time rodeo announcer. He is noted for his enthusiasm and has even been told it’s too much at times, but that’s OK with him. His enthusiasm works at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo because, Rasmussen said, Sheridan is pretty enthusiastic itself.

“It shows, the enthusiasm around town,” Rasmussen said. “I’m so lucky to have that rodeo to announce.”

For Rasmussen, preparation is key.

He does background research on each cowboy and cowgirl — and the livestock, too. He puts in an eight-hour day before the rodeo even begins.

Then when the rodeo kicks off, he doesn’t stop until the grandstands are empty — save a popcorn bag or two — and the animals are tucked away for the night.

The next day, he does it all again. And he loves every moment of it — especially if those moments happen to be at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

“It’s a world-class rodeo with world-class riders and livestock,” Rasmussen said. “It seems like the whole town is behind this event.”

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Professional Pickup Men BILLY WA RD & BOBBY MARRIOTT FROM STAFF REPORTS Their name makes them sound like they’d be your best friends at the bar — playing wingmen as you try to pick up girls.

But, pickup men are tasked with protecting cowboys from angry animals and getting them out of the arena after a ride.

It isn’t an easy process. Pickup men have to match the momentum of the bronc, turn when he turns, secure the cowboy, get him safely to the ground and round up the animal.

“It’s never the same thing twice, pulling a

cowboy off a horse,” Bobby Marriott, a 10-year veteran of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo once told The Press.

This year will be the 11th that Marriott and Bill Ward have manned the rough stock competition at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, working through the break in the action that follows the eight seconds of bull riding or bronc riding.

The two men chase down the animal and sometimes pull a cowboy off that wild animal right onto their trained horses.

It isn’t easy. It isn’t safe. A lot of things can go wrong, but this isn’t the pair’s first rodeo.

Ward’s father was also a pickup man and Ward himself trains horses in Utah when he’s not saving riders’ lives in the arena.

Marriott competed in three rough stock events in high school and was awarded the Idaho High School Rodeo Bronc Riding Championship in 1981. After high school, he rodeoed for a bit before working as a pickup man.

Courtesy photo | Eva Scofield

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Professional Bullfighters AL SANDVOLD & LOYD KETCHUM

BY ALISA BRANTZ Every year the Sheridan WYO Rodeo draws back familiar faces to compete, cheer or volunteer for the best week of the year.

What the Rodeo Board of Directors President Zane Garstad calls a “family reunion,” there are but a few small changes to the personnel in attendance each year.

Of the rodeo family, two of the most familiar faces may be those of Loyd Ketchum and Al Sandvold, the longtime bullfighters who year after year keep the cowboys safe.

“We haven’t pursued any other people because they do such a good job. We have high expectations of our people and they perform at a high level and are very enjoyable to have,” Garstad said. “And they have expressed an interest in coming back each year, because they love our rodeo.”

Ketchum said his passion for keeping cowboys safe combined with the incredible atmosphere in Sheridan is what keeps him coming back.

“The talent that comes to compete, the crowd and the committee themselves are outstanding in Sheridan,” he said.

“It’s an honor to come back every year and work with them.”

However, it looks like this may be the last year with Ketchum protecting the Sheridan family. After 34 years of fearless fight, he is thinking of kicking off his boots this fall and tackling a new adventure — retirement.

“Body’s gettin’ tired and I got other things to do,” he said. “Retirement’s coming and pretty quick.”

Ketchum started bullfighting at the age of 18 before formal training was in place for such a thing.

As the son of a barrel-racing mother growing up in a small rural town in Montana, rodeo was always part of his life.

“I was riding bulls and seen a lot of guys get hurt and thought I had the athletic ability to get in there and protect them and it turned into a full-time job,” he said. “Nowadays a lot of guys come up through the schools.”

In the school, Ketchum teaches young fighters things like how a bull works and how to be in the right position at the right time to distract them and get the cowboys to safety.

“Loyd is pretty amazing,” Garstad said. “He broke his back a few years ago in a bad wreck and he’s still riding bulls.

It’s a thankless job and they are both very good at what they do.”

When asked what kept him coming back to the bulls after all these years, Ketchum said he just loves what he does.

“A lot of people think I’m crazy but it’s a relaxation to me,” he said. “I get a break from the hard work of

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the ranch and get to rest up for the week before getting back to it.”

Ketchum and Sandvold will be “resting” together one last time at this year’s rodeo, and Garstad, for one, is grateful to have them.

“Yeah we pay them, and yeah it’s a job, but it’s also more than that,” he said.

“We respect and appreciate our people and still have that family and small-town feel to our growing operation.”

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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Rodeo Clown Entertainer ASH “CRASH” COOPER FROM STAFF REPORTS

While he started off as a bullfighter years ago, Canadian rodeo clown Ash “Crash” Cooper, went from performing in front of bulls to performing in front of crowds.

“I think everyone has a unique path,” Cooper said about how he ended up clowning around at rodeos. “I progressed into being the funny guy and I really enjoy it.”

Cooper has performed at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo for several years, coming back time and again for Sheridan’s premier summer event.

“Well, probably the main reason is that it’s one of my favorite rodeos out of the entire United States,” Cooper said of why he keeps coming back. “It is a great community, great fans and great cowboys. It is just a beautiful part of the country, and whether I’m there for the rodeo or just as a tourist, I always look forward to coming back.”

While he’s a regular at the rodeo, his act is anything but routine.

“Every year I’m here I do something different,” Cooper said. “It’s never the same thing.”

Cooper went on to say that sometimes the fact that he doesn’t repeat performances can disappoint some fans who liked a particular part of the clown’s act.

The rodeo entertainer now works mostly at U.S. rodeos, traveling from his ranch in Saskatchewan where he runs cattle. Cooper is also a working artist, creating pencil drawings, cartoons and watercolor paintings.

For more information about Cooper, see his website, www.crashcooper.com.

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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Miss Sheridan WYO Rodeo 2013 Leah Hall rides into the arena during the grand entry. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Rodeo Royalty A lifelong commitment as a role model, community servant.

BY ALISA BRANTZ The most important thing to understand about a year in the life of rodeo royalty is that the commitment is, in reality, much longer than a year. In fact, for many, it is a lifelong one.

Kimberly Kuhn’s year of reign as Sheridan WYO Rodeo Queen was 2011, but as with all royalty, she ran and was crowned the year prior at the rodeo in 2010 and as with most queens, she went on to compete in Miss Rodeo Wyoming the

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year after, in 2012.

The time between competitions is full of regularly scheduled community service, promotional appearances and other less than “royal” jobs like cattle handling.

“Around Christmas and in the spring there’s just a couple of events but in the summer it is definitely full time,” Kuhn said.

“You are really active in the community and working to promote

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the rodeo.”

In fact, Kuhn is still involved in community service and actively promoting the Sheridan WYO Rodeo everywhere she goes, including other rodeos and competitions.

“I still continue to promote the Sheridan WYO Rodeo because they were so great to me, especially the board,” she said.

“The board was one of my platinum sponsors in Miss Rodeo Wyoming and they stood by my side all the way through the Miss Rodeo America pageant.”

After winning the title of Miss Rodeo Wyoming, Kuhn traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to represent Wyoming on the national stage, taking fourth runner-up and winning the People’s Choice Award at Miss Rodeo America 2012.

But her service to Sheridan and her commitment to the cause did not end with her new titles.

“With each additional title, I continued to work harder to represent everyone. Even when I was at the America level I was still promoting Sheridan because that’s where I came from and you have to pay it forward,” Kuhn said. “A lot of people go out of their way and give up their time and energy to help you, so you need to be a role model for the future generations. That’s the important thing, is that your job is never done.”

Kuhn continues to mentor young competitors, hosting clinics throughout the year and maintaining the same energy and enthusiasm she did during her years of reign.

“With any queen I help, I like to remind them it is a volunteer service; you are a public figure volunteering for your community and your state,” she said. “More so than an actual royalty position, you are a role model and community servant.”

Whether participating in parades, volunteering at community events in and out of Sheridan County, visiting schools or nursing homes, spending eight-hour days on horseback at rodeos and festivals or handling livestock behind the scenes, Kuhn says the key is to constantly talk about your rodeo anywhere you go while maintaining your stature as a role model for young girls.

Emma Jost is the 2014 Rodeo Princess, the division for girls ages 14-15 and though there is only one girl younger than her in the court, Junior Princess Jenna Frederickson, Jost has already learned the value of mentoring others.

“With Jenna, she’s still in junior high so we try to help with as much as we can, especially with horsemanship because there is so much to learn and we want her to enjoy herself and work her way all the way up to queen,” she said.

Jost said the time commitments and appearances for the princesses in court are the same as that of the queen, with the exception of the higher level competitions.

