Wyo Rodeo 2016

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Sheridan WYO Rodeo

2016 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

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As a Million Dollar Silver Tour Rodeo and one of the top 30 PRCA rodeos in the United States, tickets sell out fast for the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

Tickets sales have gotten off to a strong start.

More than 20,000 tickets are available for the four days of rodeo action, but WYO Rodeo ticketing Chair Jeff Wells, pre-

dicts fast sales to continue.

“Ticket sales are hot,” he said. “We’ll for sure sell out Friday and Saturday nights.”

Wells recommends buying tickets early. They can be purchased online following the link at sheridanwyorodeo.com or at the WYO Theater, located at 42 N. Main St.

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22 Where it all began

FEATURE STORIES

Rodeo’s roots run deep into history.

BY KRISTIN MAGNUSSON

28 What brings competitors from around the world to WYO?

78 Equipment & safety gear

A look at some of the equipment used before and during an event.

BY MIKE PRUDEN

80 What it costs to compete

Evan Jayne, all the way from Marseille, France

BY MIKE PRUDEN

A sport that can be romanticized.

BY PHOEBE TOLLEFSON

41 Joe Medicine Crow

82 Training rodeo horses

Last link to the Battle of Little Bighorn, a historian and a veteran.

BY MIKE DUNN

A long process in which patience is required.

BY KRISTIN MAGNUSSON

64 Bred to buck

Sarah Schreiber and Ted Vlahos, the Doctor Doolittle duo of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

BY PHOEBE TOLLEFSON

Domesticated animals that are born and bred to buck.

BY MIKE DUNN

102 Rodeo veterinarians

Kathy Nichols holds the national flag from the saddle during the 2014 Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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CONTENTS

57 JJ Harrison

113 Kickoff — literally

Check out all Sheridan has to offer.

A high-energy guy

We take kickoff literally

19 Mayor’s Letter & 2016 Scholarship Winners

59 Pickup men: Marriott, Gilbert & Ward

115 Pancake breakfast

17 WELCOME

A leader in the “Old West” — and a leader in the New West

Their work is behind the scenes, yet right in front of our faces.

20 Sheridan WYO Rodeo history

61 Bullfighters: Butler & Jestes

Always improving the rodeo experience

26 Sheridan WYO Rodeo president’s letter 31 Contribution to the community

67 Gold Buckle Club

It’s fun; it’s a blast!

34 First People’s Powwow Dedicated to Joe Medicine Crow

39 Miss Indian America To present storytelling night, reunion fundraiser

44 Bridging the gap Not for the faint of heart

46 Dana Bowman Watch for his appearance from the sky

48 Sheridan WYO Wranglers Unleashing the excitement of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo

50 World Championship Indian Relay Races

119 A quirky event Stay in bed without missing out

121 Wagon wheels in Sheridan Vehicles that were integral to the development of the West

123 Parade marshals

Making hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improvements

Fort Phil Kearny to celebrate its 150th anniversary

125 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Parade

69 Sponsors are essential

“Hitch your wagon to the WYO”

We are blessed to have all of our sponsors

129 A ‘ducky’ tradition

71 Enumerable improvements Facilitating movement and increasing seating capacity

Helping one child and one community at a time

75 Instant replay & a televised performance

130 North Star Amusements Allowing kids to be kids

A higher level of entertainment

132 Western tradition — meets celebration

87-101 Event breakdown What to know about each event

Safe and fun for everyone

105 Wild Pony Races

135 Bob King Memorial Team Roping

These kids are tough as nails

Gathering local and out-of-state ropers

107 ERA Rodeo Sheridan will play host to another major rodeo event

137 Relax and wind down

109 Security

A great way to put a cap on a fun week

Fast horses and the exchange

Creating an enjoyable event for everyone

55 Will Rasmussen

111 Volunteers

People want to be entertained

5k takes participants through historic Sheridan

63 Stock contractor

Let’s get WYO’d

32 Sheridan loves it’s rodeo

117 Sneakers & Spurs

A rodeo Jestes will treasure Sankey Pro Rodeo an important part of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo

Opportunity for every kind of business

A good reason to wake up early

139-145 Contestant List List of contestants competing in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo

Making sure events go off without a hitch

ON THE COVER: Four-year-old Kolby Smith holds his hat as riders enter the arena floor carrying national flags during the first night of the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

Sheridan WYO Rodeo | THE SHERIDAN PRESS 11

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THE SHERIDAN PRESS

PUBLISHER: Stephen Woody

EDITORIAL Managing Editor: Kristen Czaban Journalist: Phoebe Tollefson Journalist: Kristin Magnusson Journalist: Mike Dunn Sports Editor: Mike Pruden Editorial Graphics: Sheree Cossel Photojournalist: Justin Sheely SALES DEPARTMENT Marketing Director: Phil Ashley Advertising Sales: Janea LaMeres Advertising Sales: Lisa Marosok Advertising Sales: Maureen Legerski Legals & Obituaries: Irene Nettles Classifieds: Amber Ringeisen

GRAPHICS Graphic Designer: Jonathan Cates Graphic Designer: Nicole Scofield Graphic Designer: Cammry Lapka

OFFICE MANAGER: Becky Martini CIRCULATION Circulation Manager: Yvonne Cossel Circulation Clerk: Tami Starbuck PRODUCTION Production Manager: Chad Riegler Pressman: Todd Martin Pressman: Thomas Miller Pressman: Chris Gale Mailroom Supervisor: Zack Boren Operator: Zack Boren Inserter: Chris Schneider 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 and home delivery customers of The Sheridan Press. It is also available online: www.thesheridanpress.com or destinationsheridan.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.

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES:

307-672-2431 (Orders, address changes, subscription problems) email: circulation@thesheridanpress.com ADVERTISEMENT INQUIRIES:

307-672-2431 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. 7018

Maureen Legerski maureen@thesheridanpress.com ph: 307-672-2431 ext. 7021

Lisa Marosok lisa@thesheridanpress.com ph: 307-672-2431 ext. 7022

Classifieds: Amber Ringeisen classifieds@thesheridanpress.com ph: 307-672-2431

12 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

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THE SHERIDAN PRESS CONTRIBUTORS

Kristen Czaban Managing Editor

Stephen Woody Publisher

Kristen Czaban has been with The Sheridan Press since June 2008. Coming to Sheridan from Chicago meant a little culture shock, but she dove into rodeo week with enthusiasm and looks forward to it each year — especially the Boot Kickoff.

Stephen Woody’s first rodeo was in 1956 in San Angelo, Texas. He was a youngster and one of the featured “stars” of the event was Rin Tin Tin. The best rodeo he’s ever seen is right here in Sheridan, Wyoming. It’s rodeo at its best. Rodeo Week in Sheridan is special and has been for generations.

Enjoy the rodeo and all the festivities and entertainment. We know it will be memorable.

Welcome to Sheridan. Let’s rodeo!

Phoebe Tollefson Journalist

Mike Dunn Journalist

Phoebe would like to say this ain¹t her first rodeo, but in fact it is. She’s looking forward to watching dangerous events from the safety of the stands and covering all of the dedication, organization and guts that are the makings of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Phoebe joined The Sheridan Press in September 2015 and currently covers city hall, cops and courts.

Mike Dunn is a business, education and sports reporter with The Sheridan Press. He is originally from the state of Washington and graduated from the University of Wyoming. Mike’s favorite events to watch is bull riding and team roping.

Kristin Magnusson Journalist

Mike Pruden Journalist

Kristin Magnusson grew up in thoroughbred country near Louisville, Kentucky, where she rode show horses and played polo. She attended the North American International Livestock Exposition almost every year, growing up. In 2003, she moved to Denver to earn a bachelor’s degree in multimedia studies. She attended her first real rodeo at Cheyenne Frontier Days. In 2009, Kristin moved to Sheridan, where she worked in video, as a ranch hand and for Rocky Mountain Equine Hospital. In April, she started a new adventure at The Sheridan Press. This will be Kristin’s sixth year spectating at the WYO. Her favorite events include team roping, the Indian Relays and bull riding.

Sheridan Press sports editor Mike Pruden didn¹t experience rodeo until he moved to Wyoming by way of Indiana two years ago. While it took a few go-rounds to get his bearings, he’s now a self-proclaimed rodeo aficionado. OK, that might be a stretch, but bucking broncs and, of course, Indian Relays are sure to get him out of his seat. And while NBA referees review every third play and Jordan Spieth takes 15 minutes to line up a putt, the nonstop action of rodeo is a fresh change of pace. Let’s get WYO’d!

Justin Sheely Photojournalist

Nicole Scofield Art Director

Justin Sheely came to his first Sheridan WYO Rodeo when he was asked to volunteer to sell programs in 2008. He was captivated by raw excitement of the Indian Relay races something he had never seen before. Justin photographed the rodeo and indian relay as a hobbyist photographer over years and was excited to photograph his first rodeo as a photojournalist working for The Sheridan Press in summer of 2013. His photographs can be found throughout this magazine, in copies of The Sheridan Press during rodeo week and for purchase at online galleries at sheridanpress.smugmug.com.

Nicole Scofield has been with The Sheridan Press since 2012. A South Dakota native, Nicole majored in art communications at Black Hills State University. Hailing from a small Western town and ranching community, Nicole enjoys time spent creating art centered around today's cowboy culture.

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WELCOME TO SHERIDAN Welcome to Sheridan and its 86th annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo! It’s an honor to host this highly successful annual event that not only brings immeasurable economic benefits to Sheridan County, but is recognized as world-class authentic “Cowboy” entertainment.

Festivities begin with the Boot Kickoff Party in Kendrick Park, a family friendly event featuring stick horse races for wee ones and the boot kickin’ competition for the older contestants.

Nightly rodeo performances open with the World Championship Indian Relay Races, an exciting event that you won’t want to miss! Throw in a parade, bed races, a carnival, a powwow, plus a duck race and you have the makings for an amazing actionpacked week.

While here, be sure to discover our breathtaking beauty, rich heritage and cultural offerings. An outdoor lover’s dream, Sheridan sits at the base of the Bighorn Mountains, a serene forest with endless outdoor recreational opportunities, such as fishing, hiking and backpacking. A short drive will take you to our neighboring bedroom communities, each with their own distinctive history, culture and charm.

Stroll through Historic Downtown Sheridan to discover quaint shops, unique restaurants, award winning craft breweries, captivating museums and enchanting public art. Mix and mingle with locals and visitors while kicking up your boots after the rodeo (or before if you choose).

Please stop by the Chamber of Commerce, located on our Main Street, to learn more about all the fantastic events taking place in Sheridan, during Dixie Johnson, CEO WYO Rodeo or any time of the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce year. We will connect you to the activities, businesses and opportunities that will certainly enhance your stay and help you “Get WYO’d!”

Welcome all rodeo fans to the 86th annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo!

provements will benefit all fairgrounds user groups the rest of the year.

In turn, Sheridan County and the Sheridan County Fair Association have made more than $1.9 million worth of infrastructure improvements to the fairgrounds which benefit all user groups and the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. These mutual supporting programs significantly enhance the experience of Sheridan WYO rodeo fans and all fairground user groups.

Cooperation abounds in Sheridan County when it comes to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. The staging of each annual rodeo is a totally 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 to the mix, success is the result.

But the biggest factor in the continuing success of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is you — the fans. Without your enthusiasm, your excitement, your appreciation of good rodeo and your “rodeo attitude,” all the cooperation between Sheridan County and the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and the support of the volunteers and sponsors would be for naught. So, thank you.

And welcome again to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

The Sheridan County Board of Commissioners never ceases to wonder at the incalculable benefits the Sheridan WYO Rodeo provides to Sheridan County. In its 86th year, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo continues to be a force in the community for first class professional rodeo entertainment, economic development and maintenance of our cultural heritage.

As the largest annual event in Sheridan County, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo provides a springboard for fun. Surrounding the rodeo performances is a fun-filled week that offers multiple opportunities for local organizations to garner financial support for various charitable causes.

This year it is appropriate to recognize the close historic relationship that the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and Sheridan County have maintained since the first rodeo in 1931. This has resulted in many mutually supportive infrastructure projects to the Sheridan County Fairgrounds complex over the years. This year alone, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and its charitable supporting organization, the Gold Buckle Club, invested $685,000 for additional seating and a much-needed walkway over the track. These im-

Sheridan County Board of Commissioners

Pictured, from left, are Bob Rolston, Steve Maier, Terry Cram, Mike Nickel and Tom Ringley.

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A LEADER IN THE WEST In 1963 my dad exposed me to my first taste of “The Old West” my first trip to Sheridan WYO Rodeo — the dust, the crowds, the cowboys, the noise. Back then, Sheridan really was a piece of the Old West. And while we still have the feel of the Old West — an intact Main Street, safe neighborhoods, the rodeo, parade and surrounding ranches — I’m pleased that Sheridan is also a leader in the New West.

Today, Sheridan is still an incredible community because of our quality of life. Sheridan has many assets that make this a great place to live and visit.

From hunting and fishing that we have right out our back doors to our parks, pathways, streams and recreation not found in many communities our size.

We are the city people want to visit. Our downtown is blessed with amazing shopping; our restaurants offer a wide variety of culinary delights to put any taste bud into the stratosphere.

We thank our community groups, foundations and citizens who work tirelessly to enhance our city!

John Heath, Sheridan mayor

2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Scholarship Winners

Mikaela Weeder

Sara Von Krosigk

Tyra Relaford

Scholarship recipients are to be recognized at the PRCA rodeo performance on Friday, July 15, 2016.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors would like to thank all participants who applied for this scholarship.

Over the past 20-plus years, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo has awarded more than $80,000 to deserving Sheridan County students.

“We are proud to be involved in the education of today’s youth,” said Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board Secretary Vicki Kane.

“As a college education becomes ever more expensive, the WYO Rodeo is pleased to be able to help area seniors pursue their studies.”

Apply for the 2017 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Scholarship at www.sheridanwyorodeo.com/scholarship.

Applicants must graduate from a high school in Sheridan County in spring of 2017 and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.

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Sheridan WYO Rodeo: a work in progress The sole motivation behind every change has been to improve the rodeo experience for the Sheridan community.

BY TOM RINGLEY The Sheridan WYO Rodeo is a work in progress.

In 86 years, starting in 1931, the WYO Rodeo has changed direction or modified its format many times in order to cope with various challenges. And it’s always been willing to try out new ideas and to discard them if they don’t work or outlive their usefulness.