“It’s a big time commitment on rodeo weeks. Moving cows and setting up flags are easy but physically draining. Emotionally, meeting everyone, remembering their names and recalling what business they represent can also be draining,” she said. “It is re-

ally fun and you meet a lot of people traveling with the rest of the court, but it’s a lot of work.”

She added that her favorite part of her year of reign is the way little girls react to her crown.

“They love coming up to me and asking me about being a princess,” she said. “When I’m at the fairgrounds and I have my Western stuff on they are afraid of me as a stranger, but when I have my crown on they come up and are so happy to see me.”

For more information or to apply to be Sheridan WYO Rodeo Royalty see www.wyorodeoroyalty.com.

The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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Specialty Act “Exciting and quite funny at times.”

FROM STAFF REPORTS Each year, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo board brings a specialty act to town. Recent performers have included a trick roper and the Budweiser Clydesdales.

This year, though, Sheridan will host an event the organizer says has never been seen at a U.S. rodeo — wild pony races.

It sounds wild, and organizer Ash

“Crash” Cooper says the event will live up to its name, providing entertainment, competition and laughter to rodeo attendees.

“These races are pretty popular in Canada,” Cooper said. “They are always a crowd favorite. They are exciting and quite funny at times.”

According to Cooper, the event will likely feature four teams of three apiece — two teams from Canada and two from the Sheridan

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area comprised of children.

Each team is timed and the fastest time wins. The ponies each have a rope and halter on them and the team must hold onto the pony as one of the riders tries to mount it and ride it for a certain distance.

Cooper noted that while details of the race had not yet come together in early June, he’s sure the Sheridan crowd will enjoy the show.

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Bang for rodeo bucks “I don't think you can say enough how much we appreciate the support we get from our national and local sponsors”

BY TRACEE DAVIS There's big money tied up in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

County Fairgrounds.

Prize money for competitors, advertising, tickets and crowd conGold indicated annual turnover of the Gold Buckle Club is trol are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the financial less than 10 percent, and the spaces are usually full by rodeo demands of the event, and local sponsors play a large role in time. meeting those demands.

“In the long term, funds from the club provide the rodeo “I don't think you can say enough how much we appreciate with financial stability. I think that's a real key thing,” Gold said. the support we get from our national and local sponsors,” rodeo While the Gold Buckle Club is akin to a booster club for the board Director Zane Garstad said. “This is not just the rodeo rodeo, the Posse is more like a Chamber of Commerce. board producing a rodeo. This is a community event that is emMembership in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Posse is obtained braced by everyone, and that's what makes it so special.” via a $250 contribution from 100 individuals.

Business-focused heads can't help but wonder who is putting “The Posse gives people an opportunity to contribute even if their bucks into the rodeo, and how much. Here's a general run- they don't have as big of a budget for it,” Garstad explained, down of event sponsors and what they kick in. adding that while the contribution of each individual Posse Sponsorship packages start for member is a smaller amount, individuals at the $250 mark and the combined effort makes “This is a community event that is work up to more than $25,000 the group one of the major from a single entity. Businesses chip event sponsors. embraced by everyone, and that’s what in $1,000 or more to have a banner Novel sponsorship oppormakes it so special.” — Zane Garstad with their company logo featured tunities exist to lay claim to in the arena or on various rodeo-afthe arena jumbotron and filiated merchandise. some accessory rodeo events The biggest sponsors of the and products, and those are Sheridan WYO Rodeo are Mars, Coca-Cola, the Sheridan WYO negotiated on a case-by-case scenario.

Rodeo Posse and the Gold Buckle Club.

Whatever level of financial backing a business or individual The Gold Buckle Club is one of two organizations that allow provides, one thing is for sure, there's a lot of bang in these individuals to combine their monetary contributions into a lump rodeo bucks. sum.

“One of the things we enjoy is this is one of the biggest In exchange, they enjoy their own section of bleachers close events in Sheridan,” Garstad said. “We see the largest crowd of to the chutes, a few social events throughout the year and a few any event, which makes it a great venue to promote businesses keepsakes, including their signature gold buckle. and companies to that local market.”

Membership in the Gold Buckle Club maxes out at 250 peoIf money talks, it's safe to assume sponsors feel the same way. ple who contribute annual dues of $2,000 the first year and “We get very good reviews from our sponsors,” Garstad said. $1,000 thereafter.

“Probably the most important is that they renew.”

Rodeo Controller Larry Gold said the combined $25,000 Garstad emphasized the rodeo board has a special relationsponsorship of the Gold Buckle Club is spent equally in three diship with its sponsors that comes across in terms of loyalty. rections: direct rodeo support, club member entertainment — “It's about providing a service to them and to expose their which includes a VIP room for members during the rodeo — company to the public. We take that commitment very seriand capital improvements to the rodeo facility, the Sheridan ously,” he said.

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SPONSORS

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

BY ALISA BRANTZ It has been said many times over by residents, tourists and myriad publications alike that Sheridan is the number one town in the West. That idea, and the pride it generates, resonates throughout every aspect of Sheridan and is particularly evident at the annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

This year the Rodeo Board of Directors chose “Where the West is 1” as the theme of the week, and though the connotation is obvious, the reasons why Sheridan is in fact the best in the West can be hard to describe.

“Ask anyone why they love living in or visiting Sheridan and they’ll give you a million broad answers but nothing specific be-

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cause the place is overall capturing,” said Shawn Buckley, executive director of Sheridan Travel and Tourism. “From historical to recreational to cultural to theatrical, there is an amazing diversity and collection of interests to choose from in Sheridan.”

Buckley said there are a few key components to why Sheridan is the best overall experience in terms of a destination community in Wyoming.

The first is the climate. Sheridan is insulated from the Wyoming wind and often-harsh weather conditions that tend to define much of the rest of the state.

The second is the geography. Nestled at the base of one of

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the most striking mountain ranges in North America, Sheridan is near multiple national parks and monuments including one of the world’s most highly visited, Yellowstone National Park.

The final and most measurable component is the historical aspect of the region. In terms of sheer numbers, the Sheridan area has one of the largest concentrations of Indian battle sites and historical monuments anywhere in the world. The rich history of the area can be seen from the Don King Museum that shows the legacy of our leatherwork to the Historic Sheridan Inn, which housed such guests as Buffalo Bill Cody and Ernest Hemingway.

In 2006, “True West Magazine” named Sheridan the original number one among the Top Western Towns in America and since then Sheridan has received many other accolades including being voted a Distinctive Destination in the Nation, King of Cowboy Towns and spending multiple years on the list of Top Towns for Outdoorsmen in America.

Sheridan’s climate and geography has made it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. In fact this spring, Sheridan was selected as one of only 64 communities throughout the entire country to be considered for Outdoor Magazine’s “Best Town in America.”

All of these reasons combined are why Rodeo Board member Vicki Kane proposed — and the board accepted — the theme

“Where the West is 1.”

“It’s reaffirming that Sheridan has been selected in the past as the number one Western town,” Kane said. “It just makes us proud of Sheridan. And if people see that ‘1’ on the poster maybe that will draw curiosity and interest to come check us out and see why we’re number one.”

Buckley believes it is the drive of the people of Sheridan to never be content with their achievements that has — and will — keep Sheridan on top of the charts.

ABOVE LEFT: Local artist and leather crafter James Jackson, demonstrates how to carve a flower into leather at The Don King Museum.

ABOVE RIGHT: Patti Young fills a bag with tomatoes from the Adams Fresh Produce booth during the Farmers Market on Grinnell Street. The Sheridan Press | File photo

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Benjamin Bujans, 4, uses a fire extinguisher with Fire Fighter Kyle Johnson to put out a fire during Third Thursday on Main Street. The Sheridan Press | File photo “The thing that sustains us and keeps the residents and tourists alike returning and believing in the community is that we continue to get better, we don’t rest on what worked last year,” he said. “We are continually looking forward, looking to get better and offer more, not only in terms of our own livability but also in marketability to the tourist base.”

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce CEO Dixie Johnson said the diverse package that makes up Sheridan is completed by its people.

“Most of the people who live here love it here and want what’s best for their community; and if our people didn’t care, the community wouldn’t be nearly as friendly, welcoming and

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charming to visitors,” she said. “They also care about how they represent themselves, their businesses and their community and it shows.”

Johnson noted that the town has a uniquely heavy concentration of nonprofit organizations and other philanthropic opportunities that all thrive on a community of committed companies and individuals who generously give of their time and resources.

“The people that invest their time, money and energy into building businesses here, the people that give back to the community from the group running the college, overseeing Whitney Benefits or serving in the capacity of county commissioners and other officials, to the board members and volunteers supporting the many organizations, I think we have a lot of people who care deeply,” Johnson said.

Though the generosity of the community, the splendor of the environment, the history of the region and the culture of the town are year-round attributes making Sheridan the best in the West, many agree all of these things come to a peak each summer, working together to create the best rodeo around.

“The rodeo is such a wonderful time because it brings people together, draws people back home and helps tourists find a hidden gem,” Johnson said. “When people have the opportunity to experience Sheridan they fall in love with it. We hear, ‘Oh my goodness I didn’t know.’”

Johnson believes that with the number of large attractions surrounding Sheridan from Mt. Rushmore to Yellowstone National Park many still don’t consider Sheridan when planning their destination vacation — at first.Then for some, the rodeo gets them here and the understanding of why Sheridan is number one inevitably keeps them coming back.

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Roger Appel stands in the Sheridan County Fairgrounds arena. Appel has faithfully served as a volunteer for several years at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

SPURS & Volunteers 80-year legacy of homegrown community collaboration

BY TRACEE DAVIS The glitz and shine of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is all for fun, and the proof of that lies in the fact that there are a lot of people working for free during rodeo week.

Those who volunteer for the rodeo and its peripheral events don't get so much as an admission ticket, but they get to be a part of an 80-year legacy of homegrown community collaboration.

“Anybody associated with pro rodeo, like the stock contractors or people who put on the production that evening are hired,” explained Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board Member Sam Summers. “Beyond that, anything that happens on the sidelines before and after is most all done by volunteers.”

While the nightly rodeos are the marquee event for Sheridan, the hustle and bustle of the peripheral events — the parade, the powwow, boot kickoff and other public gatherings — have a distinct life of their own, and the rodeo wouldn't be the phenomenon it is without the accessory activities. On top of that, city streets get dressed up to the nines.

In any given year, there are hundreds of volunteers that do

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big and small tasks to pull off the rodeo.

For the better part of the last decade, Roger Appel has been a main staple of the event's corps of volunteers, affectionately dubbed “Spurs,” a descriptive term of their function.

“I've never had so much enjoyment out of working hard as working the rodeo,” — Roger Appel

“When I moved out here and found out the (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association) was here, I went crazy,” said the retired police officer who originally hails from Connecticut.

“I tried to volunteer the first year I moved out, and I spoke to someone on the committee back then and they said they didn't need anybody at that time,” he recalled.

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Appel didn't give up, though. A few years later, he saw an article in The Sheridan Press soliciting rodeo volunteers, and he responded to the call. That year, he found himself hanging banners on the light poles along Main Street and in the rodeo arena.

When Appel retired from his second career as a probation officer in Sheridan, he took a part-time job at Kendrick Golf Course, where he can still be found today, but continued to be the go-to guy for the rodeo. Jobs he has tackled have included working the desk at the Gold Buckle Club lounge, opening and closing gates in the arena during slack competitions and night performances, crowd control and setting up and tearing down stages.

While each Spur is happy to put in a fair amount of elbow grease each year, Appel's dedication has earned him status as a house name with the rodeo board.

“I've never had so much enjoyment out of working hard as working the rodeo,” Appel said. “They're so appreciative of volunteers and they never stop thanking you and letting you know how important you are.”

Summers agreed that the value of volunteer contributions during rodeo week is immeasurable.

“We don't attempt to put a dollar amount on it,” he said, indicating the show would be a bust without dedicated volunteers.

Like the layman help that is instramental to each event during rodeo week, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board is another core group that is comprised of unpaid directors.

The common theme that runs between high-level organizers and youth groups that chip in a few hours here and there is the love of Sheridan and its rodeo.

“I think you can see how extensive it is,” Summers beamed.

“We wouldn't be able to afford to hire people if the volunteers weren't there. We can't even attempt to put a price on it.”

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CHRIS LEDOUX Spurs & Spikes Golf Tournament “Maybe it’s just the nice parks you get to walk through.”

FROM STAFF REPORTS Khakis and polo shirts don’t often mix with spurs and dirt, but the two sports collide during Sheridan WYO Rodeo week at the Chris LeDoux Spurs and Spikes Memorial Golf Tournament.

The event typically draws about 200 competitors to the Powder Horn Golf Course, where the event is held. Golfers get a practice round Friday before an 18-hole, four-person scramble Saturday.

LeDoux was a cowboy and country music singer from Kaycee, but also a golf enthusiast who often played the Powder Horn.

“I hate to admit it. I cussed the game for years,” LeDoux has been quoted as saying. “But it’s addicting. I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s just the nice parks you get to walk through.”

“It means a whole lot to the rodeo community to host a golf tournament that honors a world-champion cowboy,” Vicki Kane said in past years. Kane is a Sheridan WYO Rodeo board member and has been a friend of the LeDoux family for many years.

The event started eight years ago to help create a park in Kaycee, but funds are now given to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

There will be live music and a silent auction held June 27-28.

Kane said the tournament is open to the public and if single players wish to enter, they will be placed on a team.

Entry forms can be downloaded at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo website, sheridanwyorodeo.com.

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Teepee Raising & Powwow Honoring Native American culture

BY TRACEE DAVIS The Sheridan WYO Rodeo brings with it an unparalleled intercultural experience. Aside from the unsanctioned — yet heart stopping — Indian Relay Races at the rodeo, this year's festivities include five nights of powwows featuring Native American dancers.

This year is the first in decades when Indian performers will be featured in front of the Historic Sheridan Inn. The shift represents a return to Sheridan's Wild West roots and the days of Buffalo Bill Cody, and the intercultural sentiment remains the same.

In his book, “Rodeo Time in Sheridan, Wyo.,” local author Tom Ringley recounts that neighboring Crow and Cheyenne tribesmen were a major part of the primitive rodeo activity that occurred in Sheridan County as early as 1914. In fact, the Sheridan Stampede, the precursor event to today's Sheridan WYO Rodeo, was also called Bots Sots, a Crow term meaning large, grand, fine or the best ever.

This year's powwow celebrations are a continuance of Sheri-

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dan's long-standing history of Native American relations.

Though the times have changed, the event still serves as a window into another American culture.

While Sheridan has always had some form of powwow or other type of show starring Native American neighbors — in recent years, it's been on Grinnell Plaza — this year is the first time the tradition has expanded to include five days of performances and been dubbed the “First People's Powwow.”

In addition to the nightly performances in front of the Historic Sheridan Inn, the Sagebrush Community Art Center will feature a daily Indian art show and sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

City and tribal leaders have arranged for this year's powwow events to accommodate more members of the public and provide a more comprehensive opportunity for intercultural learning.

Tuesday’s and Thursday's performers will likely be announced shortly before the days' ceremonies, based on availability of talent, and Friday's celebration will be the biggest yet.

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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ABOVE: First People’s Powwow perform last year in Grinnell Plaza following the parade. There was an array of drum groups and dancers.

RIGHT: Crow Nation Dancer Milo Paz, 17, moves to the beat of the drums during the Miss Indian America Reunion Powwow last year in Grinnell Plaza. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely TOP LEFT: Members of the Buffalo Wild Bunch from the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce celebrate their victory in the “Chamber Challenge” pie eating contest.

BOTTOM LEFT: Trinity Johnson, 4, rides her stick horse in the barrel race.

RIGHT: Meadow Marshall, 2, tries on a boot.

BOOT KICKOFF Something fun for the whole family FROM STAFF REPORTS You may want to watch your head if you’re wandering through Kendrick Park on the afternoon of July 8, because boots will be flying.

While the annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo Boot Kickoff was held at Sheridan College for a couple of years, the event has found its home more recently at the biggest community park near downtown Sheridan.

“This event has always served as the official beginning of WYO Rodeo week and is meant to be something fun for the whole family, all ages to support and embrace the WYO Rodeo,” Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Marketing and Communications Director Meredith Sopko said.

Registration will begin at 4 p.m. and the kickoff will start at 5 p.m. The event is free, open to the public and expected to wrap

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up at about 7 p.m.

The event will include stick horse racing for children and music. The kickoff will also have several food and beverage vendors on site. Following the kickoff, Ashley Buchart will perform during the concert in the park.

The boot kickoff itself will include competitions in various categories — best kick, longest kick, etc. There are a limited number of entries available per category, so organizers recommend those interested in competing to sign up quickly at the beginning of the event.

Individuals interested in competing can bring their own boots or use the ones supplied at the event.

This is the second year the Chamber of Commerce has run the event as a way to support the rodeo board.

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The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Pancake Breakfast Sheridan WYO Rodeo tradition FROM STAFF REPORTS

For the 40th year, the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast will be held July 11 from 6-9 a.m. at Grinnell Plaza just before the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade.

Organizers and volunteers will serve pancakes and ham to more than 2,000 people in the time frame of just a couple of hours. Volunteers include the American Legion Girls State delegates and the Boy Scouts, who help clear tables.