In every instance, the sole motivation behind every change has been to improve the rodeo experience for the Sheridan community and to ensure that the WYO Rodeo endures.

There have been many examples over the years. Here are just a few: In 1933, the decision was made to have the carnival downtown, east of city hall, instead of at the fairgrounds. That idea didn’t work. The carnival has been at the fairgrounds ever since.

From 1937 until 1941, the WYO Rodeo had two parades, on both the first and third days of the rodeo. That idea ran its course, and since 1945, when the rodeo resumed after the war, Rodeo Week has featured only one downtown parade. Its historical hallmark is that it always starts on time – 10 a.m. sharp!

In 1936, a daredevil stunt was introduced during the rodeo performance. The stunt was that Capt. Frakes would crash his airplane into a burning building at the fairgrounds.

He performed the stunt and survived. But the stunt caused

such a ruckus with a governmental agency that the rodeo never tried such a stunt again.

A few years later, the rodeo did have an Army lieutenant parachute from a plane into the rodeo arena in front of the spectators. But that was pretty tame stuff comparatively.

In 1943 and 1944, the WYO Rodeo was canceled because of the war and re-emerged in 1945 with a new name, The Bots Sots Stampede, and a new status, amateur, instead of the prewar professional status.

The name change lasted until 1951, when the rodeo almost failed, but public support was mustered and, by popular demand, the rodeo resumed its previous name of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

In 1964, the rodeo board had to cancel its vaudevillian-type night shows, which had been held since the 1940s. The board did it because of the financial burden and the fact that “it was hard to obtain affordable first-class talent.”

Fast forward 43 years, to 2007. The rodeo board decided to introduce a concert night during rodeo week. The concerts, while popular with the public, created a financial and logistical burden that was unacceptable to the rodeo board, and the concerts were terminated after four years.

In 1967, the WYO was on the verge of failure again, and the

ABOVE: Bull rider Bryce Barrios, left, celebrates a clean run as bull fighters Al Sandvold, back, and Joe Butler distract the bull during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

20 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

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rodeo board decided it had to resume professional status to survive. It did, the rodeo survived and today is one of the premier professional rodeos on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit and a member of the Million Dollar Tour. Good decision.

In 1994, the WYO Rodeo board decided it needed to change stock contractors to improve the quality of the WYO Rodeo. As a result, it selected Ike and Roberta Sankey of Sankey Pro Rodeo.

The Sankey family became an integral part of the WYO Rodeo family and helped the WYO Rodeo reach new heights.

The Sankeys will be back this summer for their 22nd year.

In 1997, the Indians returned to the WYO Rodeo after many years absent. They compete in the World Championship Indian Relay Races, which offer the most exciting beginning of any rodeo in America. The races add incalculable value and excitement to the WYO Rodeo.

In 2005, the rodeo board decided more financial support was required for the rodeo and that individuals needed a way to support the rodeo financially. As a result, the Gold Buckle Club was formed and now, with its approximately 250 members, is a major

sponsor of the rodeo.

Additionally, the Gold Buckle Club provides funds to support the WYO Rodeo in many other areas, such as facility upgrades at the fairgrounds.

The WYO Rodeo board is determined to ensure that as many fans as possible get to experience the WYO Rodeo. That's why, in 2009, after several years of near sell-out crowds, the Board decided to add a fourth performance on Wednesday night. The last time the WYO Rodeo had four night performances was in 1982 when the total attendance was 10,774. For comparison sake, the four performances last year brought in an attendance of more than 20,000. The WYO Rodeo has come a long way.

A factor always considered by the WYO board is the affordability of the rodeo for the fans. The board always thinks in terms of “How much will it cost a family to attend?� With that thought in mind, even though the cost to stage the rodeo keeps increasing, the WYO Rodeo board has tried to keep ticket prices low. One reason they have been able to do that is because of the generosity of the many sponsors. Without the loyal sponsors, the WYO Rodeo couldn't exist. We should be most grateful to all of them for playing such an important part in the WYO Rodeo.

TOP LEFT: A steer roper works to quickly tie a steer during the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo BOTTOM LEFT: A barrel racer makes a left turn on the third barrel during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

RIGHT: A bulldogger works to wrestle a steer to the ground during the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

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Where it all began There was often an exhibition and contest of skills among the Spanish vaqueros.

BY KRISTIN MAGNUSSON As a cowboy climbs onto a huge animal’s back in the chutes at the WYO Rodeo this summer, you can’t help but wonder: How did this become a sport? Or maybe the question sounds something more like: Whose crazy idea was this?

According to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, rodeo as we know it didn’t exist until the late 1800s. But the sport’s roots run deep into history when the Spanish settled in the U.S. and became cattle ranchers. The word “rodeo” comes from a Spanish word that roughly means roundup, which is what the ranchers often would have been doing.

According to the Santa Barbara News-Press, when the principal chores of a roundup were complete, there was often an exhibition and contest of skills among the Spanish vaqueros. The skills featured primarily horsemanship traditions.

According to the PRHF, the skills of the Spanish vaqueros were eventually passed along to the American cowboy as frontier territories expanded.

Tracing the first rodeo in the U.S. has proven difficult and several communities claim the title including Sante Fe, New Mexico; Deer Trail, Colorado; and Pecos, Texas.

According to a 1989 New York Times article, “Wrangling over where rodeo began,” most experts say the first rodeo took

place when a bunch of cowboys decided to have a competition to see who could ride or rope best.

An exact date of the first exhibition of the daily work and, later, of the sport of the cowboy cannot be given, wrote Clifford P. Westermeier in his 1947 history, “Man, Beast, Dust: The Story of Rodeo,” according to the NYT article.

He added that: if such an attempt were made, it would bring forth protests from the various parts of the West.

In Pecos, cowboys competed in steer roping and bronc busting for $40 in prize money, making it the first paid competition, according to some sources.

The rodeo in Prescott, Arizona, though, claims to be the first organized rodeo. Danny Freeman, who was cited in the NYT article, said the rodeo in Prescott was the first to be organized, have a committee, charge admission and give out prizes. He’s been working with that town’s rodeo since 1941.

Where it all began turned heated in 1985, when Pecos and Prescott challenged the makers of the game Trivial Pursuit, according to the NYT. When the game listed Prescott as the place where rodeo was formalized, Pecos threatened to sue. When all was said and done, though, Prescott still got the game maker’s Continued on page 25

TOP: Panoramic shot of 1929 P.K. Ranch Rodeo taken by Fuller Studio in Sheridan, Wyoming. The P.K. Rodeo was an inspiration for hosting the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

BOTTOM LEFT: Photograph of an unknown female rider and horse at a Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Picture was taken by Ziemer Studio.

BOTTOM MIDDLE: Photograph of an unknown rider and horse at a Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Picture was taken by Ziemer Studio.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Photograph of an unknown rider and horse at a Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Picture was taken by Ziemer Studio. *All historic photos are courtesy of the Sheridan County Historical Museum.

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ABOVE: Photograph of Curley Wetzel riding a bronc during the 1932 Sheridan County Rodeo. Curley was a local cowboy who worked at, among other places, Eatons’ Ranch.

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vote.

While Cheyenne, Wyoming, doesn’t claim to be the first rodeo, it does have its own claim as being the “Daddy of ‘em all.” The first Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration was held in Cheyenne in 1897. It marked the birth of a new kind of event, the Western heritage festival, developed to celebrate and perpetuate the heritage of the era that had just passed. The festival had the characteristics of Wild West Shows including mock battles, stagecoach holdups, Indian dances, roping and bronc riding, according to the Journal of Sport History.

The first Sheridan WYO Rodeo was held in 1931.

The Rodeo Association of America, made up of rodeo committees and producers, was formed in 1929.

World Champions were to compete in bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding, calf roping, steer roping, bulldogging, team roping and wild cow milking. The name was changed in 1946 to the International Rodeo Association.

By 1936, the cowboys decided to form their own organization after striking at the Boston Garden Rodeo. According to the PRHF, the organization wanted to ensure fair

prize money, equality in judging and honest advertising of the sport. In 1945, the name was changed to the Rodeo Cowboys Association. The year 1974 marked the inception of the PRCA when the Rodeo Cowboys Association added “Professional” to its name.

As a competition with a standardized set of rules, a governing body to keep things fair, a point system that can be documented to determine champions, and a championship competition for all members to work toward, rodeo is now considered a sport.

Today the standard events of the PRCA-sanctioned rodeos all represent the culmination of about 500 years of tradition that began with the Spanish settling in the U.S and showing off their horsemanship skills.

ABOVE: Photograph of a horse and rider at an undated Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

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PRESIDENT, SHERIDAN WYO RODEO NICK SIDDLE

Greetings, On behalf of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo I am excited to welcome you to the 86th year of the WYO. It is truly the community event of Sheridan, and is a homecoming time for class reunions, family reunions and a meeting place for old and new friends.

Having served on the Board of Directors for the past 10 years under the outstanding leadership of Billy Craft and Zane Garstad I am pleased to take the reins of the best rodeo committee anywhere. I grew up with rodeo, having my first broken bone courtesy of the Cody Night Rodeo, and competed at the high school and college level before getting a “real job” as an agriculture instructor and FFA advisor for 31 years. I have announced and judged many rodeos, county and state fairs over the years and have a strong lasting tie to the rodeo and agriculture community. I was asked many times what I was going to do when I retired, and I got the answer last fall when I was elected as president of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors. We have a great completely volunteer board, a supportive group of community volunteers in the Sheridan WYO Spurs and a growing group with the WYO Wranglers — our flag carriers and drill team.

So, what else is new for the 2016 version of the WYO? We are excited to bring the National Stagecoach and Freight Wagon Association 2016 National Conference to town during the WYO. They will have many items on display, and booths to see at the fairgrounds pavilion and on the lawn at the pavilion.

Many of the wagons will be in the parade on Friday morning as well, with the parade theme “Hitch Your Wagon to the WYO.” The WYO is truly a community event. The WYO Rodeo Board has two main goals, those being to promote, support and produce outstanding rodeo events, and to support the community of Sheridan in promoting a Western lifestyle and economic development. Many community organizations come together to make this event a week-long extravaganza. Although we are mainly responsible for the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and the rodeo parade, other events in the community are definitely tied to the

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WYO and we hope everyone in the community and visitors alike find several activities they can be involved in this week. This simply cannot occur without the community sponsors we enjoy and depend on the support of, and the national sponsors of rodeo who help bring us the top quality that professional rodeo can provide.

What can you expect to see when you step on the grounds at the WYO? You’ll immediately see a topnotch carnival, and a strong variety of food and beverage vendors. As you make your way to your seats you will notice our capital improvement projects for 2016, a sky bridge over the track, a new wing of Gold Buckle Club seats and our new “in the dirt” seats on the north end of the arena. You will be treated to pre-rodeo entertainment to put you in the spirit, and see the most spectacular skydiving display and grand entry you have ever seen. You will get to see some of the top rodeo stock in the business today, challenging the top rodeo athletes the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has to offer. You will see two of the best bullfighters in the business, the best barrel man and entertainer in the sport, three outstanding rodeo pickup men and listen to one of the top rodeo announcers anywhere. In addition, you will witness the unmatched thrill of the World Championship Indian Relay Races and the ever popular kid’s Wild Pony Races.

I encourage you to make some memories this week; mingle with old friends and make some new ones. Most of all, thanks for coming to the 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo celebration. It is because of your support we try our best to have a great event.

Have some fun, and...

LET’S GET WYO’D! Nick Siddle President, 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo

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What BRINGS COMPETITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD? “You start mingling with the people and seeing their culture.

Rodeo as a sport is great, but rodeo as a lifestyle is awesome.” — Evan Jayne

BY MIKE PRUDEN Evan Jayne was a long way from home when he first dug his boots into the dirt at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.

And a sense of pride shot through Jayne’s veins as the announcer’s voice roared through the WYO Rodeo speakers and into the ears of the thousands of fans in the grandstands.

“Evan Jayne, all the way from Marseille, France.”

The announcer’s introduction is only part of the story.

Jayne was born in France and spent most of his early life there, but it’s not home anymore.

The now 33-year-old cowboy moved to the United States as a foreign exchange student when he was in high school. And while the leap was a big one, Jayne said it wasn’t a difficult one.

“When you’re between 16 and 25, I think it’s probably the easiest time in your life to make such a big jump,” he said.

“You’ll find that a lot of guys rodeoing here from Australia and all these countries have made that move within those years, when you don’t have a family to leave behind or a girlfriend or anything like that.”

While Jayne was able to come to the U.S. as a foreign-exchange student, he can admit, now, that he always had his eyes set on hitting the rodeo circuit.

“For me, it was kind of disguised to come here and study,

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because I really wanted to be a rodeo cowboy. That was my main goal,” he said.

Still, Jayne had to adjust a bit.

There were events and activities similar to rodeo in France, but the sport of rodeo was new. Luckily for Jayne, his new family in Texas was involved in the sport.

So he hopped on a horse and off he went. Well, sort of.

Jayne’s journey to becoming an elite cowboy was a tedious one, as it is for most cowboys. Aside from learning the sport and grasping a lay of the land, the bareback rider was still trying to make ends meet.

A rodeo scholarship earned him an eventual degree from Sam Houston State, which landed him a gig as an agriculture teacher.

Jayne used up just about all 168 hours in a week. He’d jet out of the classroom when the bell rang, tear up an 8-second ride and jet back to town to prepare for the next day’s lesson.

It was hectic balancing act, one that he eventually got tired of performing.

“If I don't do good, I'm just going to move on,” Jayne told Las Vegas Review-Journal of his all-in approach to fulfilling his dream. “I'd still rodeo a little bit, but I can't chase the Finals

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dream anymore like I did.”

Jayne reached that dream in December, reaching the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

It’s all the stops before Vegas, though, that adds excitement to the foreigner’s voice as he describes his journey.

“That’s one of the things I love most about rodeo, when you start hitting small towns and parts of the country you would never go to,” he said. “You start mingling with the people and seeing their culture. Rodeo as a sport is great, but rodeo as a lifestyle is awesome.”

Jayne’s made stops in hundreds of small towns across the country, but Sheridan and the WYO Rodeo definitely stick out for him. That’s why he comes to town a day early.

“We’ll go drive up in the mountains, park the car and start hiking up,” he described of his trips to Sheridan.

And of course, like most cowboys, he gets pumped up for the Indian Relay Races.

A self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, he makes sure to get to the fairgrounds early enough to get his gear and self ready for his ride so that he can watch the relays. They get his blood flowing before he jumps in the chutes.

Still, no matter if he’s in Sheridan, Las Vegas or his American home state of Texas, Jayne makes sure the announcer screams and the marquee reads the same thing.

“That’s how I carry my heritage, by keeping the name ‘Marseille, France,’ attached to my rodeo career,” he said.

“And it’s easy because the French think they’re the best.

We’re very similar to the Americans,” Jayne joked before transitioning to a serious tone about his journey to the top. “We’re very proud of where we come from, and we’re very proud of our heritage. I made a huge effort to be here, and I’m willing to do anything for the sport that I love more than anything else.”

France may be home for Jayne, but he’s invested in some prime real estate across the United States, including Sheridan.

And he doesn’t plan on putting it on the market any time soon.

ABOVE: Evan Jayne from Marseille, France, bares down for his bareback ride at the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Jayne fell in love with rodeo when he moved in with his foreign exchange “rodeo family” in Texas.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Contribution to the community “There’s a lot of opportunity for every kind of business in town to generate some income...” — Larry Gold FROM STAFF REPORTS Since 1931, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo has been a staple of summertime entertainment in northeastern Wyoming.

Drawing in sell-out crowds, the rodeo provides a week of social events for locals and tourists alike. However, one of its largest impacts is the contribution the WYO Rodeo makes to the community’s economy.

According to information compiled by Larry Gold, controller of the WYO Rodeo and treasurer of the Gold Buckle Club, the SWR brings in millions of dollars of revenue.

It is estimated that the WYO Rodeo’s out-of-town visitors stay for an average of two days and two nights and spend an average of $550 while in Sheridan.

If the WYO is able to fill 50 percent of its current and newly available seats with regional visitors and guests of locals, it will drive approximately $1 million in additional dollars into the Sheridan economy.

In 2015, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo had 22,647 in attendance, drawing approximately 10 percent of its guests from outside the state. The rodeo typically sells out Friday and Saturday nights, but could spur even more growth with increased atten-

dance on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

In 2016, the WYO Rodeo will begin expanding seating to accommodate roughly 1,200 more guests per night, providing a total capacity of 6,800 guests each night by 2017. The expanded seating includes more Gold Buckle Club seats, temporary seats and a suspended walkway. Another 600 seats over the bucking chutes are planned to be added for 2017’s event.

And more guests means more visitors and more money being spent in town.

Not only is money poured into various industries from hotels to restaurants, but local businesses benefit from the unique opportunities to advertise and participate during events.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for every kind of business in town to generate some income and this is also a week-long celebration for everyone who comes back here,” Gold said.

Additionally, the rodeo showcases Sheridan as a potential vacation destination, while supplementing the area’s economy through a large summer tourism boost.

“I can’t think of anything else that has the magnitude [of the SWR],” Gold said.

LEFT: Rodeo goers wander behind the arena during the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

RIGHT: Local merchant Denny Wagoner holds up a hat after shaping it for rodeo fan Kitty Glidden of Star Valley, Wyoming. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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sheridan LOVEs its RODEO “It’s something that a lot of people have done starting when they were kids. And it’s fun; it’s a blast. It’s a way to continue something that we really enjoy.” — Zane Garstad

BY MIKE PRUDEN Grab a rope, grab a horse and grab a saddle — or don’t, if you’d rather ride bareback. It’s rodeo season, and Sheridan has plenty to offer.

Sheridan loves its rodeo. Just swing through during the week of July 11. The entire town pretty much shuts down during the aptly dubbed Rodeo Week. Adjusts might be a better term, as the town definitely isn’t shuttered.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo is definitely the most popular event of the year in Sheridan. It’s in its 86th year, so that should clarify just how big rodeo is in this town.

The entire week features performances, banquets, contests and a parade leading up to four action-packed days of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo performances. The best riders from all over the globe make their way to this town of 18,000 and showcase what it looks like to be a true cowboy.

It’s tough to get a ticket to the generally-sold-out event.

But what if you’re not here during that one week in July?

What if you can’t get your hands on a ticket or two?

Have no fear. Sheridan knows how to rodeo, and it knows how to do it all year long.

The Elks Youth Rodeo, Little Britches Rodeo, Sheridan County Rodeo, Cowgirls Rodeo, the newly introduced Elite Rodeo Athletes rodeo and junior high, high school and college rodeos give plenty of opportunities to watch or even compete in the old sport right here in Sheridan.

WYO Rodeo board member Zane Garstad credits the identity Sheridan created for itself and has maintained for so many years as the main reason rodeo is so beloved in this area.

“It is our connection to the Old West,” he said. “It’s something that a lot of people have done starting when they were kids. And it’s fun; it’s a blast. It’s a way to continue something

that we really enjoy.”

Garstad compared some rodeo events to other popular sports, such as team roping and golf. And just like golf is popular in certain parts of the world — like Florida and other warm climates — rodeo is popular around Sheridan and Wyoming. And it’s popular for a reason.

Ranches cover the Wyoming countryside, and those same skills used on the ranch are used in the rodeo arena, just in a sportier form.

Folks can relate to cowboys and cowgirls in rodeos. And outsiders can’t relate, which provides a whole different appeal.

Watch a peer straddle a bucking beast the size of a Toyota Prius?

Sign me up.

The appeal is there for outsiders, and it’s there for locals. But it’s deeper than that, at least in Sheridan.

Sheridan tries to provide opportunities for all kinds of subgroups: male, female, young and old.

That’s why Bob Strauser started the Elks Youth Rodeo in 1993.

“From my perspective, if you don’t keep kids busy doing something constructive, they’ll find something to do, and it may not be constructive,” Strauser said.

The Elks youth rodeo is only available for children 17 and younger. It uses a unique point system that allows older kids to battle younger kids. Other than keeping kids active and out of trouble, Strauser said the rodeo was created as a possible supplement for families who can’t travel all over the place to compete in more costly events.

And if you’re still questioning the support Sheridan has for rodeo, ask Strauser to show you his sponsorship list or his list of volunteers. He’s adamant that the rodeo wouldn’t exist without

LEFT: Tait Rasmussen cheers after a bull rider received a high score.

RIGHT: Rodeo fan Karen Bach of Sheridan cheers on the barrel racers during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Brock Mann cheers on contestants during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

Staff photo | The Sheridan Press all the local support, including a truck from Fremont Toyota for the overall champion each year.

Whether it’s the attraction of the prizes — they also offer scholarships, Strauser’s favorite prize — the affordable entry fees or the unique format of the event, the Elks Youth Rodeo has reached a point where Strauser doesn’t think they can get any bigger without sacrificing the original goals. It averaged 994 entries each day last year.

“We’ve got to get kids hooked, get them passionate about it.”

— Zane Garstad And the success of youth rodeos isn’t just important for each individual organization. Garstad said the only way to keep rodeo thriving in Sheridan is to keep the youth involved.

“We’ve got to get kids hooked, get them passionate about it,” he said. “And then that carries on, and we groom them, for lack of a better term, so they get to the WYO Rodeo. If we don’t take care of that, we won’t have a WYO Rodeo.

“We need that for our sport to grow and to continue that tradition,” he added. “It’s critical that we continue to groom our young kids all the way up to the professional ranks. We have that ability in our town.”

Garstad credits his unofficial coalition of rodeo super fans in keeping the popularity up within the community’s budding cowboys and cowgirls. He mentioned the junior high and high school rodeo teams have increased in size recently, and the addition of the new indoor rodeo arena at Sheridan College provides an opportunity that most rodeo communities don’t have.

And once again, he brought it all back to the community.

The heaping pile of donations to expand rodeo in Sheridan, along with full-on community support during the tradition-rich week of WYO Rodeo makes Garstad think that rodeo isn’t leaving Sheridan for a long, long time.

And with the continued involvement of local youth, he’s probably right.

Sheridan loves its rodeo.

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FIRST PEOPLE’S POWWOW This year, the powwow will be dedicated to Joe Medicine Crow, who passed away in April at the age of 102.

FROM STAFF REPORTS What has quickly become a favorite event of Sheridan’s Rodeo Week, the First People’s Powwow will take place Friday, July 15, at the Sheridan Inn. Smaller powwows are planned for Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday of Rodeo Week, from 2-4 p.m., join organizers on the lawn at the Sheridan Inn around a teepee for a multicultural blessing, smudging and prayer service. The afternoon will also include traditional Native American dancing, drumming and flute music by performers from the Crow Reservation led by Truman Jefferson Ropes Good.

On Thursday, from 2-4 p.m., another multicultural blessing, smudging and prayer service will take place followed by traditional music and dancing from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation led by Benji Headswift.

On Friday, from noon to 3 p.m., the First People’s Powwow and barbecue picnic will take place. Immediately following the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade, all Native American attendees and

participants are invited to gather on the lawn at the Sheridan Inn. This year, the powwow will be dedicated to Joe Medicine Crow, who passed away in April at the age of 102. Sheridan Mayor John Heath will pay tribute to Medicine Crow with a proclamation.

On Friday, the Sheridan Trolley will run a loop throughout the event from Grinnell Plaza to the Sheridan Inn. The barbecue lunch will be served outside and will cost $10 per person.

In addition to the powwows, the Miss Indian Americas will present a storytelling evening on Wednesday, July 13, from 5-7 p.m. at the Sheridan Senior Center.

Plus, a 2016 Miss Indian America reunion fundraiser will take place before Thursday’s powwow at the Sheridan Inn. The event will include a silent auction from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The program will feature fashion designer Bethany Yellowtail, who was raised on the Apsaalooke Nation.

TOP LEFT: Five-year-old Blake Iron runs and plays on the lawn of the Historic Sheridan Inn while his elders perform at a powwow and dance.

BOTTOM LEFT: The women of the Northern Arapahoe tribe from the Wind River Reservation dance along the sidelines as men perform during the traditional powwow and dance at the Historic Sheridan Inn. The women’s robes are adorned with bison teeth, a traditional mark of a good hunter.

RIGHT: Samuel Ironcloud dances a healing dance on the lawn of the Historic Sheridan Inn. Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

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ABOVE: Hair and ribbons fly as Jaycee Ironcloud whips around during the traditional fancy dance. The fancy dance is a newer addition to the Northern Arapahoe traditional dances with roots in the 1980s. Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 2 - 4 p.m. — Join us on the lawn around a teepee for a multicultural blessing, smudging and prayer service followed by traditional Native American dancing, drumming and flute music featuring performers from the Crow Reservation led by Truman Jefferson Ropes Good.

THURSDAY, JULY 14 2 - 4 p.m. — Join us on the lawn around a teepee for a multicultural blessing, smudging and prayer service followed by Native American dancing, drumming and flute music featuring performers from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation led by Benji Headswift.

FRIDAY, JULY 15 NOON - 3 p.m. — First Peoples Powwow and barbecue picnic. Immediately following the WYO Rodeo parade all Indians are invited to gather on the lawn at the Sheridan Inn for the First Peoples Powwow. This year the powwow is dedicated to Joe Medicine Crow who passed away in April at the age of 102. A proclamation will be presented by Mayor John Heath paying tribute to Medicine Crow. The Sheridan Trolley will be running a loop throughout the event from Grinnell Plaza to the Inn to transport guests. Immediately following the powwow a barbecue picnic lunch will be served outside for $10 per person.

TOP LEFT: Norman Ironcloud, an Oglala Lakota Indian from the Wind River Reservation, dances the young men’s fancy dance.

TOP MIDDLE: Tyrell Old Coyote of the Crow Nation dances on the grounds of the Historic Sheridan Inn. TOP RIGHT: Two-year-old Jericho Bullweasel of the Crow tribe dances in the grand entry last year at the Historic Sheridan Inn. Dancers entered to the Little Big Horn Victory Song to open the first of three powwows as part of Rodeo Week.

BOTTOM: Pat Ironcloud of the Okalala Lakota tribe displays his Eagle bussel. The circular adornment is reflective of the circle of life. The feathers may be frayed and broken, which is symbolic of conflicts he has encountered and overcome. Staff photo | The Sheridan Press

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MISS INDIAN AMERICA to present storytelling night, reunion fundraiser The event will feature Mary Louise Defender and Birdie Real Bird.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Sheridan’s WYO Rodeo Week has played host to Miss Indian Americas in the past and this year the city will welcome the group back.

On July 13, the Miss Indian Americas will host a storytelling night at the Sheridan Senior Center. A meet and greet will take place from 5-6 p.m. and will be followed by storytelling from 67 p.m.

The event will feature Mary Louise Defender and Birdie Real Bird.

In 1954, Defender was crowned the second Miss Indian America at the All-American Indian Days in Sheridan. Her late husband, William Dean Wilson was a World War II Navajo Code Talker. Defender, now 85, resides in North Dakota and was recently named the first North Dakotan to be awarded a $50,000 U.S. Artists Fellowship for her storytelling work. Defender is a Dakota and Hidatsa.

Real Bird, from Garryowen, Montana, is a member of the Crow tribe and is a member of the Big Lodge Clan and child of the Whistling Water Clan. She is known throughout Montana for her beading projects and dolls. Her work has been exhibited in numerous collections including the Smithsonian Institution.

She is currently the director of the Montana Indian Language Preservation Program for the Crow Tribe. In 2014, she was recognized as Master Artist through the Montana Arts Council.

In addition to the storytelling night, on July 14, a Miss Indian America fundraiser will take place at the Sheridan Inn. The event will include a silent auction from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The luncheon will feature Bethany Yellowtail, who was raised

on the Apsaalooke Nation. She was first taught sewing by her aunts and relatives growing up on the Crow Reservation. She moved to California and in 2009 graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in Los Angeles. Her clothing line, b.Yellowtail, is a high-end fashion line that draws inspiration from her Native American heritage from the Apsaalooke (Crow) and Northern Cheyenne Nations.

Sixty years ago, the Miss Indian America pageant made its debut at the rodeo. The first Miss Indian America, Arlene Wesley (James-Teeias) of the Yakama Nation, was crowned in 1953. At the previous year’s rodeo, a Crow Indian by the name of Lucy Yellow Mule had been crowned Miss WYO Rodeo Queen by popular applause, giving rise to the idea of an annual pageant dedicated to recognizing outstanding Native American women.