The Kiwanis organization has averaged 70 gallons of orange juice, 40 gallons of milk, 10 containers of instant coffee, 2,000 slices of ham, 16 gallons of syrup and approximately 26 one-gallon buckets of pancake batter donated by Perkins each year.

There will be more than 50 tables set up with a few hundred seats to accommodate the crowds. Tickets to eat are $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and younger.

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The Sheridan Press | File Photo

Sneakers & Spurs Participation continues to grow.

FROM STAFF REPORTS So you’ve just stuffed your face with pancakes downtown and now need to walk it off. How about running it off instead?

For the past 17 years, hundreds of people have chosen to participate in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo week race event.

The Sneakers and Spurs 5K takes runners through Sheridan and has become one of the most popular events surrounding the rodeo.

The run has grown to nearly 500 participants and according to organizers, the run has a very casual feel. Some runners don

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Western garb or other costumes and high school cross country teams have used it to train in the summer.

The race starts on the corner of Main Street and Grinnell Plaza and goes past the Historic Sheridan Inn, snaking through Kendrick Park before ending back at Main Street and Grinnell.

The event is chip timed and runners can register before July 8 at the Sports Stop or Foot of the Bighorns for $25. After that, the registration fee will rise to $30. Registration forms can also be found online at wyorace.com.

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The Khango Warriors compete in the Beds Along the Bighorns race on Main Street in Sheridan. The Sheridan Press | File photo

Bed Races Tough competition in this 25-year tradition FROM STAFF REPORTS What has four wheels, eight legs and carries two people at a time?

On Friday morning of Rodeo Week, you can find out.

The annual Beds Along the Bighorns bed race has been a staple on Main Street after the Kiwanis pancake breakfast, pitting pajama-clad racers against each other in a race of speed and wits.

The rules are simple — co-ed teams of six have four runners and two who sit in the bed. The team that crosses the finish line

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first, claims the $500 prize.

Organizers have said the event has been in place for at least 25 years and racers are primarily from around the area.

In 2013, the Kane Cattle Co. and Bob’s Super Clean team won the top prize. The group members were newcomers to the event, ousting 2012 champions the NX Bar Ranch team.

The entry fee is $45 per team and entry forms can be picked up at the Sheridan Media offices or at sheridanmedia.com.

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C.J. Box talks to fans during a book signing for his latest Joe Pickett novel “Stone Cold” at Sheridan Stationery, Books and Gallery on Main Street. The Sheridan Press | File Photo

C.J. Box: Parade Marshal Box joins a long list of people who have been honored in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade.

BY TOM RINGLEY C.J. Box, best-selling author and Wyoming native, is the Grand Marshal for the 2014 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Parade. He will be accompanied by his wife, Laurie.

Box is no stranger to rodeo as he served for several years on the Board of Directors of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

He has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide and owned an international tourism marketing firm with his wife. He is also an avid outdoorsman and has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West.

Box and his wife live in Wyoming and have three daughters.

Box’s literary career is littered with impressive accomplishments and awards. He is the Top Five New York Times bestselling author of 18 novels including the Joe Pickett series. He won the Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel (Blue Heaven, 2009) as well as the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, the Barry Award and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Associa-

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tion Award for fiction. Box has also received awards and recognition for his short stories. The novels have been translated into 27 languages and three of them have been optioned for film.

More than 3 million copies of his novels have been sold in the U.S. alone.

A significant Wyoming asset, Box was honored for the visibility his literary fame has brought to the state of Wyoming. In 2008, he was awarded the “BIG WYO” award from the Wyoming state tourism industry.

Box joins a long list of people who have been honored in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade although they were not always called grand marshals. For instance, in the first rodeo after World War II, the “place of honor” was the Sheridan Canteen float for the outstanding work the Canteen did in supporting the war effort. In 1947, Mrs. Jeanette Peabody of Los Angeles was selected as Queen for a Day on a Hollywood Mutual radio program and rode alongside Mary Kay Archibald who was the offi-

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cial Sheridan WYO Rodeo Queen.

Col. Tim McCoy, a Western movie star and notable, was honored with a place in the parade in 1952 and provided a humorous moment. When he mounted his horse to ride in the parade he made a great “cowboy jump” into his stirrup and split his tight fitting riding pants all the way down one leg. Luckily, a nearby 4-H mother happened to have a handy supply of safety pins and pinned the colonel’s pants to make him presentable for the parade.

In the last few years, the lineup of grand marshals has included, among others, breast cancer survivors, Dorothy “Dippy” King, the Weaver family, U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi and Diana Enzi, and PRCA Rodeo Clown Reunion participants. Especially poignant were last year’s grand marshals, the former Miss Indian Americas.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors is very pleased to have C.J. Box and his wife, Laurie, join the Sheridan community in celebrating the 84th annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Welcome to Sheridan.

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2013 Parade Winners Participants in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade are judged based on the category of entry, incorporating the theme, creativity and whether the group followed the parade rules.

The following are the winners from the 2013 parade.

Grand Prize — First People’s Powwow

Commercial — True Colors

Horse — Gold Buckle Club Wagon

Floats — Eagle Ridge

Band/drill units — Drum and Bugle Corp

Grand Prize Winner First People’s Powwow Commercial Category First place — True Colors Second place — Heartland Kubota Third place — Rangeland Hunting Adventures Horse Category First place — Gold Buckle Club wagon Second place — M & M & The Diamond Cross Third place — Morgan Flitner, Miss Cody Stampede Lady in Waiting Floats First place — Eagle Ridge Second place — Fort Phil Kearney State

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Historic Site Third place — Rehabilitation Enterprises of North Eastern Wyoming Bands and drill units First place — Drum & Bugle Corp Second place — Sheridan County Rodeo Marching Band Third place — Kalif Shriners Oriental Band Novelty First place — Eliot Manufacturing & Iksiks Washanala Little Swan Dancers, Yakima Indian Reservation, Wash.

Second place — First Interstate Bank Third place — Weaver family Editor’s note: No photo of the first place novelty float was available.

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Duck Races Help Kiwanis raise money for children.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Is your rubber ducky the one? When the Sheridan Kiwanis Club starts the annual duck race you’re going to hope it is.

The Kiwanis mantra is “Young children are priority one,” and the annual duck race in Big Goose Creek helps the club raise money for children’s projects.

“We do all sorts of good things for kids and that is what it is all about,” said Dr. Rodney Bisbee, chairman of the event.

The duck race has been a rodeo week staple since 1988. For the race, 1,000 numbered ducks are sold for $5 apiece. The ducks are then dumped into the creek in Kendrick Park and they race to the finish line.

The owner of the winning duck claims $500, second place gets $200 and third walks away with $100.

The weather, typically, cooperates and rarely has the creek been too high for the event. If that happens this year, Bisbee said they’ll postpone the race until waters are at a safer level.

Ducks can be purchased at the WYO Theater or from any Kiwanis member. They can also be purchased the day of the race.

The event is set for 1 p.m. at Kendrick Park.

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The carnival rides light up after the sun sets. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Come on, take a ride Allowing kids to be kids and letting adults pretend for just a little bit FROM STAFF REPORTS Outside of the excitement and thrills of the rodeo arena, the annual rodeo week carnival is one of the most anticipated features of summer in northeast Wyoming — allowing kids to be kids and letting adults pretend for just a little bit.

Set to take place Wednesday through Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. each day at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds, the carnival will feature various rides and games provided by North Star Amusements of Cody.

Carnival organizer Charlie Jorgenson has said carnival-goers will be able to purchase food such as burgers, ribs, brats, kettle corn, cotton candy and a variety of other carnival foods if they

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need a breather from the rides and games.

He also noted that the festive atmosphere of the carnival is one the entire family can enjoy together. The wide array of activities and entertainment options make it the perfect way to enjoy a warm summer night following a hectic day of other rodeo-related festivities.

The carnival will run each night until midnight.

Entry wristbands cost $25. Wednesday night is “Buddy Night” and carnival-goers can get two wristbands for $30.

Tickets will cost $1 each, or can be purchased in a pack of 10 for $9. There will also be a $2 coupon in The Sheridan Press.

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Party goers move about Main Street near the Mint Bar during the street dance. The Sheridan Press | Justin Sheely

Downtown street dance Fun, family-friendly atmosphere

BY ALISA BRANTZ After a thrilling day of rodeo action the crowds pour out of the fairgrounds full of adrenaline and cheer, energized by the fearless strength of cowboys and Indians.

But on Friday and Saturday night during rodeo week in Sheridan, a different kind of celebration breaks out — the annual downtown street dance.

Each year, Main Street, between Alger Avenue and Brundage Street, is transformed as the road closes down to vehicles, and stages and vendors go up.