The pageant was part of All-American Indian Days, which were incorporated into the rodeo events to educate rodeo-goers about Indian tradition and culture.

The pageant continued as part of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo until 1985. At that time, the pageant was moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, where it was held in conjunction with the annual United Tribes International Powwow. It lasted just six more years before being discontinued. The last Miss Indian America was crowned in 1989 and served for three years. The powwow continues to host a pageant, now known as the Miss Indian Nations Pageant.

The original pageant represented women from tribes across the country. Navajo, Shoshone, Papago, Otoe, Kiowa, Apache, Cherokee, Crow, Pawnee and many other tribes had women members crowned Miss Indian America.

LEFT: Attendees of the 2015 Miss Indian American luncheon chat.

RIGHT: Bethany Yellowtail, owner of a high-end fashion line. She draws inspiration from her Native American heritage from the Apsaalooke (Crow) and Northern Cheyenne Nations. Courtesy photo.

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JOE MEDICINE CROW “Dr. Medicine Crow’s life reflects not only the warrior spirit of the Crow people, but America’s highest ideals.”

— President Barack Obama

BY MIKE DUNN He was widely considered the last link to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a historian and a veteran. But he was a lot more than that.

His name was Joseph “Joe” Medicine Crow. For years, he was considered one of the more influential members of the Crow Nation. He died on April 3, 2016, at 102 years old.

“He enjoyed talking, I believe, with everyone, and he was always interesting,” said Mary Ellen McWilliams, member of the Sheridan County Historical Society. “He seemed to be remarkably, without any kind of prejudice, kind to those of other races or for the other tribes — many of which were traditional enemies of the Crow.”

Growing up on the plains of the Crow reservation in Lodge Grass, Montana, Medicine Crow was a direct decedent of the Native Americans who had inhabited the western plains for generations. His grandfather was White Man Runs Him, who famously served as a scout for General George Armstrong Custer during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Medicine Crow was the

last living person to hear direct oral history from a participant of the battle.

“I am probably the only person who has known, has connection with the Custer Battle ... I am always doing research on the battle,” Medicine Crow said in a 2004 interview.

According to an article written by the U.S. National Park Service, Medicine Crow was one of the first in his tribe to attend college at Lindford College where he earned his bachelor's degree. He then went on to the University of Southern California to earn his master's.

He was on his way to a doctorate when World War II started.

In 1943, Medicine Crow enlisted in the Army and served in the 103rd Infantry in the European theater of World War II. He was famously known to adapt the customs of his Crow ancestors in battle; painting war paint on his arms underneath his uniform and wearing a feather on his helmet.

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ABOVE: Joe Medicine Crow visits with an attendee of the grand opening of the Sheridan County Museum in 2006.

Courtesy photo | Greg Nickerson | Sheridan County Museum’s Memory Book collection

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Medicine Crow performed the necessary deeds to be granted the title of a Crow war chief while serving overseas by touching an enemy without killing him, leading a successful war party, taking an enemy's weapon and stealing an enemy's horses. He was the last member of the Crow Nation to earn the title.

In his book “Counting Coup,” Medicine Crow wrote: “Warfare was our highest art, but Plains Indian warfare was not about killing. It was about intelligence, leadership and honor.”

Along with the honor bestowed on him by his tribe, he was also awarded the Bronze Star and the French Legion of Honor Chevalier Medal.

When he came back from the war, Medicine Crow was appointed as the tribe's historian and anthropologist and also worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Medicine Crow continued to give back to his tribe and his community. He was instrumental in establishing Little Big Horn College in 1980 and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody.

He also gave numerous presentations at area colleges and lectures at the Little Bighorn battle site.

Medicine Crow also gave the blessing for the opening of the visitors center at Fort Phil Kearney and was present at the opening of the Sheridan County Museum.

“I was with him at a dinner program for the Sheridan County Historical Society in Sheridan maybe 15 years ago, or so,” McWilliams said. “I sat with Joe at dinner and again after his program and had the opportunity for much discussion then.”

Other accolades include honorary doctorates from the University of Southern California, Rocky Mountain College and Bacone College in Oklahoma.

Medicine Crow was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 — the highest honor any American civilian can earn.

“Dr. Medicine Crow's life reflects not only the warrior spirit of the Crow people, but America's highest ideals,” President Barack Obama said during the ceremony.

“As a representative of the Crow tribe, and an elder in the tribe, as an anthropologist with a master's degree and a tribal historian, but mostly because of his efforts to reach out and contribute to better relations, good will and understanding between all races and tribes, I believe he is accepted as the single person having had the most positive influence with the people of the Sheridan area, and with his own Crow people,” McWilliams said.

Sheridan WYO Rodeo Week will include a number of events meant to honor Native American culture — the Indian Relay Races, tribal participation in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade and powwows at the Sheridan Inn. Organizers of the events have said they plan to dedicate some of the events during this year’s Sheridan WYO Rodeo Week to Medicine Crow.

ABOVE: Joe Medicine Crow sits on the porch of the Sheridan County Museum during it’s grand opening in 2006.

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Bridging the gap “The importance is seeing the development and maturity level in the girls from where they start and where they end...” — Kerri Cook FROM STAFF REPORTS Competing in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo isn’t for the faint of heart. And for the women trying to be crowned Rodeo Queen this couldn’t be more true.

More than just pretty faces, these ladies need horsemanship skills, rodeo knowledge and poise to be named queen. Preparing for months, competitors are put through multiple challenges to prove themselves.

While 25 percent of the score is based on appearance, a girl’s ability to handle and ride a horse makes up 50 percent of her score. The last 25 percent is based on an interview in which candidates are questioned about world news, rodeo and horse knowledge as well as personal goals. Anyone who doesn’t score at least 70 percent in each category is disqualified.

So far, three SWR queens have won Miss Rodeo Wyoming and have been in the top five at Miss Rodeo America.

“They definitely have some skills other than just walking across a stage,” Rodeo Queen Board President and former Rodeo Queen Kerri Cook said.

During the rodeo, the contestants perform the grand entry, clear cattle from the arena and interact with the spectators.

“They are basically bridging the gap between the contestants and the audience,” Cook said.

This interaction is especially important with out-of-state fans, Cook explained.

The girls regularly answer questions about animal safety and

rights for those not familiar with the SWR. Due to their role as representatives for the rodeo, the ability to speak eloquently and professionally is a must for rodeo royalty.

The SWR offers four categories for its royalty program: Junior Princess for ages 10-13, Princess for ages 14-15, Senior Princess for ages 16-18 and Queen for ages 19-24.

Often the crowned queen is in college and has grown up through the program. She acts as a role model to the other women and girls within the royalty program.

“Younger girls really look up to them (the queen and princess) and they can see their work ethic,” Cook said. “They’re actually working in the arena; they’re not just on display.”

Sheridan County has one of the only programs in the state that offers rodeo queens a scholarship.

Additionally, the crowned queen receives a saddle, buckle and various awards from the different categories in which she competes.

While these skills may seem very specific to rodeo work, Cook said they’re transferable to all aspects of life.

“The importance is seeing the development and maturity level in the girls from where they start and where they end… It’s amazing how much their confidence and speaking skills and just how they present themselves improves over the year,” Cook said.

For more information or to apply to be Sheridan WYO Rodeo royalty go to wyorodeoroyalty.com.

TOP LEFT: The reigning 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Royalty, from left, Bailey Van Leuven, Alanna Sarkovich, Sage Koltiska and Hanna Jost, smile for the crowd.

BOTTOM LEFT: Bailey McLean is named 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Queen during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Royalty Coronation.

RIGHT: Reigning Sheridan WYO Rodeo Senior Princess Alanna Sarkovich helps pin a sash to Lil' Miss Rodeo participant Serena McFaul, age 3. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Royalty Miss WYO Rodeo Bailey McLean Bailey McLean is the 21-year-old daughter of Doug and Jami McLean of Sheridan. McLean graduated from Sheridan College with a degree in business administration where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. As a little girl, McLean held multiple other rodeo queen titles such as 2008 Blue Sky Saddle Club Senior Princess, 2013 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Senior Princess and 2013-2014 Miss Rodeo Chadron State College. She was always active in 4-H where she entered photography, as well as market lambs and horses. McLean is honored to represent the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and plans to run for Miss Rodeo Wyoming in August 2016. McLean thanks all her sponsors, her parents, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Queen Board and the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors for all the work they do. She hopes to see you this year at the WYO!

senior princess gabrielle koltiska Gabrielle Koltiska, 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Senior Princess, is the 19-year-old daughter of Justin and Jessie Koltiska and Jodell Koltiska. She is a true Western girl who loves her horses. She is a barrel racer who loves spending her free time in the arena competing, riding at the family ranch or spending time with her friends and family. She works at Big Goose Veterinary Clinic and Wellness Center as a veterinary assistant. She loves working with animals and is attending the University of Wyoming working toward her bachelor’s in animal and veterinary sciences. She has aspirations of attending veterinary school and practicing veterinary medicine in the state of Wyoming. She'd like to thank the WYO Rodeo board, WYO Rodeo Queen board, and her friends and family for all the support throughout her reign.

princess angel richards Angel Richards, 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Princess, is the 16-year-old daughter of Terry and Chanda Richards of Dayton. Richards attends Tongue River High School, were she participates in crosscountry, basketball and track. In her free time Richards enjoys reading, running and horse back riding.

As the 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo princess she enjoys fulfilling her duties as ambassador for the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Sheridan County and the Western way of life. In addition, she strives to be a positive role model for young girls and show them that hard work, determination and strong morals and values are essential for success in life. Richards wants to say thank you for the support of her sponsors, the WYO Rodeo Board, WYO Rodeo Queen Board and her family for making this year possible for her as 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo Princess.

junior princess mariah mcfaul Mariah McFaul, 2016 WYO Rodeo Junior Princess, is the 13-year-old daughter of Andy and Kristin McFaul of Ranchester. McFaul attends Sheridan Junior High School and is in the ninth grade. Mariah enjoys all disciplines of horses including: Western pleasure and reining, dressage and hunter/jumping.

McFaul enjoys spending time with her horses more than anything else; she is also an active member in 4-H showing her horses, dog and rabbits. In the future, McFaul would like to study veterinary science and own her own practice as a veterinarian.

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Special entertainment for the 86th Sheridan WYO Rodeo will reach new heights again this year — 4,000 feet to be exact!

That’s the altitude from which Dana Bowman, Sgt. First Class (retired), will parachute from an airplane to land in the Sheridan County Fairgrounds arena as part of the grand entry for each of the four evening performances. It promises to be an exciting start provided by quite an exceptional man.

It was Bowman’s performance at a motorcycle rally in Red Lodge, Montana, that caught the attention of Kent Sherwood, owner of Sheridan Physical Therapy. Sherwood enthusiastically reported to several WYO Rodeo board members on the spectacular and emotional performance he had seen and then generously offered to sponsor Bowman if we could convince him to jump for the WYO Rodeo. The WYO Rodeo board accepted Sherwood’s offer and together with Sheridan Physical Therapy and Sheridan Orthopaedics will sponsor the excitement and patriotism of Bowman’s performance again at every performance of the 86th celebration of the WYO Rodeo.

Bowman is a skydiver, a retired member of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces and the Golden Knights. Remarkably, he is also a double amputee. He lost his legs in a parachuting accident in February 1994 in a training exercise with the Golden Knights.

When Bowman collided mid-air with a teammate at a combined speed of 300 mph his left leg was severed below the knee; his right leg above the knee. The teammate died instantly, but for some unknown reason, Bowman’s parachute opened and he landed unconscious in a parking lot.

Bowman’s rehabilitation was miraculous, only because of his dogged determination to recover. In three days, he was walking on prostheses; a feat it took most people with similar injuries at least six weeks to accomplish. In six weeks, he wore out four pairs of prostheses because of his punishing, self-imposed rehabilitation program. Bowman insisted on helping doctors design special prosthetics that allowed him to water ski, snow ski, scuba dive, bicycle and lead a full, active life. He went to the hospital’s brace and limb shop at night and built his own sockets, which join the remaining leg to the prosthesis. Bowman said, “I didn’t have all my life to wait for equipment.”

Five months after the accident, Bowman left Walter Reed Na-

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tional Military Medical Center to go skydiving as part of a Golden Knights wedding ceremony. As he grew stronger, he became a cheerleader for other wounded soldiers. Nine months after the accident, he became the first double amputee to re-enlist in the Army. Subsequently, he became the U.S. parachute team’s lead speaker and recruiting commander.

Bowman retired in 1996 after he made his last jump as a Golden Knight into the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Atlanta. In 2000, he became the first member of his family to earn a college degree and graduated with honors, earning a bachelor’s degree in commercial aviation. He presently is the only double amputee commercial helicopter pilot instructor in the world, as well as a commercial hot air balloon pilot.

Bowman has been featured in some impressive forums, including Reader’s Digest, People Magazine and Sports Illustrated.

In addition, he has given more than 400 motivational speeches speaking to businesses, schools and community groups. His message is: “It’s not the disability; it’s the ability.”

Bowman will not be the first man to plummet from the heights to entertain a Sheridan WYO Rodeo crowd. The first was in 1936 when a daredevil stunt pilot named Capt. F. F. Frakes crashed his airplane into a burning building especially built for the stunt on the back side of the fairgrounds. He was pulled from the wreckage and burning house with only minor injuries.

Needless to say, this was a one-time event.

Another airborne event occurred in 1944, when the Sheridan WYO Rodeo was temporarily called the Bots Sots Stampede.

Then, a Lt. Amos Little made a parachute jump and landed to great acclamation precisely in front of the grandstand.

There is no record of any other airborne entertainment in the ensuing years so it’s about time we had some. That’s why the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board of Directors is so proud to present such an outstanding individual as Bowman again to the audience of the 86th annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Watch for his appearance from the sky right after the cannon fires and give him a Sheridan, Wyoming, welcome.

Tom Ringley is an emeritus member of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board.

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Courtesy photo | Dana Bowman

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Sheridan WYO rodeo WRANGLERS Helping to unleash the excitement of the rodeo.

FROM STAFF REPORTS The cowgirls who carry the sponsor flags at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo now have an official name: The Sheridan WYO Rodeo Wranglers.

For more than 20 years, they’ve gone by a number of monikers — the folks who carry the flags, Sheridan WYO Rodeo flag carriers — which all described what they did but failed to capture their key role in each rodeo performance.