This year will be no exception as The Justin Lane Band will be busting their chops on the north end of the street while Harley and the V-Twins get crowds moving on the south side — encompassing three bars, a variety of food vendors in the Grinnell Plaza food court and happy feet of all ages in between them.

Lane and his crew that he calls “the hen house roosters" have opened for such artists as Brantley Gilbert, Drake White Band, Love and Theft and Granger Smith. Originally from Texas, the group out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, promises to bring a new sound of country music as well as a high energy performance to the street dance.

Harley and the V-Twins out of Denver, Colorado, are no strangers to rodeo week. Returning to Sheridan, the group again offers a blend of rock and country for those really ready to party.

Admission is only $5 and though all attendees must have an ID to enter, there is no age limit to join in the fun.

In fact, street dance organizer Brad Townsend said the best part of the event is how family friendly it is.

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“It’s kind of neat seeing the people who have their kids with them at the rodeo and they want to go see their friends afterward and they wouldn’t be able to spend that time with their kids if they went to a bar but here in the street I see kids dancing with their moms and having a good time,” Townsend said. “It’s just a fun, family friendly atmosphere.”

Still filling the need it was originally created for, the event serves as a confined, monitored alternative to a late night on the town.

Since the mid-1980s, organizers saw that as the rodeo attendance grew every year all of the crowds seeking entertainment after the show were causing bars to reach capacity along with the potential for things to get out of control.

“We decided to have a street party to give everyone a fun alternative,” Townsend said. “It is a confined area with security so it is a controlled environment but it’s also a great time and an annual gathering of friends in Sheridan.”

Security and law enforcement will be on site nightly to ensure there is no under age drinking. Open containers are permitted as of 6 p.m. nightly, but must be in a plastic cup with no cans, bottles or outside liquor allowed.

An annual favorite form of entertainment, butt darts will once again be played for prizes. A game involving a quarter in a crack as you squeeze your way through an obstacle course is sure to get crowds laughing.

Friday’s party will end at 2 a.m. Saturday and after a short break, crowds can return Saturday night and dance until they drop at 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

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A polo player swings at the ball as the other defends. The Sheridan Press | File Photo

Bighorns and quality polo Unwind from the long weekend.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Need a break from the dust and danger after the rodeo?

If so, head out to the annual tailgate party set for July 13 to kick back and enjoy the sunshine, views of the Bighorns and quality polo.

“It’s a nice day to wind down,” Sheridan WYO Rodeo board member Linda St. Clair has said of the event held at the Big Horn Equestrian Center. “It’s just relaxing out there.”

The festivities center around two polo matches at the eques-

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trian center as hundreds of fans watch equine champions of a different kind.

Between the two polo matches, two teams will square off in a “cowboy polo match” using traditional Western saddles, brooms and a volleyball.

Attendees are welcome to bring a picnic lunch, but food vendors will also be available.

The event begins at 1 p.m.

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Rodeo fans waited in the lobby before the ticket office opened at the WYO Theater. Feb. 28 marked the opening day of the 2014 WYO Rodeo ticket sales. The Sheridan Press | File Photo

Economic ‘Go-Time’ A self-starting economic stimulus

BY TRACEE DAVIS The week of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is economic ‘go-time’ for the community. The whirlwind of rodeo tickets, carnival rides, sidewalk sales and entertainment spending kicks up more than $5 million that circulates within the community.

A unique aspect about Sheridan's rodeo week is that the economic stimulus that hits the town is self-starting.

Last year, 19,354 rodeo tickets were sold. Of those, 2,000 went to out-of-state visitors, and an additional 800 went to Wyomingites not from Sheridan County. The remaining 17,600 were purchased by people who live within Sheridan County, and most of them bought more than just a ticket to the main event that week.

Rodeo Board Controller Larry Gold called the Sheridan-based ticket sales statistics “remarkable,” considering the population of Sheridan County is roughly 25,000.

“Based on that, we estimate that about 6,000 tickets are purchased by local residents for friends and family who visit during rodeo week,” Gold said.

In addition to former residents, their friends and families, the WYO Rodeo acts as an attractant to peripheral events, including class and family reunions. Not everyone comes to town to see the rodeo, but they do come at the same time as the rodeo because of the added community activity during the week.

“It is safe to assume that rodeo week is a week of celebration for family and friends who are drawn to Sheridan by the rodeo,” Gold said. “It is also safe to assume that

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locals tend to act a bit like tourists and spend more money during that period of time.”

Gold compiled information from the 2013 rodeo week and found that food purchases topped

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the list during the week with a total of just under $1.7 million.

The second most purchased item was alcohol, bringing in a total $1.13 million, followed by merchandise, $700,000, and lodging, $500,000.

The direct and indirect economic contributions of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo are the most significant of any other independent event that takes place within the community.

Dollars don't measure social capital, memories made, friendships forged, community cooperation and units of stress reduced, but those elements also peak during rodeo week in Sheridan.

Alice Overturf points to seats indicated on the computer screen as she purchases tickets for the WYO Rodeo early at the WYO Theater. The Overturfs have been purchasing rodeo tickets on opening day for many years. The WYO Theater does an annual early opening for selling WYO Rodeo tickets. The Sheridan Press | File Photo

DIRECT AND INDIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS DURING

RODEO WEEK FOOD PURCHASES: $1,691,000 ALCOHOL PURCHASES: $1,136,000 MERCHANDISE PURCHASES: $763,000 LODGING: $571,000 FUEL EXPENDITURES: $381,000

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Sheridan WYO Rodeo CONTESTA NT LIST # Contestant Name

Hometown

1. de la Cruz, Cesar 2. Adams, Casey 3. Adams, Cody 4. Aichele, Nicole 5. Alcazar Jr, Juan 6. Aldridge, Doug 7. Alexander, Christina 8. Aller-Burwell, Vicki 9. Anzick, Shelly 10. Armes, Bray 11. Arnold, Evan 12. Asay, Kaleb 13. Askey, Jeff 14. Atchison, Ty 15. Bach, Allen 16. Bach, Joel 17. Bachand, Melissa 18. Bail, Jesse 19. Bain, Brian 20. Baldwin, Tanner 21. Barber, Wayne 22. Barnes, Jake 23. Barrow, Jaime 24. Bass, Kaley 25. Bates Jr., Michael 26. Bates, Brandon 27. Beers, Brandon 28. Begay, Derrick 29. Bell, Gib 30. Benbenek, Gretchen 31. Bennett, Caleb 32. Benton III, Trey 33. Berry, Tom 34. Bessert, Sammi 35. Bilby, Jared 36. Bingham, Tim 37. Bird, Dustin 38. Bird, Shawn 39. Blasingame, Ty 40. Boardman, Cimarron 41. Boka, Josh 42. Bond, Tylor 43. Borrego, J.W. 44. Bothum, Ryan 45. Bothwell, Tanner 46. Boudreau, Jim 47. Bowen, Dustin 48. Bowers, Kyle 49. Bownds, Chandler 50. Braden, Hardy 51. Branch, Roger 52. Brandemuehl, Troy 53. Branquinho, Luke 54. Brazile, Trevor 55. Breding, Parker 56. Brennecke, Kyle 57. Breuer, Casey 58. Breuer, Ty 59. Brevik, Calvin 60. Bright, Matt 61. Brinkerhoff, Justin

62. Brockman, Seth 63. Brown, Billy Bob Tucson, AZ 64. Brown, Boe Ault, CO 65. Brown, Catfish Ault, CO 66. Brown, Luke Walla Walla, WA 67. Brunson, Louie Kissimmee, FL 68. Bryson, Tanner Carthage, MO 69. Buffington, Joe Ovalo, TX 70. Bugenig, Billy Huntley, MT 71. Buhler, Jeremy Livingston, MT 72. Burk, Blair Ponder, TX Santa Margarita, CA 73. Burson, Alissa 74. Busby, Andrea Roan Wash, WY 75. Cabral, Cody Martin, TN 76. Callaway, Kyle Colony, OK 77. Campbell, Annie Weatherford, TR 78. Campbell, Cody Rhome, TX 79. Campbell, Leo Belle Fourche, SD 80. Capper, Pamela Camp Crook, SD 81. Cardoza, Russell Redmond, OR 82. Carlisle, Randall Vail, AZ 83. Carrington, Kelley Chadron, NE 84. Carroll, Shay Scottsdale, AZ 85. Cassidy, Curtis Lake Wales, FL 86. Chambliss III, Tray Kissimmee, FL 87. Champion, Richmond Tohatchi, NM 88. Chase, Mike San Angelo, TX 89. Church, Paddy Powell Butte, OR 90. Clark, Beau Seba Dalkai, AZ 91. Clark, Glen Gillette, WY 92. Clark, Jesse Aubrey, TX 93. Clarys, Andy Morgan, UT 94. Claunch, Bill Rock Island, TX 95. Cline, Andrea Buffalo, WY 96. Cloud, Howdy Loma, CO 97. Coffell, Don Bridgeport, NE 98. Colletti, Casey Honeyville, UT 99. Combs, Liz Cut Bank, MT 100. Comeaux, Kale Cut Bank, MT 101. Cook, Tommy Sugar City, CO 102. Cooley, Valee Stephenville, TX 103. Cooper, Clay O'Brien Dillon, MT 104. Cooper, Clint Avondale, CO 105. Cooper, Cole Weston, CO 106. Cooper, Jake Caddo, OK 107. Cooper, Jim Rapid City, SD 108. Cooper, Tuf Weatherford, TX Fredericksburg, PA 109. Coppini, Paul 110. Corkill, Jade Calgary, AB 111. Costa, Marcos Lubbock, TX 112. Courmier, Austin Welch, OK 113. Coursen, Seth Perkins, OK 114. Cox, Doug Douglas, WY 115. Crawford, Charly Los Alamos, CA 116. Crawley, Jacobs Decatur, TX 117. Crawley, Sterling Edgar, MT 118. Creager, Trent Grain Valley, MO 119. Crowser, Troy Mandan, ND 120. Culpepper, Brad Mandan, ND 121. Curran, Zach Durango, CO 122. Dahozy, Brooks Stafford, TX 123. Daly, Jace Corinee, UT