These individuals, from teenagers to grandmothers, play a critical role in wrangling the crowd’s attention and unleashing the energy that comes with one of the nation’s premier rodeo events when they race around the arena during the grand entry carrying the flags of high-dollar sponsors who make that rodeo possible.

The flags fly by in a whirl of color, waving and snapping in the rush of wind created by horses galloping at 20 to 30 mph.

The yearly tradition is one of the first displays of the excellent horsemanship that spectators will see in the Sheridan County Fairgrounds arena.

Wranglers head coach Cindy Wolfe said she and the committee of four others who work with her to organize the group,

want to keep growing the group.

“We really want to do some different patterns and try to keep it fun,” Wolfe said. “After all, we’re the ambassadors for the rodeo. We carry the sponsor flags and without the sponsors there would be no rodeo.”

Wolfe carried a WYO rodeo flag when she was younger, for about a decade. Then life took her away from the area for about 20 years. She returned to Sheridan and the WYO Rodeo flag team last year.

The action of the 30-plus horses and riders in the arena sets the stage for the rodeo and is important to getting all the fans, and cowboys and cowgirls all excited for the big event, rodeo organizers have said.

The number of sponsor flags, which represent sponsors who have given $3,250 or more, has increased over the years, starting with just a couple in the rodeo’s early history to a total of 36 this year.

While the people make the job of WYO Wrangler look easy, don’t be fooled. It can be a challenge to find 30-plus skilled riders who have horses who can handle the excitement created by

ABOVE: A WYO Rodeo Wrangler carries a sponsor flag during the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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the announcer, the Drum and Bugle Corps, the flags, the crowd and all the other horses.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh they’re just the flag carriers,’” Wolfe said. “But it does take skill and knowledge and there are 36 people, with flags, with the crowd and with the horses — the level of difficulty is up there.”

Knowing that anything can go wrong with that many people and animals in one space, Wolfe said the group practices once per

week at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.

The group also offered workshops and trainings in the offseason at the Sheridan College AgriPark.

“It’s hard work, it really is,” Wolfe said. “But it’s worth it.”

Whatever the skills or reason for volunteering, each Sheridan WYO Rodeo Wrangler uses fine horsemanship skills to help wrangle up the crowd, the cowboys and cowgirls and launch one of the finest rodeos in the West.

ABOVE: Gabby Koltiska, Sieanna Realbird, Krystal Raley, Sheila Georgen, Jackie Lewis, Jacky Shelden, Katie Jorgenson, Karyn Rieger, Mattie Zier, Callie Crouse, Katie Bailey, Zane Huntley, Sage Koltiska, Krista Huntley, Julie Boyd, Lacy Blea, Kelsie Delos, Hailee Tellez, Myria Burgess, Kayla Ciocarlan, Brenda Miller, Mili Galindo, Kristin Allen, Hanna Caiola, Kylie Sorenson, Hanna Ostheimer, Betty Ann Jerney, Lippy Vowell, DeeDee Ware, Amanda Taylor, Kelly Blea, Alexis McKinley, Codee Mckenzie, JoAnn Morey, Marcia Harper

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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP INDIAN RELAY RACES It’s about fast horses, of course, but it’s more about the exchange.” — Maverick White Clay FROM STAFF REPORTS Much has been said about the tradition and history behind the World Championship Indian Relay Races seen at the annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo, but when you get down to the heart of the event, it is a sport rich with skill, strategy and practice.

There are four players on a relay team: the rider, two holders and a mugger.

Though the attention of the audience is often on the rider, the other three players are equally key in achieving a win.

A holder holds the harness of the horse and points its head in the direction it will need to run once mounted, prior to the rider hopping aboard.

The other holder keeps the horses still in position for a smooth exchange by the rider from horse to horse.

The mugger gains control of the horse as it slows for the rider’s dismount, also ensuring a flawless transition.

Each relay team has its own strategy and practice rituals, but there seems to be a general consensus among the athletes that the key to a win is in the exchange.

“It’s about fast horses, of course, but it’s more about the exchange,” said Maverick White Clay from team Bad War Deeds in 2014. “A fast exchange will win a race.”

White Clay explained that strategy must be utilized throughout the race from a good start standing next to the nape of a still and focused horse to the smooth release with a correct landing.

It would appear that White Clay’s advice was spot on as his team took first

place in their heat of the races during the 2014 Thursday night performance at the fairgrounds. Watching each of the heats shows there is surely more to the event than that.

The race begins with the shot of a gun as the riders fling their right leg over the horse.

As the rider approaches the first exchange to switch to the second horse, he slows his horse only slightly as the mugger steps forward to grab ahold of the speeding animal.

The holder has regrouped with horse two for another smooth start and this is the moment the audience had better be alert, because as the rider removes his right leg for a brief moment on the ground the momentum of the horse

ABOVE: Clint Whitehawk, the jockey for the DDXpress Indian relay team out of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, leads the pack during the fourth heat of the Indian Relay Races at the 2015 Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Mike Dunn | The Sheridan Press

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ABOVE: A Dolphus Racing mugger and his team’s horse collides with another team’s horse and jockey during the third heat of the World Championship Indian Relay Race.

TOP RIGHT: War Man’s jockey J Ree Old Bull tosses his quirt at his team in celebration of winning a heat during the relay races in 2015.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A jockey clenches a quirt between his teeth as he races down the track at the 2015 World Championship Indian Relay Race. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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being dismounted propels the rider toward the fresh horse and in less than five steps the rider is on the bare back of a new animal.

With a small set of defined skills needed to win, practice is often about two things: the animals’ speed and the riders’ agility.

“We usually are galloping at practice; most training is about getting the wind in the horse,” White Clay said. “Some days we practice the exchange as it would be in the race and we try to race the track they will compete on to familiarize the horse with it.”

Tim Birdinground — the holder in 2014 for team Curly Relay, which was named for members of the group being descendants of General George Custer — said the key is a good starting position and that practice is all about the transition for his team.

Birdinground added a reminder that practice may prevent injury, but there is no guarantee. During a rodeo in 2013, their mugger was run over.

While trying to slow the horse coming in from his lap, he lost control and was brought to the ground but survived relatively unscathed.

Though the team consists of four men there is one additional athlete essential to the relay, the horse.

Birdinground said the ideal age of a relay horse is between 68 and they start training their horses around age 2 or 3.

However, team Bad War Deeds was busy painting an 11year-old horse alongside their 6-year-old and said a horse can be a success at any age.

Regardless of the focus of the practice, the expertise of the team during the competition or the horse being ridden, the unique sport of the Indian Relay Races is sure to be a crowd pleaser at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo for years to come.

Dayme Buffalo of team Wild Horse Ridge out of Pryor, Montana, charges down the track after the final exchange during the fourth heat of a 2015 World Championship Indian Relay Race at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds arena.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Sheridan WYO Rodeo Announcer WILL RASMUSSEN FROM STAFF REPORTS He’s not afraid to say it — well Will Rasmussen isn’t afraid to say anything — but the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is his favorite in the nation. With more than a two-decade career, that’s saying something.

“What an event with a world class rodeo,” Rasmussen posted to his fan page during the 2014 rodeo. “If you want a little taste of the West, or should I say a big gulp, you need to check out this event and this terrific town.”

His experience and love of rodeo extends even past his own career. His family, known as the “Rodeoing Ras-

mussens,” has a long history of rodeo participation. His mother is a timer, his brother, Flint, an award winning rodeo clown, another brother competes and his father, Stan, is an announcer.

Rasmussen first got his start in 1981 when his father double booked two rodeos. Rasmussen’s career began in Gardiner, Montana, and continued to grow into a full-time career, leading him to win a surplus of awards over the last two decades.

Of the hundreds of rodeos he has announced for, Sheridan has been one of his stops more than a dozen times.

Combining humor, facts and wit, Rasmussen keeps the crowd interested and informed — sometimes even shocked, as he’s known for his lack of political correctness.

“I guess it's my sense that you need more than just a rodeo,” he said in his biography on his website. “People want to be entertained.”

And entertain he does. Up in the crow’s nest, Rasmussen keeps the night flowing smoothly with a knack for getting the audience involved. However, his job starts before he even makes it to the arena. Setting him apart from other announcers is the amount of research he puts in. Facts and anecdotes about participants and animals are never lacking from his performance.

“It’s a great reward to have thousands of people respond positively to something that’s happened and to know you helped that along,” Rasmussen said.

Sponsored by ERA Carroll Realty, Will Rasmussen will return for the 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press.

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Rodeo CLown entertainer JJ HARRISON FROM STAFF REPORTS Entertaining a crowd at a rodeo can be an easy job. Wild bulls, bucking broncs and crazy cowboys keep fans on their feet and cheering.

But between the 8-second rides and between events, as cowboys and cowgirls ready for the next ride, somebody has to keep the crowd interested. That job falls to the rodeo clown.

For about the last 10 years, that clown has been Ash “Crash” Cooper. This year, though, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo board opted to mix it up with a new face.

“We wanted to keep things fresh,” WYO Rodeo board member Billy Craft said.

“That was the reason for the change.”

Craft noted that Cooper had been a popular addition to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, but said after a decade, the crowd has a certain familiarity with the act.

JJ Harrison, who will take over Cooper’s duties this year, has a different vibe, Craft said.

“He’s really a high-energy guy,” Craft said.

“He works really well with the crowd and he is really engaged with the crowd.”

Craft didn’t want to give away Harrison’s techniques, but said the crowd will have a lot to look forward to with the new clown’s act.

Harrison hails from Walla Walla, Washington. He graduated in 1998 from Washington State University, where he competed in rodeo. He then used his education degree to work as a middle school science teacher.

After nearly a decade in the classroom, though, Harrison took a chance on an opportunity that arose for him to be a rodeo clown. For awhile, he taught during the school year and performed at rodeos in the summer. But in 2006, he got his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card and has been on the rodeo trail ever since.

Courtesy Photo | PRCA

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PROFESSIONAL PICK-UP MEN MARRIOTT, GILBERT & WARD FROM STAFF REPORTS They’re impossible to miss, but they’re hardly noticed. As cowboys get bucked from their broncs and unroped steers mosey around the arena, the collective eyes in the grandstands tend to wander toward the now horseless cowboy or up to the scoreboard.

But even as the cowboy limps out of the arena, his bronco still bucks.

The clock has stopped on the rider, but it’s just starting for the pick-up men.

The pick-up men consist of three burley rodeo junkies, firm-handshake type fellows. Their grips are sturdy for a reason, though. These are the brutes in charge of rescuing fallen bronc riders. It’s up to these gentlemen to corral furiously bucking broncos.

They spend more time in the arena than any athlete, animal or clown. Their work is behind the scenes, yet right in front of our faces.

“It’s not just chasing a horse around the arena,” pick-up man Dalton Ward said.

For years — at least 20 — Bobby Marriott and Billy Ward have held their ground as the WYO’s go-to pick-up men.

But when Ward retired in 2014, it meant filling a role that seemed unfillable.

Because of Ward’s skills and experience, along with safety issues and performance flow, the WYO board decided to replace the veteran pick-up man with not one, but two people in 2015.

The board utilized Marriott and Ward,

their stock contractor and other respected peers within the industry to find applicants who would fit both the event and the community.

“The pick-up men are critical links,” board member Billy Craft said. “Not only from the safety aspect for the athletes, both man and animal, but also the flow of the performance and the team effort required for the 16 hours each day outside of the performance that makes an event what it is. We take this very seriously.”

For the second year, in 2016, Marriott will be joined by Duane Gilbert and Dalton Ward, who just so happens to be Billy Ward’s son.

While Dalton Ward may be new to the WYO Rodeo crew, his handshakes are as firm as his father’s.

The La Grange native has been joining his dad at rodeos his whole life. On a visit to Odessa, Texas, 12-year-old Ward was given the opportunity to pick up at a kid’s day rodeo with his father and fellow National Finals Rodeo pick-up man Paul Peterson. He’s been doing it ever since.

When it comes to working the WYO Rodeo, Ward has spent enough time around it to know that it’s a no-nonsense gig. And that’s why he appreciates it.

“I was kind of raised around the WYO Rodeo, so I have a good idea about it,” he said. “But to me, it's the committee that makes it special. They are up in the morning for slack, same as everyone else, and helping out doing whatever is

needed: sorting and loading timed-event cattle during the rodeo or helping feed.

No other committee I know works that hard.”

As far as the rodeo goes, the younger Ward says it’s not about him as much as it is the unit.

“My favorite advice from my dad was, ‘A good pick-up man can make his partner look good,’” he said. “Work as a stockman and read the horse. Work as a team to help each other. You can’t do this job yourself.”

Craft said he hopes the trio will stick around. The goal is to develop longstanding relationships with the pick-up men.

Then, he said, it makes the event better every year.

Ward doesn’t plan on hanging up his saddle anytime soon.

“When a horse bucks in a circle around you, and you never get out of a trot and get your work done in five strides,” he said. “Might be as cool to me as it gets. I love that part.”

So when those nights in July roll around, as fans shuffle into the bleachers and the sun lazily crests over the horizon, the WYO Rodeo will get underway. But for a group of three men, they’ll be reaching the pinnacle of a tireless week of work. “Pick-up men are without a doubt the most unsung heroes and work horses of rodeo,” Craft said.

These gents deserve the firmest of handshakes.

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PROFESSIONAL BULLFIGHTERS JOE BUTLER & NATE JESTES FROM STAFF REPORTS After 86 years, the WYO Rodeo may feel like a constant to Sheridan residents. Behind the scenes, though, the come and go of rodeo organizers, volunteers, cowboys, cowgirls, roughstock and others create the high-quality production that spectators watch.

This year, two of the rodeo’s unsung but vital cogs — the bullfighters — join the rodeo team for just their first and second years.

Joe Butler worked his first Sheridan WYO Rodeo in 2015.

He’d never been to Sheridan before that, but the WYO participant is not a rookie when it comes to bullfighting or rodeo.

The Oklahoma native who now calls Apple Valley, California, home has worked professionally for 13 years.

He got his start while on the rodeo team in junior college.

He team roped and calf roped before he decided to start riding bulls. Next thing he knows, he’s fighting bulls in practice.

“I never thought I’d get into bullfighting and make bullfighting my career,” he said. “But since then I fell in love with it, and it’s what I do for a living now.”

The 30-something bullfighter is thrilled to again be a part of the WYO Rodeo. Because it’s consistently ranked as one of the West’s finest events, the WYO draws some of the best cowboys and cowgirls from around the United States. The WYO has also earned a reputation as one of the best-run rodeos around, all factors Butler mentioned as benefits to working the rodeo.

While Butler is in his second year with the WYO Rodeo, Nathan Jestes will join the bullfighting team for his first year.

Jestes calls Douglas home, so he isn’t unfamiliar with the WYO and its people.

In fact, Jestes learned the bullfighting trade under WYO Rodeo regular Al Sandvold, who fought bulls at Sheridan’s biggest event for years.

Jestes was born and raised in Colorado, but attended Montana State University to study aviation. While he was working at the airport near the school, he met Sandvold and later attended some of the rodeos Sandvold was working.

“I got interested from there,” Jestes said. “So Al took me to MSU rodeo practices every Monday and Wednesday and taught me how to do it.”

Now, Jestes has been bullfighting for about eight years, earning his professional card in 2010.

Jestes has been to the WYO Rodeo, so he has an idea what to expect. He visited Sandvold in Sheridan a couple years ago while Sandvold was working.

“I’m, for one, excited to go to such a prestigious rodeo,” Jestes said of bullfighting at the WYO Rodeo. “It’s one of the best rodeos in the PRCA so I’m excited for that, but more importantly I’m excited to carry on Al’s legacy. He’s the reason I’m where I’m at in my career so to go to Sheridan and carry on his legacy, it will be a rodeo I will treasure.”

TOP: Bullfighter Al Sandvold, middle, shoves bullrider Caleb Sanderson out of a bull’s path.

MIDDLE: Sandvold retired last year from bullfighting after eight years at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

BOTTOM: Dalan Duncan of Ballard, Utah, competes in bull riding while Sandvold and Butler prepare to assist. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Stock Contractor “We have the understanding that the WYO is putting on a world-class event and that it needs the best of the best stock.”

FROM STAFF REPORTS Rodeo Week is known for its star entertainment from professional cowboys and cowgirls to renowned clowns and pickup men. Yet their jobs wouldn’t be possible without the livestock they work with, run from and rope.

For more than 20 years, Sankey Pro Rodeo has been an important part of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo as the stock contractor.

The company, which focuses on livestock, event production and spectator experience, has made a name for itself in the rodeo circuit.

Sankey Pro Rodeo Co-Owner Ryan Sankey has 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, 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.

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.

Sheridan WYO Rodeo board member Zane Garstad said the WYO Rodeo’s success is due to Sankey’s stock, expertise and professional production.

Sankey and crew will once again team up with the Sheridan WYO Rodeo to provide quality entertainment and livestock this July.

LEFT: Tayte Augustus Clark of Meadow, South Dakota, flys off his mount in saddle bronc riding at the WYO Rodeo.

TOP RIGHT: Joe Frost of Randlett, Utah, spins off a bull during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press BOTTOM RIGHT: A saddle bronc rider attempts an eight-second ride aboard a Sankey Pro Rodeo bronc. Staff photo | The Sheridan Press

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bred to buck Broncs and bulls may look wild when coming out of the chutes, but in actuality, these are often domesticated animals that are born and bred to buck.

BY MIKE DUNN SHERIDAN — In the plains south of Joliet, Montana, are some of the strongest and toughest athletes on four hooves.

Cowboys at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo will hop on and try to hold on tight to the horses and bulls from Sankey Pro Rodeo with Robinson Bulls, two companies that have supplied rough stock for some of the biggest rodeo events in the nation. This year, they've supplied horses and bulls for 16 events across the country, including the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

There are upward of 400 head of horses on the Sankey Ranch, including mares, studs, foals, saddle horses and their “A” team horses. There are also anywhere between 20 to 200 bulls at any given time on the Robinson Ranch in North Carolina.

Both ranches operate as separate contractors but team up for many rodeo events.

The process for raising those animals is a lot more involved than one may think.

Broncs and bulls may look wild when coming out of the chutes, but in actuality, these are often domesticated animals that are born and bred to buck.

“A lot of people think that (rough stock) needs to be wild and scary, but wild and scary doesn't work — it's just going to get people hurt and it's going to get livestock hurt,” said Wade Sankey, general manager of Sankey Pro Rodeo.

“It's OK if they don't like people, and most of them don't. But they need to be

intelligent and think about things to understand what their job is and they need to like what they do.”

There isn't any training to prepare rough stock to fire out of the chutes.

Mostly, it depends on their bloodline: how well did their father do in the chutes, how big was their mother, etc.

Back in the early days of rodeo, more often than not broncs and bulls were plucked off local ranches and thrown in the chutes. But that started to change as rodeo became more popular — now it's all about the bloodline for these livestock.

In order to own the biggest, baddest broncs and bulls around, you have to find their parents.

For the past several decades, the Sankey Ranch and others like them, have searched far and wide for quality rough stock. While they sometimes breed with their own horses, Sankey will try to breed their rough stock with other contractors around the nation.

“It's a lot like breeding race horses,” Sankey said. “You try to breed with the best of the best and you hope for the best.”

Over the past several years, Sankey said his operation have developed a successful bloodline that has made them a success to this day.

“We've been really lucky with the bloodline that we have, and I think every one has seen that and wants to use that blood like we do,” Sankey said.

There is a lot of prestige that comes with having the best stock in the world.

The Sankey Ranch has had its share of champion horses and bulls over the years, but having a few top-tier livestock isn't what makes a rough stock company successful.

Sankey said it's a combination of quality and quantity of rough stock that makes or breaks a company.

“Having a good animal is great, of course. But you want to have lots of good animals ... I don't think we have the best horse in the world right now, and there is a lot of debate on who that is,” Sankey said. “But I know we've got a lot of really good ones and I think that's what makes you really successful in the rodeo business.”

Sankey Pro Rodeo has owned three world-champion saddle bronc horses. Jeff Robinson has been named bull contractor of the year four times.

Yet audiences should expect to see some tough broncs and bulls at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.

Keep your eyes peeled for a horse that's aptly named “Sheridan WYO's Tango” who will be making an appearance at the rodeo he was named after.

He's won the Sheridan WYO Rodeo once and has made two trips to the National Finals Rodeo. Also, bull riding fans will get to see “Percolator,” a bull that has made an appearances on the Professional Bull Riders circuit.

Courtesy photos | Sankey Pro Rodeo

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Courtesy photos | Sankey Pro Rodeo

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Judy Washut, right, holds her hat after the announcer finishes a prayer opening the first night of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo in 2015. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

GOld Buckle Club The club has continued to grow and get better every year.

FROM STAFF REPORTS As the members and guests of the Gold Buckle Club gather at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo for their 12th year of fun, food and first-class treatment, SWR board member and GBC advisory committee member Linda St. Clair said it is important to remember the original reason for forming the club: to support the rodeo.

“The Gold Buckle Club now gives in excess of $35,000 a year — $25,000 of which has been given each year since it started in 2005 and an additional $10,000, now that the club has grown, which goes to the Indian Relay purse or any other special projects,” St. Clair said.

“It’s a lot of fun and everybody enjoys the events we do but the reason for it is to provide a larger purse for the rodeo to attract the cowboys and cowgirls.”

The GBC is a members’ only organization that allows a maximum of 250 people to join by paying a $2,000 entry fee and $1,000 a year in membership dues.

Only individuals are allowed to join — no businesses — but each individual is allowed to bring one guest to each social event of the club.

Currently, the club is full and 23 people are on a waiting list.

The membership dues are now divided

up into three uses: the original rodeo purpose, capital construction costs, social events and community partnerships.

“The Gold Buckle Club has made hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of improvements at the fairgrounds since its existence,” St. Clair said.

Some examples of these improvements include the air conditioning in the Exhibit Hall and the expanded seating in the arena.

As for the member benefits, during the four nights of the rodeo they have a hospitality room at the fairgrounds with free food and drinks. They also have two social events throughout the year.

It all began when founder Doug Meier, who had a mission to start this club, took the idea from the rodeo in Ellensburg, Washington.

In 2005, 49 people joined and attended the first drawing to assign buckle numbers for their now famous belt buckles featuring their membership number.

By virtue of a random drawing, Troy Baker holds membership number 1. Of those 49 original members, there are only a few who are not active members anymore.

St. Clair said the Gold Buckle Club

has seen far greater success than the Ellensburg Rodeo club has ever seen.

“There have been representatives from several other rodeos from other states and other towns in Wyoming who have come to see if they could model a similar club at their rodeo and no one has been successful at it yet,” St. Clair said.

“Doug Meier went out and worked very hard in those first several years to build the membership and have events.

The other towns that have tried it, I would say what would be missing for them is that springboard in the beginning, that person who really goes out and sells it, and I give a lot of credit to Doug for being that person for the first several years.”

The club has continued to grow and get better every year, St. Clair said. She anticipates it will continue doing so, as the community believes in and supports the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

St. Clair said the Gold Buckle Club has added 140 seats in its seating area on the south end of the arena for the 2016 event and a sky bridge is now in place to keep attendees of the WYO Rodeo out of the dirt and out of the action on the track around the arena.

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2016 Sheridan wyo rodeo sponsors

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Sponsors are essential “Without their support, our rodeo would not be at the level it is today.” — Zane Garstad FROM STAFF REPORTS

Sponsors are essential in order for the Sheridan WYO Rodeo to happen every year.

“Without their support our rodeo would not be at the level it is today,” Rodeo Board member Zane Garstad said. “If you don’t have sponsors you don’t have a rodeo.”

As the rodeo draws more than 22,000 people each year, sponsors help to produce such a large event.

“We are blessed to have all of our sponsors...”

— Zane Garstad The WYO provides various levels of opportunities for sponsors ranging from $250 to more than $25,000.

These levels include the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Posse, Banner, Contract, Rodeo Event (including World Championship Indian Relay Races) Performance, Special Event, Jumbotron and

Official sponsor designations.

Eight new sponsors have joined the WYO this year – Alliance Tire, Mountain Crane Service, the Sheridan Horse Palace, Pendleton Whisky, Heartland Kubota, Zowada Recycling and Steel, Cowboy State Bank and Western Transport.

“We are blessed to have all our sponsors. With partners like M&M’s as a part of our rodeo family, they help bring more credibility to our event, which in turn helps us attract more potential sponsors” Garstad said.

“Through prize money and funding we are able to provide the kind of entertainment that is available at the WYO,” he added.

In turn, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board provides sponsors with exposure to “the largest event in Sheridan County,” Garstad said. “Our focus is on what we can do for them… we are very loyal to our sponsors. They are our partners in making the WYO Rodeo what it is today.”

This year there are more than 50 sponsors for the 2016 SWR.

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A barrel racer competes under the arena lights during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press.

enumerable improvements “...erect buildings and improvements upon parks and grounds used by it, and for the civic betterment and improvement of the Sheridan community...” — Sheridan WYO Rodeo

BY TOM RINGLEY The Sheridan WYO Rodeo has made enumerable improvements to the Sheridan County Fairgrounds since the first rodeo performance in 1931. That year, the board of directors built an additional grandstand just to accommodate the expected crowds. The WYO has completed many other facility upgrades throughout the 86 years of its existence.

This year, the WYO and the Gold Buckle Club are making even more improvements at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. This latest round will facilitate movement and increase seating capacity.

The track crossing from the main grandstand and Exhibit Hall area to the GBC seating, the chute area and the east grandstand has always been a concern to the WYO Board of Directors. It is a choke point that presents safety and security concerns especially at the beginning of the rodeo during the World Championship Indian Relay Races.

Also, if it rains during Rodeo Week, the track becomes a muddy quagmire —

not good for foot traffic.

For several years The WYO and GBC have discussed the possibility of installing a walkway over the track. Those discussions have come to fruition; the walkway is now a reality. The steel and concrete walkway extends from the west side of the track from the Exhibit Hall lawn, along the backside of the Gold Buckle seating and down to the area behind the roping chutes.

The walkway also provides above ground access to the current GBC grandstand, which is also being expanded. Onehundred forty seats are being added to increase GBC seating to 595 seats. At the same time, the existing deck area is being expanded. Both the deck area and the additional seating will be over the timed event chute area.

The cost of the addition is $616,000.

But that’s not the end of the story. Because of the many sellout crowds in recent years, the WYO and GBC boards of directors are determined to

provide more and better seating for rodeo fans. Consequently, portable grandstands, which will seat 500 people, will be placed in the north end of the arena. Fencing will be placed between the new seats and the rodeo action, in effect making the arena shorter, but occupants of these ringside seats are going to be really close to the action. Access to this new seating, which will be Section H, will be across the track on the north end of the main grandstand. This new seating will cost $69,000.

The combined cost of the two projects, $685,000, represents a major investment in the Sheridan County Fairgrounds by the WYO and GBC, but the new facilities are expected to enhance the rodeo experience for the thousands of fans during Rodeo Week, and for the rest of the year will be available for other events at the fairgrounds.

In 2014, The WYO officially transferred capital improvements valued at $491,751 to Sheridan County. These imContinued on page 73

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The 60-foot skywalk spans the race track during construction at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. The skywalk will provide safe access to the Gold Buckle Club seating and the bleachers on the east side of the arena. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press provements made between 2005 and 2013 included air-conditioning and heating in the Exhibit Hall, livestock handling pens, GBC seating, east side grandstand seating, a new Crow’s Nest, wi-fi equipment and antenna and a walkway over the livestock return alley behind the crow’s nest. With the completion of the current ongoing projects, the investment in the Sheridan County Fairgrounds will exceed $1 million.

One of the original purposes of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo when it was incorporated so long ago was to “…erect buildings and improvements upon parks and grounds used by it, and for the civic betterment and improvement of the Sheridan community…”

While the WYO and the GBC have made significant investments over the last few years to enhance the rodeo experience, and incidentally benefit all other fairground users as well, Sheridan County has made concurrent infrastructure improvements to benefit all users.

Since 2010, Sheridan County and the Sheridan County Fair Association have invested more than $1.9 million in infrastructure projects at the fairgrounds. The list of projects includes drainage improvements ($435,000), renovation of the Exhibit Hall ($470,000), water system ($621,000) and parking lot improvements ($115,000). These projects, plus other minor ones, and the in-house efforts of the fairgrounds staff, have transformed

the functionality and appearance of the fairgrounds. It is a facility of which the Sheridan community can be proud.