# Contestant Name

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Hometown

# Contestant Name

Hometown

Wheatland, WY Stephenville, TX Valentine, NE Collinsville, TX Stephenville, TX Interior, SD Camp Verde, AZ Wheatland, WY Ferndale, CA Arrowwood, AB Durant, OK Farmington, NM Brock, TX Hilo, HI Gillette, WY Shoshoni, WY Summerville, OR Amarillo, TX Cheney, WA Terrebonne, OR Baton Rouge, LA Boston, GA La Junta, CO Donalda, AB Alpine, TX The Woodlands, TX McAlester, OK Fort Collins, CO Belgrade, MT Weatherford, TX Portales, NM Riverton, WY Monte Vista, CO Springtown, TX Kountze, TX Iredell, TX Pueblo, CO Eltopia, WA Livingston, LA McAlester, OK Billings, MT Gardnerville, NV Decatur, TX Loma, CO Monument, NM Ross Monument, NM Decatur, TX Kuna, ID Fallon, NV Childress, TX Oakwood, TX Casper, WY Gillette, WY Prineville, OR Stephenville, TX Stephenville, TX Stillwater, OK Whitewood, SD Sylvester, GA Riverton, WY Window Rock, AZ Casper, WY

124.

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Franklin, TN Hyattville, WY Ovalo, TX Ovalo, TX Cottonwood, CA Stephenville, TX Stephenville, TX Upton, WY Weatherford, TX Tohatchi, NM Mullen, NE Wheatland, WY Kimberly, ID Heflin, LA Solen, ND Desdemona, TX Livermore, CA Loveland, CO Bishop, CA Longmont, CO Oklahoma City, OK Silver Star, MT Albany, GA Thorsby, AB Ballard, UT Buffalo, WY Midland, TX Colbert, WA Weatherford, TX Checotah, OK Boerne, TX Kissimmee, FL Lonedell, MO Elm Grove, LA Durant, OK Pittsburg, TX Madison, GA Sulphur, OK Elko, NV Glendo, WY Thatcher, UT Faith, SD Helena, MT Sundance, WY Helena, MT Goodwell, OK Huntsville, TX Cheyenne, WY Loveland, CO Wheatland, WY Franklin, TN Andrews, TX Andrews, TX Buffalo, SD Winnie, TX O'Donnell, TX Gun Barrel City, TX Riverton, WY Dublin, TX Dublin, TX Randlett, UT Wasta, SD

Daniel, Keven W Darling, Chanse Davis, Bryce Davis, Jim Davis, Justin Davison, Cole Davison, Whitney Day, Jake Day, Yance' Dennison, Kassidy Dent, Steven DeForest, Chant DeMers, Cody DeMoss, Heith Allan Diaz, Britany Diaz, Isaac Dice, Rachel Dickens, Joey Dishion, Zayne Docheff, Chisum Doescher, Cody Downing, Shawn Driggers, Kaleb Dublanko, Erik Duncan, Dalan Duncan, Daniel Duncan, Keagan Durfey, Tyson Durham, Richard Duvall, Riley DuPerier, Callie Dymmek, Kamry Eaves, Paul Echols, Cole Edge, Cole Efurd, Emily Egusquiza Jr., Manny Eldred, Brennon Eldridge, Dakota W Eller, Austin Elliott, Tag Elshere, Cole Erickson, Chase Erickson, Mac Erickson, Ty Etbauer, Trell Evans, Jason Farella, Amy Jo Fellows, Brittany Finnerty, Dean Fish, Jessi Fisher Jr., Vin Fisher, J. Tom Floyd, Chason Foltyn, Clayton Forbes, Hanna Forrest, Sidney Franzen, John Frasier, Deb Frasier, Shelby Frost, Joe Gallino, Kaylee

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Hometown

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Evans, CO Live Oak, CA Claremore, OK Elbert, CO Stephenville, TX Placerville, BB Cheyenne, WY Keenesburg, CO Helena, MT Zachary, LA Sheyenne, ND Jay, OK Seymour, TX Weatherford, OK Jefferson, CO Buffalo, WY Highmore, SD Medical Lake, WA Stephenville, TX Consort, AB Agar, SD Cuero, TX Snyder, TX Plentywood, MT Casper, WY Roundup, MT Plain City, UT Pendleton, OR Casa Grande, AZ Laramie, WY Prattsville, AR Iowa, IA Marshall, TX Gillette, WY Itasca, TX Douglas, WY Gillette, WY Port Arthur, TX Weatherford, TX Pawhuska, OK Craig, CO Terrell, TX Dickinson, ND Columbus, KS Douglas, WY Pawhuska, OK Apache, OK Huntington, TX Stephenville, TX New Waverly, TX Gunnison, CO West Glacier, MT Purcell, OK Ceres, CA Magrath, AB Stephenville, TX Arcadia, NE Molt, MT Sheridan, WY Carthage, TX Stanfield, OR Plano, TX Cedarville, AR Stillwater, OK Grand Saline, TX Eunice, NM Walnut Springs, TX North Zulch, TX Robertsdale, AL Gillette, WY Canyon, CA Fredericksburg, TX Windsor, CO Comanche, OK

260. Jensen, J.C. 261. Jess, Garrett 262. Jim, Daxton 263. Johnson, Barbara 264. Johnson, Brad 265. Johnson, Cole 266. Johnson, Cord Henry 267. Johnson, Jhett 268. Johnson, Meghan 269. Johnson, Wesley 270. Johnson, Wyatt 271. Jones, Blaine 272. Jones, K.C. 273. Jones, Michael 274. Jordan, Cody 275. Jumper, Jimmy 276. Kasner, Matt 277. Kastner, Trevor 278. Keating, Joe 279. Kelly, Brittany 280. Kelly, Cheyenne 281. Kelly, Dugan 282. Kelton, Chance 283. Kelts, Samuel 284. Kennedy, Rhett 285. Ketcham, Sabrina 286. Ketscher, Jordan 287. Key, David 288. Kidd V, Cory 289. Kieckhefer, Sarah 290. Kilgus, Zach 291. Kimzey, Sage Steele 292. Kindred, Clint 293. Kinghorn, Kade 294. Kipp, Tyke 295. Kirchenschlager, Dakota 296. Kirkland, Terri Kaye 297. Kirkland, Ty 298. Kissack, Dane 299. Knapp, Scottie 300. Knowles, Blake 301. Kobold, Miles 302. Koeppen, Kelly 303. Kohr, Lynn 304. Koontz, Kory 305. Kormos, Scott 306. Koschel, Josh 307. Kountz, Rhonda 308. Kramer, Tannis 309. Krassin, Riley 310. Kraupie, Jake 311. Kreikemeier, Barry 312. Kreikemeier, Sadee 313. Kruse, Cassidy 314. Kruse, Lindsay 315. Kuttler, Max 316. Kvistad, Tait 317. Laduke, Nick 318. Lamb, Kody 319. Lambert, Sterling 320. Landingham, R.C. 321. Lang, Ty 322. Langdon, Taylor 323. Lantis, Kassidy 324. Large, Kara 325. Larsen, Orin 326. Larsen, Tyrel 327. Lauer, C.A. 328. Laughlin, Christine 329. Laye, Clint 330. LaDuke, Curt 331. Lee, Cody 332. Leonard, Marshall 333. Lewis, Megan