The WYO and the GBC have their eye on yet another fairgrounds improvement project as well. They are considering the installation of more seating over the bucking chutes which would conceptually include four luxury box seats, 380 new stadium seats, a new crow’s nest, a concession area and restrooms. This concept has been talked about by rodeo fans for years.

Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Sheridan County Commissioner and Sheridan WYO Rodeo emeritus board member Tom Ringley.

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Staff Photos | The Sheridan Press

instant replays “It brings a higher level of entertainment to the event.” — Zane Garstad FROM STAFF REPORTS Instant replays, highlights and scores — the Jumbotron’s incorporation into the Sheridan WYO Rodeo became an asset immediately.

“We (the Rodeo Board) knew after the first year we had it, we had to continue to use it. It brings a higher level of entertainment to the event,” Rodeo board member Zane Garstad said.

The screen and what’s on it will be the same this year. The SWR has again part-

nered with the vendor Get Western Productions from Cheyenne.

“We’ll be able to see more highlights and scores. I think it’ll improve the whole experience for our spectators,” Garstad said.

The vendor will also use highlight reels before each show. Starting Wednesday night a reel of 2015’s winning rides and runs will play. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, highlights of this

year’s rodeo will be broadcasted, “so people know who set the bar and compare the action to previous nights,” Garstad said.

Everyone from spectators to riders watch the Jumbotron, and its importance is not lost on the Sheridan WYO Rodeo board. Thanks to the Jumbotron sponsor M&M’s, they plan to continue utilizing it for years to come.

Televised Performance Saturday night performance of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo will be broadcast.

For information on the broadcast, see wranglernetwork.com.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Everyone in Sheridan knows that the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is the biggest event in town. Now, the world will know it too.

This year, the Saturday performance of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo will be televised.

According to WYO Rodeo board member Zane Garstad, Wrangler has long been a supporter of Sheridan’s rodeo and the company has created a network to

broadcast certain rodeos throughout the year.

“We began talks with them in 2015 and were too late to get on their schedule last year and are now included for 2016,” Garstad said.

He added that Stu Pierson, the WYO Rodeo jumbotron contractor, also works for the Wrangler Network and goes to many locations to provide coverage.

“He has played an important role in supporting our efforts on getting our event televised,” Garstad said. “He has extensive rodeo broadcast coverage experience working for Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Women’s National Finals Rodeo and covering numerous large rodeos throughout the country. Stu is a true professional and a real asset to the WYO Rodeo.”

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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 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.

76 THE SHERIDAN PRESS | Sheridan WYO Rodeo

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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Reilly said he usually makes about 100 rides before the glove becomes too dead to lock in as tight as he’d like.

FROM MIKE PRUDEN Sheridan native and PRCA bareback rider Devan Reilly is excited to pick up his new chaps.

Green with some buckskin trim.

“They’re going to look sick,” he said with a smile.

Chaps are one of the flashier pieces of equipment a cowboy sports at the rodeo. However, it’s just one piece of an assortment of gear Reilly lugs around in a gym bag in the trunk of his sedan.

Throw in all the equipment — safety and show — that riders use in other events, and you’ve got yourself a storefront’s worth of cowboy gear.

While a pair of green chaps may be the most visible piece of gear for the fans in the stands, here’s a look at some of the equipment used both before and during some of those eight-second rides.

1. Neck roll: Most of the equipment used by rough stock competitors is to soften the blows of the bucking beasts. A neck roll prevents a cowboy’s head from snapping backward during a ride and helps the cowboy keep his chin tucked to his chest. *Equipment provided by Devan Reilly and King’s Saddlery.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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2. Bareback riggin’: While bareback riders obviously don’t use a saddle, they need something to hold onto. The bareback riggin’ is a small handle — similar to a suitcase handle — that straps to the horse. The rider ties a special leather glove tight around his hand and fits it under the handle. When the cowboy jams his hand into position, he squeezes the glove, creating a small bubble that locks his hand in place and reduces slippage.

Reilly said he usually goes about 100 rides before the glove becomes too dead to lock in as tight as he’d like.

7. Helmet: While helmets are still not required for bull riders, more and more cowboys are strapping them to their skulls before hopping on the back of a bucking bull. A study reported by The New York Times in 2009 showed that trying to cling to the back of a bucking bull for eight seconds is more dangerous than playing football or hockey, two sports that require helmets.

Tape: Many bareback riders tape their arms before a ride.

They’ll wrap tape around the wrist of their glove hand all the way up to their bicep. Reilly will add a figure-eight pattern of tape around his elbow, as well, which keeps his arm tucked to his side and prevents his elbow from hyperextending.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

3. Vest: Some vests have more padding than others, depending on the event. Reilly’s bareback vest only has padding in the back to soften the blows during his ride. Bull riders tend to wear heavier vests. They’re also another way for cowboys to show off some of their sponsors. Reilly’s features a “WYO” patch, which he said is to simply show love to his home state.

4. Piggin’ string: Used by tie-down ropers and steer ropers, it’s not uncommon to see a 7-foot piece of string clinched in a cowboy’s or cowgirl’s teeth as they chase after a steer. Once the rider dismounts his horse, he uses the piggin’ string to tie any of the calf’s three legs together. If the calf breaks out of the string before the six-second time limit, the rider earns no score. A piggin’ string can be purchased or simply cut from an old catch rope.

5. Rope: Used to lasso a calf in calf roping and team roping, there are a couple different styles of rope to choose from. Made of either nylon, poly or both, each material does something a bit different. Nylon ropes handle warmer conditions a bit better, while poly ropes have very little or no stretch. Nylon-poly blended ropes share the benefits of each. There are also threestrand and four-strand ropes. Three-strand ropes are a bit more forgiving and typically used by beginning ropers. Four-strand ropes have a little more weight and are designed for a faster loop.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

Spurs: Rough stock competitors have spurs on the backs of their boots to help keep rhythm with the horse. A rider will spur up and down from the horse’s shoulder to the riggin’ or rein with the same motion as the horse’s jump. The spurs create a point of contact with the animal and help the cowboy maintain balance. Rodeos strictly regulate spurs to prevent harm to the animals, and rules state riders have to use their spurs in such a way as to encourage their mounts not to buck.

6. Saddle: Saddle-bronc riders and non-rough stock riders use saddles, albeit different types, when atop their horses. A bronc saddle is a bit smaller than a normal saddle and features a thick rein that attaches to the horse’s halter. The cowboy holds onto the rein, and it actually creates more possibilities for a saddle-bronc rider to become disqualified.

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Tough on the body, tough on the pocketbook “They see the bright lights and the fan side of it, but not how hard it is to get there.” — Chet Johnson

BY PHOEBE TOLLEFSON Rodeoing. It’s a verb — and an expensive one.

To “rodeo hard,” a competitor might need to shell out between $40,000 and $50,000 a year, enter

80-100 rodeos and be on the road 250 days a year.

At least that’s the case for Chet Johnson, a National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc rider from Sheridan.

The costs vary, of course, depending on the event and level of competition. As a bronc rider, Johnson competes in the rough stock events that supply animals for competitors to use. For the timed events where competitors haul their own animals, costs can climb much more quickly.

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Of course, rodeo is famous for the large prizes competitors can win. At the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, each event posts $11,000 in purse money.

But with the cost of competing high and the possibility that competitors could win a small prize or none at all, the dollar signs quickly start to diminish.

For instance, in the 2014 Sheridan WYO Rodeo, the first-place saddle bronc rider won $4,399 while the last place won just $220.

In bareback riding, the gap between first and last place was even wider, with the winner taking home $5,076 while the last place competitor won just $406.

Entry fees alone are no small change.

Steer ropers pay $450 to compete in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo.

It’s a line of work where the Fourth of July is not a holiday but the busiest day on the job — every year. Where cheap gas is a cause for celebration. Where prize money is high but the odds are low, and where the only guarantee is the entry fee.

Many competitors “buddy up” and split gas money, travelling, eating, sleeping and working together.

They’ll take shifts driving at night to reach the next rodeo in time.

Most agree: It’s a sport that can be romanticized.

“They don’t get to see the behind-thescenes of an all-night drive and not being able to shower for three days, when you’re just going

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that hard,” Johnson said. “They see the bright lights and the fan side of it, but not how hard it is to get there.”

Johnson’s record for busiest stint is three rodeos in one day.

Zane Garstad, director of college services at Sheridan College and WYO Rodeo board member, said his years as a bull rider back in the 1990s were filled with long drives and back-to-back competitions. He said he can still sleep sitting up in the front seat of a car holding a cup of coffee.

Garstad, who used to compete for Sheridan College and the University of Wyoming, said it’s a rewarding life but not one that makes people rich. Rodeo, he said, stands in stark contrast to other professional sports that sign athletes on plush multi-year contracts.

“In rodeo,” he said, “you’re on your own.”

There are sponsorships, of course, which undoubtedly take away some of the financial stress and can make competing profitable.

“You have to run it like a business or else you’re just not going to make it.”

— Zane Garstad But hefty sponsorships are rare and nothing is certain.

Garstad said in his heyday, he had a few sponsors, but none that could sustain him if he hit a rough patch and didn’t perform well.

Most rodeo competitors rely on a second income to make ends meet. Garstad worked for his in-laws at their business when his rodeo money ran out. Miles Kobold, a team roper from Big Horn, owns a used car dealership in Billings, Montana. Many do ranch work between competitions.

Garstad said that while there’s a perception — and maybe some truth to it — that rodeo cowboys party hard, they won’t be successful in the long-term if they regularly squander their money.

“You have to run it like a business or else you’re just not going to make it,” he said.

Garstad would know. Growing up in Alberta, he was steeped in rodeo from an early age, watching his father clinch the record in Canada for the most bull riding championships.

Garstad said that while he loves rodeo and owes a lot to it, including his education, he doesn’t miss being broke. He likes his steady job at the college where he can support his family. And he’s thankful he walked away from his competition days without the sort of brain damage or other serious injuries many unfortunately have.

But as tough as rodeoing is, it was also tough to leave.

“The friends that I have in rodeo, I’ve had all my life,” Garstad said. “It’s a real family.”

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PATIENCE is REQUIRED “It’s not like going out to ride your Harley on a nice day. It’s a job.” — EJ Panetta

BY KRISTIN MAGNUSSON

EJ Panetta trains one of his horses.

Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

Rhonda Holwell works her horse through the clover leaf patter. Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

Whether your readying a horse for roping or training it to race around three barrels, training rodeo horses takes a lot of patience. At least that’s what EJ Panetta and Ronda Holwell say.

This year will be the 21st year that Panetta has entered the Sheridan WYO Rodeo in the tie-down roping competition. He grew up riding horses and always wanted to be a roper. He started trailing calves off a horse when he was about 8 years old.

Panetta learned roping and training from his dad’s friend, Bill Doenz. Doenz won the calf roping contest at the WYO Rodeo in 1968 and 1975, and All-Around Cowboy in 1973.

Panetta used Doenz’s horses in high school rodeo. But his dad’s friend wouldn’t just let him rope. Doenz made Panetta ride and keep the horses working, too.

Doenz’s teaching taught Panetta to train his own horses. Panetta noted he doesn’t have the money to buy trained horses, so he has to train his own.

Panetta starts in the arena with a calf and chases it around on the horse, which is called trailing. After the horse gets accustomed to trailing, Panetta starts catching the calves with a breakaway rope, stops the horse and backs him up after the rope releases the calf. He does this over and over until it becomes second nature.

Training is a long process. The horse he currently competes on was started eight years ago and “he’s still pretty green,” Panetta said.

Once the horses are trained, it’s a matter of keeping them fresh and in shape.

“We work the horses all the time, try to keep them working good, so when we go somewhere, we have a chance to win something,” Panetta said. “A lot of the time when we come out to the practice pen, we don’t tie calves down. We break away a bunch, because they don’t need the jerks and they don’t need the stress.

We just chase calves, and keep the horses in shape.”

Panetta added that when he enters big rodeos in the summer, he is trying to win money. So when he ropes, he has to rope

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to get better.

“It’s not like going out to ride your Harley on a nice day,” he said. “It’s a job.”

Holwell knows the feeling.

Growing up, her parents managed a ranch northeast of Sheridan that ran more than 2,000 cows on nearly 45,000 acres.

“We made great horses because we had, what we say in the industry, ‘wet saddle pads.’ In other words, they worked,” Holwell said.

Holwell rodeoed in grade school, high school and college. She played basketball and rodeoed for Sheridan College and then went to the University of Wyoming.

She did not run barrels in college; she roped and tied goats instead, using the family ranch horses to do so.

But when she was 22, Holwell had a bad four-wheeler accident and broke her back. She learned patience because although her mind knew how to make the moves necessary to walk and ride horses, her body couldn’t do it the same way.

Now, Holwell works full time with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, trains horses and rodeos part time.

“People ask me why I don’t just train horses,” Holwell said. “There is good money in good horses, but I don’t want to have to rely on a horse to make a living.

He could break his leg tomorrow, so therefore my full-time job works.”

The training process begins on the ground and slowly progresses into the saddle. She doesn’t start horses on barrels until they have mastered the motions needed to physically turn a barrel. Training is about consistency, repetition and setting boundaries, Holwell said.

Holwell begins with a purchased 2year-old or one of her home-breds. Kurt Ilgen starts them, does the ground work and the first five to 15 rides. When the horse is 3 years old, Holwell spends time riding and teaching the basics. These basics are the same movements taught in the ground work, only now they are done in the saddle. She spends a year, especially in the barn during the winter, building a foundation by going through the same

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routine until the horse gets really good at it.

The ground work and flatwork she does everyday include a routine of moves that the horse will make when it approaches, turns and leaves a barrel. She can practice the routine on the ground and in the saddle, without physically running barrels, which keeps the horse fresh.

The routine includes exercises that focus on the head and neck, shoulders, ribs and hips. She teaches and works on these areas individually and simultaneously.

“I always like to say a horse should walk and trot the barrels 200-300 times perfectly before you ever have the right to lope them.”

— Holwell “Until I can move all those parts together and separately I can’t ask him to go run barrels,” Holwell said.

When it’s time to saddle the horse and climb on, she goes through each exercise, only moving the horse with her legs and feet — barely any hands — rather than the lead rope and flag.