Bingham, NE Coulee City, WA Owyhee, NV Scottsdale, AZ Reva, SD Douglas, Douglas, WY Casper, WY Deming, NM Log Cabin, TR Hoyt, CO Templeton, CA Decatur, TX Hico, TX Hobbs, NM Midlothian, TX Cody, WY Ardmore, OK Sour Lake, TX Paso Robles, CA Hallettsville, TX Paso Robles, CA Mayer, AZ Millarville, AB Chowchilla, CA Yeso, NM Squaw Valley, CA Stephenville, TX Statesville, NC Prescott, AZ Belpre, OH Strong City, OK Oral, SD Buffalo, WY Lordsburg, NM Morgan Mill, TX Billings, MT Lufkin, TX Spearfish, SD Albuquerque, NM Heppner, OR Big Horn, WY Jefferson, CO Gillette, WY Sudan, TX Teague, TX Nunn, CO Bozeman, MT Sheperd, MT Lander, WY Bridgeport, NE Jackson, WY Jackson, WY Gillette, WY Great Falls, MT American Falls, ID Burns, WY Livermore, CA Sherwood Park, AB Fallon, NV Pendleton, OR Montrose, CO Aubrey, TX Spearfish, SD Bromide, OK Goodwell, OK Inglis, MB Buffalo, OK Pueblo, CO Cadogan, AB Gillette, WY Gatesville, TX Shongaloo, LA Twin Falls, ID

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Lehi, UT Ardmore, OK Franktown, CO Baker, MT Kaycee, WY Coffeyville, KS Beeville, TX Ault, CO Madisonville, TX Canyon, TX Canyon, TX Ochelata, OK Stephenville, TX Cotulla, TX Meadow, SD Giddings, TX Needville, TX Post, TX Jordan Valley, OR Wichita Falls, TX Pine Bluffs, WY College Station, TX Timber Lake, SD Timber Lake, SD Timber Lake, SD Roy, UT Hermosa, SD Lusk, WY Fort Collins, CO Vinita, OK Sulphur, LA Marsing, ID Weiser, ID Cedar Hill, TN Durango, CO Mart, TX Plantersville, TX Ogallala, NE Reno, NV Tilden, TX Porum, OK Uvalde, TX Brunswick, GA North Powder, OR Kime Douglas, WY Craig, CO Ft. Collins, CO Wells, TX Hulett, WY Sturgis, SD Telephone, TX Stephenville, TX Belle Fourche, SD Clyde, TX Yuma, CO Ray Huntsville, TX Hebron, NE Cochrane, AB Cochrane, AB Nelson, SB Billings, MT Lance Creek, WY Reeves, LA Billings, MT San Luis Obispo, CA Greeley, CO Gillette, WY Gillette, WY Ellensburg, WA Ellensburg, WA Ellensburg, WA Colusa, CA Aubrey, TX Midwest, WY

Gardner, Cody Garner, Josh Garten, Brady Geipel, Patrick Gill, York Gillespie IV, George R Glause, Seth Glover, Chris Goyins, Cally Granger, Corey Grann, Bobbi Graves, Travis Gray, Adam Gray, Callie Greene, Ginger Greenough, Wendy Gregg, Wyatt Grimes, Kathy Groth, Luke Guenthner, Scott Gunderson, Joe Haferkamp, Rowdy Hale, Garrett Halverson, Becky Hamilton, Jake Hanley, Shawn Hannum, Jake Hansen, Clayton Hanson, Brock Hardwick, Seth Harper, Chad Harper, Cheyenne Harrell, Kinney Harris, Bobby Harris, Chris Harris, Merritt Harris, Ryan Harrison, Brandon Chase Harter, Bradley Hartness, Rod Haskins, Camie Hass, Clayton Hausauer, Dusty Hawkins II, Buddy Henry, Garrett Herren, Chet Herrin, Hunter Herring, Robyn Herrmann, Shelby Higgins, Joe Burk Hildreth, Tab Hill, Beau Hillman, Jett Hinton, Jaime Hofer, Logan Holden, Tyson Holeman, June Hollenbeck, Hank Holwell, Ronda Hooper, Tilden Hopper, Seth Horner, Drew Howard, Chance E Howell, Will Huckabee, Casey Hughes, Rebecca Hurst, Ivy Hutto, Jim Mike Irwin, Kyle Isenberger, Lee Ivy, Lane Jacoby, Elliot James, Jason Jarrett, Ryan

Lewis, Tom Little, Benette Loflin, Christy Lohof, Mike Lohse, Reo Long, Jake Lopez, Quisto Lostroh, Kody Lovell, Colby Lowe, Tiffani Lowe, Will Lucas, Sherri Lucero, Martin Lyne, Samantha Lyon, Jade Maass, Justin Macha, Justin Macy, Aaron MacKenzie, Ryan Maddox, Casey Madsen, Chance Mahoney, Casey Maier, Ardie Maier, Corey Maier, Rorey Malone, J.C. Manke, Ty Marak, Jamie Markel, Chandler Markham, Cale Martin, Casey Martinat, Bryan Mason, Dallee Masters, Chad Masters, Wade Mathis Jr., Robert Mattern, Joe McBride, Will McCauley, T.J. McClaugherty, Landon McDaniel, Justin McDonald, Morgann McDonald, Sarah Rose McGinn, Howdy McIntyre, Payden McKee, Wendy McKibbin, Ken McKnight, Tyler McNamee, DeAnn McNenny, Daine A McWhorter, Nathan Medlin, Logan Meeks, Jeremy Meeks, Scot Mekelburg, Randy Melancon, Jeremy Melvin, Dru Milan, Straws Milan, Tanner Miller, Bryce Miller, Clayton Miller, Colton Miller, Derrick Miller, Justin Miller, K.C. Mills, Shawn Mills, Travis Mills, Trent Minor, Brady Minor, Jake Minor, Riley Mitchell, Spencer Moore, Timber Moore, Tommy

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# Contestant Name

Hometown

# Contestant Name

Hometown

# Contestant Name

Hometown

408. Morgan, Shelley 409. Morrison, Clayton 410. Motes, David 411. Motes, Ryan 412. Mousseau, Matt 413. Mousseau, Tamaran 414. Mulligan, Sean 415. Navarre, Corey 416. Neely, Cole 417. Newman, Kris 418. NeSmith, Scotty 419. Nicholas, Shyla 420. Nicholes, Brady 421. Nogueira, Junior 422. Nonella, Roger 423. O'Connell, Tim 424. O'Keeffe, Britta 425. O'Mara, Jacob 426. O'Neil, Sean 427. O'Quinn, Sabra 428. Olney, Cheyne 429. Otero, Michael 430. Outhier, Mike 431. Palm, Jerry 432. Palmer, Bryce 433. Panetta, E.J. 434. Parchman, Kelsey 435. Parker, Delon 436. Parrott, Rowdy 437. Parsons, Joseph 438. Pass, Aaron 439. Patterson, Rocky 440. Pearce, Ace 441. Pearson, Tyler 442. Pedro, Riley 443. Peebles, David 444. Peebles, Steven 445. Peek, Josh 446. Peterson, Derrick 447. Petry, Darrell 448. Petska, Cory 449. Petska, Monty 450. Pharr, Doug 451. Pierce, Carlee 452. Pixley, Jay 453. Pixley, Robert 454. Plyler, Adam 455. Poindexter, Martin 456. Poppino, Brodie 457. Poppino, Tana 458. Powell, Turtle 459. Pozzi, Brittany 460. Pratt, Jake 461. Prcin, Tyler 462. Price, Taylor 463. Primm, Rachel 464. Proctor, Coleman 465. Pruitt, Riley 466. Pugh, Trigger 467. Quaney, Cody 468. Radabaugh, Christian 469. Rassmussen, Katie 470. Ratliff, Winn 471. Real, Joaquin 472. Reed, Ryan 473. Reilly, Devan 474. Reina, Tony 475. Reynolds, Josh 476. Richard, Rhen 477. Richards, Tom 478. Richardson, Carley 479. Riddle, Caine 480. Riemer, Reese 481. Riggle, Nicole

Canton, TX Cavalier, ND Tolar, TX Weatherford, TX Hensall, ON Guelpn, CA Coleman, OK Weatherford, OK Duchess, AB Casper, WY Morristown, TN Fort Washakie, WY Hoytsville, UT Scottsdale, AZ Klamath Falls, OR Zwingle, IA Mohall, ND Baton Rouge, LA Dacatur, TX Ocala, FL Toppenish, WA Lowndesboro, AL Utopia, TX Centennial, WY Milton-Freewater, OR Sheridan, WY Cumberland City, TN Worden, MT Mamou, LA Marana, AZ Dallas, TX Pratt, KS Washington, TX Louisville, LA Honolulu, HI Redmond, OR Redmond, OR Pueblo, CO Louisburg, KS Cheek, TX Marana AZ Joe Turlock, CA Mt Calm, TX Stephenville, TX Sundance, WY Livingston, TX Pageland, SC Stephenville, TX Big Cabin, OK Big Cabin, OK Stephenville, TX Victoria, TX Ellensburg, WA Alvord, TX Huntsville, TX Washoe Valley Pryor, OK Gering, NE Ponoka, AB Cheney, KS Prineville, OR Choteau, MT Leesville, LA Woody, CA Farmington, CA Sheridan, WY Wharton,TX Ekalaka, MT Roosevelt, UT Humboldt, AZ Pampa, TX Vernon, TX Stinnett, TX Scottsdale, AZ

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Crow Agency, MT Highmore, SD Fresno, CA Stephenville, TX Spanish Fork, UT Weatherford, TX Minatare, NE Livermore, CA Lipan, TX Round Rock, AZ Torrington, WY Willard, MO Liberty Hill, TX Itasca, TX Bryan, TX Nowata, OK Camp Crook, SD Joliet, MT Prineville, OR Dover, OK Midway, TX Yoder, WY Severance, CO Yoder, WY Burns, CO Burns, CO Pueblo, CO Newell, SD Larkspur, CO Canyon Country, CA Pryor, MT Rye, CO Evansville, WY Snyder, CO Snyder, CO Hallsville, TX Oakdale, CA Cheyenne, WY Delta, CO Ogden, UT Midwest, WY San Tan Valley, AZ Pima, AZ Grace, ID Lincoln, TX Greeley, CO Jasper, TX Jasper, TX Huntsville, TX Blackfoot, ID Llano, TX Cuero, TX Hobbs, NM Broken Bow, OK Broken Bow, OK Eastland, TX Lipan, TX Oakdale, CA Childress, TX Blackfoot, ID Barnsdall, OK Marshall, MO Rexburg, ID Fredericksburg, TX Prairie View, TX Helena, MT Redding, TX Cody, WY Snyder, TX Fredonia, TX Detroit Lakes, MI Riverton, WY Vale, SD Vale, SD

556. Steiger, Andrew 557. Steinberg, Nathan 558. Stevenson, Wes 559. Stierwalt, Kyra 560. Stockton, Alicia 561. Suhn, Todd 562. Suit, Darin 563. Sumpter, Wade 564. Sutton, Brent 565. Swor, Cade 566. Talbot, Joe 567. Talsma, Ty 568. Taton, Cody 569. Taton, Ora 570. Tavenner, Dirk 571. Taylor, Quinten 572. Taylor, Robin 573. Taylor, Weston 574. Teel, Cody 575. Thibodeaux, Ryan 576. Thiel, Trevor 577. Thiel, Tyler 578. Thomas, Jason 579. Thomas, Sierra 580. Thompson, Chace 581. Thompson, Coy 582. Thompson, Ty 583. Thouvenell, Ethen 584. Thouvenell, Kelli 585. Thurston, Zeke 586. Tierney, Jess 587. Tierney, Paul David 588. Tillard, Casey 589. Tillard, Marty 590. Tillard, T.K. 591. Tillard, Tim 592. Tillard, Troy 593. Tillard, Ty 594. Timmons, Randi 595. Tittel, Jay 596. Tonozzi, Garrett 597. Tovar, Kelly 598. Tryan, Brady 599. Tryan, Chase 600. Tryan, Clay 601. Tryan, Travis 602. Tsinigine, Aaron 603. Tutor, Bill 604. Twisselman, Caleb 605. Tyner, Dillon James 606. Vest, Stetson 607. Vezain, JR 608. Vick, Dylan 609. Viles, Justin 610. VonAhn, Kollin 611. Vosler, Aaron 612. Wade, Tyler 613. Wadsworth, Dean 614. Waguespack, Tyler 615. Wahlert, Wes 616. Wakefield, Brady 617. Walkoviak, Colby 618. Wall, Kimmie 619. Wallace, Sterling 620. Wallace, Ty 621. Walls, Trent 622. Waltz, Tyler 623. Ward, Andrew 624. Ward, Reagan 625. Warkentin, Wayne 626. Waters, Tyler 627. Watkins, Ryan 628. Welch, Scott 629. Welles, Ian

Dubbo New South Conroe, TX Lubbock, TX Leedey, OK Stephenville, TX Hermosa, SD Ames, OK Fowler, CO Onida, SD Winnie, TX Pendleton, OR Verdigre, NE Corona, NM Rapid City, SD Rigby, ID Kaycee, WY Kaycee, WY Perryton, TX Kountze, TX Stephenville, TX Greeley, CO Belle Fourche, SD Benton, AR Dawn Roy, UT Munday, TX Whitewood, SD Wanblee, SD Hooper, UT Hooper, UT Sheridan, WY Hermosa, SD Oral, SD Glenrock, WY Douglas, WY Douglas, WY Douglas, WY Douglas, WY Douglas, WY Elizabeth, CO Pueblo, CO Fruita, CO Rockdale, TX Huntley, MT Helena, MT Billings, MT Billings, MT Tuba City, AZ Huntsville, TX Santa Margarita, CA Hoyt, CO Childress, TX Cowley, WY Escalon, CA Cody, WY Blanchard, OK Cheyenne, WY Terrell, TX Ozona, TX Gonzales, LA Galeton, CO O'Neill, NE Anderson, TX Roosevelt, UT Justin, TX Collbran, CO Stephenville, TX Martin Edmond, OK Edmond, OK Calmar, AB Stephenville, TX Bluff Dale, TX Midland, TX Buffalo, WY

106 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

Riley, Jamie Rinehart, Jake Robbins, Sheena Roberts, EJ Robinson, Clint Robinson, Ryan Rochlitz, Ryan Rodriguez, Jake Rogers, Arky Rogers, Erich Rollman, Mandy Rose, Adam Ross, Corey Rutherford, Chad Saculla, Cody Saebens, Billie Sainsbury, Forest Sankey, Ike Santucci, Sean Sartain, Nick Savage, Chance Savage, Clayton Scales, Tyler Schafer, Seth Schlegel, Jerad Schlegel, Joel Schnaufer, Tyler Schuelke, Taygen Schulze, Kim Scott, Ann Scott, Bode Scott, Hali Sedar, Dave Segelke, Hayden Segelke, Paxton Shaffer, Justin Shawnego, Joseph Sheets, Trey Sheffield, Jesse Sheffield, Jody Shepperson, Les Sherwood, Cole Sherwood, Matt Sherwood, Steve Shipp, Dakota Shoemaker D.V.M., Wade Shofner, Ben Shofner, Cooper Shofner, Jacob Siggins, Josh Skelton, Rich Slone, Ace Smith, Cindy Smith, Clay Smith, Jake Smith, Jared Smith, Patrick Smith, Ryle Smith, Stran Smith, Sue Smith, Tom Smith, Will Smith, Wyatt Snedecor, Scott Solomon, Cory Sparing, Timmy Spears, Jordan Wacey Sporer, Sid Spreadborough, Sam Squires, Kenna Stall, Brett Stalley, Colin Steffes, Kristi Steffes, Nikki

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Welling, Lyle W Wells, Jamie Wells, Joe Wells, Randy Welsh, Jill Whatley, JB Wheeler, Mallory Whitcher, Jackie Whitfield, Fred Wickett, J.P. Wiley, Chase Willberg, Ryan Willert, Jeff Williams, Britt

Crawford, NE Nunn, CO Cisco, TX Cisco, TX Parker, AZ Gardendale, TX Boerne, TX Athens, TX Hockley, TX Sallisaw, OK Charlotte, TX Lott, TX Belvidere, SD Hammond, MT

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Williams, Chad Williams, Chase Williams, Miles Williams, Ralph Williams, Victoria Willis, Tyler Wilson, TW Wilson, Wendy Wojciechowski, Tyler T Wood, Neal Woodard, Travis Woodfin, Will Woods, Cindy Woodward, Jess

Stephenville, TX Stephenville, TX Gillette, WY Skiatook, OK Kiln, MS Wheatland, WY Limon, CO Pendleton, OR Tarpley, TX Needville, TX Stockton, CA Marshall, TX Newberg, OR Dupree, SD

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Woodward, Kody Wright, Carmel Wright, Jake Wright, Jesse Wright, Rusty Wright, Spencer Yates, J.D. Yates, Marty Yates, Trey Yost, Justin Young, Tracee Ziegelgruber, Kim Zuniga, Tommy

Dupree, SD Roy, MT Milford, UT Milford, UT Milford, UT Milford, UT Pueblo, CO Stephenville, TX Pueblo, CO Mount Morris, PA Delta, UT Edmond, OK Centerville, TX

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