When the horse is 4 years old, if it has mastered the ground and flat work, Holwell will start the horse patterning on the barrels.

She trots between barrels, slows to a walk, walks around the barrel then picks up the trot again on the way to the next barrel.

“I always like to say a horse should walk and trot the barrels 200-300 times perfectly before you ever have the right to lope them,” Holwell said.

Holwell trains the barrel pattern going both directions, to the right and to the left. Even if the horse goes better to the right, she still wants it to practice going to the left. Sometimes she sets up multiple barrels and works the horses in an odd pattern.

As she adds speed to the routine, her goal is a perfect pattern. If things go south, she returns to working at the slower pace until it is mastered.

To keep the horses fresh and add variety to their training, she works them in the pasture, works cattle with them, and tries a little roping on them.

“Young barrel horses are extremely humbling,” Holwell said.

“They are one day to the next. One day the horse is really coming along, the next it’s like ‘holy buckets this is going to take forever.’ You have to take the bad with the good. Sometimes it’s the smallest step with the learning process.”

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Morning Slack Slack events are free and open to the public, starting at 9 a.m. daily.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Rodeo Week is known for its action packed nights, but for anyone who can’t get enough, the days also offer some fun events.

Beginning Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. contestants will compete in rodeo slack events such as barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. Approximately 25 contenders will participate in each event to determine their placing for the day.

“There are numerous top cowboys and cowgirls competing and the action is excellent,” WYO Rodeo board member Zane

Garstad said.

Sheridan’s rodeo slack is known to attract top contenders.

For most of the rodeo slack events the top 10 finalists will advance to performing that night. The other 15 will compete again later that morning.

“For the true rodeo fan, this is pure rodeo action and exciting to watch,” Garstad said.

The slack events are free and open to the public. All events take place at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds and will run Wednesday through Saturday mornings starting at 9 a.m. daily.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Information from prca.com.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

2015 bareback results 1/2. Tanner Aus, 85 points on Right Spur, $4,658; 1/2. Taylor Price, 85 points on Wolverine, $4,658; 3. Clint Laye, 84 points on Thunder Monkey, $2,988; 4/5. Wyatt Denny, 82 points on Exotic Blond, $1,582; 4/5. Kenny Haworth, 82 points on Thunder Monkey, $1,582

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Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

Information from prca.com.

2015 steer wrestling results FIRST ROUND: 1. Seth Brockman, 4.4 seconds, $2,100; 2. Nick Guy, 4.6 seconds, $1,826; 3/4. Jason Thomas, 5.6 seconds, $1,415; 3/4. Tait Kvistad, 5.6 seconds, $1,415; 5. Beau Clark, 5.7 seconds, $1,004 SECOND ROUND: 1. Luke Branquinho, 4.1, $2,100; 2. Jule Hazen, 4.2, $1,826; 3. Straws Milan, 4.7, $1,552; 4. Jake Kraupie, 4.9, $1,278; 5. Baylor Roche, 5.0, $1,004 AVERAGE (seconds on two head): 1. Seth Brockman, 9.9, $3,150; 2. Nick Guy, 10.4, $2,739; 3. Beau Clark, 11.0, $2,328; 4. Jule Hazen, 11.2, $1,917; 5. Baylor Roche, 12.0, $1,506

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Photo courtesy | Eva Scofield

2015 steer roping results

FIRST ROUND: 1. Troy Tillard, 11.2, $1,930; 2. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.4, $1,598; 3. Brodie Poppino, 11.5, $1,265; 4. Will LaDuke, 12.2, $932; 5. Mike Chase, 12.6, $599 SECOND ROUND: 1. Casey Tillard, 9.9, $1,930; 2. Rocky Patterson, 10.0, $1,598; 3. Shay Good, 10.2, $1,265; 4/5. Chet Herren, 10.3, $765; 4/5. Trevor Brazile, 10.3, $765 THIRD ROUND: 1. Trevor Brazile, 10.3, $1,930; 2. Reo Lohse, 10.9, $1,598; 3/4/5. Rod Hartness, 11.2, $932; 3/4/5. Troy Tillard, 11.2, $932; 3/4/5. J. Tom Fisher, 11.2, $932 FOURTH ROUND: 1. Travis Mills, 9.7, $1,930; 2. Ora Taton, 10.8, $1,598; 3. Vin Fisher Jr., 11.2, $1,265; 4. Mike Chase, 11.5, $932; 5. Chet Herren, 11.9, $599 AVERAGE (seconds on four head): 1. Trevor Brazile, 48.0, $3,861; 2. Ora Taton, 50.2, $3,196; 3. Chet Herren, 50.4, $2,530; 4. Brent Lewis, 51.6, $1,864; 5. Travis Mills, 53.5, $1,198

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Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

Information from prca.com.

2015 saddle bronc results 1. Allen Boore, 84 points on Shining Mountain, $4,455; 2. Dalton Davis, 83 points on Tuca’s Warsong, $3,415; 3/4. Justin Caylor, 82 points on Con Man, $2,079; 3/4. Sam Spreadborough, 82 points on Tango, $2,079; 5/6/7. Will Smith, 81 points on Con Man, $792; 5/6/7. Rusty Wright, 81 points on Domino Theory, $792; 5/6/7. Cole Elshere, 81 points on Domino Theory, $792

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Information from prca.com.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

2015 team roping results FIRST ROUND: 1. JoJo LeMond/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 4.6, $2,452 each; 2. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 4.8, $2,132 each; 3. Cory Kidd V/Caleb Anderson, 4.9, $1,812 each; 4. Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 5.3, $1,492 each; 5. Tom Richards/Cesar de la Cruz, 5.5, $1,172 each SECOND ROUND: 1. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 4.7, $2,452 each; 2/3. Ty Blasingame/Bobby Harris, 4.7, $1,972 each; 2/3. Chace Thompson/Richard Durham, 4.9, $1,972 each; 4. Tyler Wade/Kinny Harrell, 5.1, $1,492 each; 5/6. Charly Crawford/Shay Carroll, 5.2, $1,012 each; 5/6. Rhen Richard/Cole Davison, 5.2, $1,012 each AVERAGE (seconds on two head): 1. Coleman Proctor/Jake Long, 9.5, $3,678; 2. Seth Hall/Cole Sherwood, 11.9, $3,198; 3/4. Billy Bob Brown/Garrett Jess, 12.6, $2,478; 3/4. Doyle Hoskins/Wyatt Cox 12.6, $2,478; 5. Tate Kirchenschlager/Trevor Kirchenschlager, 13.1, $1,759

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Information from prca.com.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

2015 tie-down results FIRST ROUND: 1. Caleb Smidt, 8.8, $2,446; 2. Reese Reimer, 9.6, $2,127; 3. Tyson Durfey, 9.7, $1,808; 4. Jade Lyon, 9.8, $1,488; 5/6. Trell Etbauer, 10.2, $1,010; 5/6. Chase Williams, 10.2, $1,010 SECOND ROUND: 1. Hunter Herrin, 8.3, $2,446; 2/3. Ryan Jarrett, 8.8, $1,967; 2/3. Cody Ohl, 8.8, $1,967; 4. Jordan Ketscher, 9.2, $1,488; 5. Trevor Brazile, 9.3, $1,169 AVERAGE (seconds on two head): 1. Caleb Smidt, 18.4, $3,669; 2/3. Bart Brunson, 20.5, $2,951; 2/3. Cody Ohl, 20.5, $2,951; 4. Trevor Brazile, 20.8, $2,233; 5. Reese Reimer, 21.1, $1,754

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Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

2015 barrel racing results 1. Cassidy Kruse, 18.19, $4,707; 2. Carley Richardson, 18.38, $3,766; 3. Rachel Dice, 18.39, $3,059; 4. Kaylee Gallino, 18.48, $2,353; 5. Vickie Carter, 18.52, $1,883; 6. Andrea Busby, 18.56, $1,412; 7. Brittany Kelly, 18.60, $1,176; 8. Sue Smith, 18.61, $1,059; 9. Sabra O’Quinn, 18.66, $941; 10/11/12. Andrea Cline, 18.67, $706; 10/11/12. Lisa Thornton, 18.67, $706; 10/11/12. Calyssa Thomas, 18.67, $706

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information from prca.com Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

2015 bull riding results 1/2. Shane Proctor 89 points, $3,910; 1/2. Cody Teel 89 points on KISS Animalize, $3,910; 3. Dallee Mason 88 points on RMEF Team Elk, $2,508; 4. Clayton Foltyn 86 points on Rough Em Up Truck, $1,623; 5/6. Jeff Askey 83 points on Cinch, $885; 5/6. Bobby Welsh 83 points on Doing Time, $885

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Veterinarian Sarah Schreiber administers a rabies vaccination to a client’s horse. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

Rodeo Veterinarians Longtime vet duo keeps rodeo animals in kickin’ good shape.

BY PHOEBE TOLLEFSON For the past decade and a half, veterinarians Sarah Schreiber and Ted Vlahos have tag-teamed the Sheridan WYO Rodeo to provide emergency care to injured animals.

They are the Doctor Dolittle combo of the annual event, applying their intimate knowledge of animal medicine to correct whatever malady comes their way during the long, tough, hot days of competition.

“It’s a blast, and yet it’s a big responsibility,” said Vlahos, who has been working the WYO Rodeo for 18 years. “We’re always prepared for the ‘what-if’ scenario.”

The vets typically spend 8-9 hours a day at the fairgrounds, covering the timed “slack” events in the morning and the rough stock, or “performance,” events at night. Vlahos, an equine specialist, often takes the worst horse injuries, while Schreiber, whose clinic in Sheridan treats livestock, horses and small animals, typically handles the cattle cases.

And although the vets are only paid when they treat an animal — and not for their time on call — both had only words of praise for the rodeo organizers, especially Zane Garstad, who coordinates their services, and Ike Sankey, who provides the rough stock. Schreiber said she always feels safe and respected, and that not all rodeos are like this.

Rodeo staff let Schreiber, Vlahos and Vlahos’ clinical partner, Claire Summers, watch events for free, eat good grub and enjoy themselves.

But when an animal is injured, it’s time to work.

Schreiber said it can be stressful treating an animal at the rodeo because the owner and fans often keep close tabs on how

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well and how quickly the animal recovers after she treats it.

Vlahos agreed, noting what’s at stake.

“At any given day at the WYO rodeo, there are literally millions of dollars worth of horses and livestock,” he said. “And that is a big responsibility we take very seriously.”

Horses that compete in the Indian relay races, sprinting around the track, can get stress fractures. Vlahos said the event averages the same rate of injury as other thoroughbred racing events.

Barrel racing and roping events can also lead to stress fractures, as frequent stops and sharp turns take their toll on the animals’ bodies.

Gastrointestinal problems are one of the more common problems rodeo vets deal with. This happens in both horses and cattle, and can come from dehydration or too much gas in the animal’s digestive system.

Schreiber also deals with her fair share of bruised soles, draining abscesses to provide the animal with an immediate relief.

Torn tendons are another common issue in rodeo animals, and often guarantee a few days’ of soreness.

Vlahos and Summers, who work at the Rocky Mountain Equine Hospital, provide ongoing care to a lot of horses that compete at the WYO. Before or after an event, the vets will give them a sports therapy massage — “just like football or basketball players,” Summers said.

They also use platelet injections to heal troubled joints — first taking a blood sample, then spinning it in a low-speed centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, then re-injecting the blood at

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the site of the joint pain to reduce inflammation.

The horse hospital even uses stem cells from injured horses to help regrow new tissue — sending off a sample of fat from the animal to an outside lab, getting back just the stem cells and re-injecting those so the animal can grow new tendon cells.

For dehydrated animals, the vets will insert a tube through the nose and into the esophagus to push electrolyte-containing fluids.

“Like we talked about, they’re top level athletes,” Summers said, “and the fact that we can do stem cells and regenerative medicine and sports massage therapy — I think your average person on the street would be very surprised to know what is available to these horses, and what we’re able to do for them.”

For Schreiber’s part, most of her work during rodeo week is to stabilize animals, unless a serious case arises. Most animals are traveling through town for just a few days, so she'll prepare that animal to go back home and receive more intense care.

Schreiber said she's tossed around the idea of doing sports massages for cattle — knowing that they, too, could benefit from such work. But there are practical problems.

“One thing would be trying to get the bull confined and relaxed enough that you could work on him,” she said, chuckling.

The stress of that alone, she added, could be as hard on the animal as the muscle soreness.

But for the most part, Schreiber said, animals compete without serious injury. Most owners are well versed in the health of their horses, steer or calves and put considerable time and money into caring for them. Fractures are rare and the majority of the animals that enter the arena leave it in fine shape.

“They have their 8 seconds of fame,” Schreiber said, “and then go back and eat.”

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Wild Pony Races Though the participants look cute, these kids are tough as nails.

FROM STAFF REPORTS From Lazy 3S Rodeo Company out of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, comes the fiercest ponies the rodeo has seen. Due to popular demand, the Wild Pony Races will return for the third year as the Sheridan WYO Rodeo’s specialty act.

Though the participants look cute, these kids are tough as nails. No older than 12, and weighing in at a max of 100 pounds, three team members face wild, mature animals.

“By the time it was over they (the

crowd) were all standing. It was crazy…

The tenacity of these kids is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Rodeo Board member Billy Craft.

Team and pony break out of the shoot and into the arena. The object is to get one of the kids on the pony’s back for two jumps. It’s vital that the team works together.

First the anchor, who is holding a rope attached to the pony, has to try to gain control of it while the mugger helps

still the pony enough for the rider to get on the pony’s back. Each team is timed.

Four teams will compete each night.

The rodeo board didn’t predict this kind of response, especially because two years ago was the first year for the event.

“We were actually dumbstruck by the enthusiasm of the crowd,” Craft said.

The event will take place all four nights of the rodeo with Saturday night featuring the championship round.

LEFT: With a look of determination, the mugger makes a move to secure the pony for his rider.

TOP RIGHT: A team quickly chases their pony after being let out of the chute.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A young cowboy desperately tries not to let go of his pony. Mike Dunn | The Sheridan Press

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ERA Rodeo to expand options in sheridan Sheridan will play host to yet another major rodeo event.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Sheridan is not a one-horse town. As of December, it is not a one-rodeo town either.

On Dec. 10, it was announced that Sheridan would play host to yet another major rodeo event. On Sept. 3, 2016, the newly-formed Elite Rodeo Athletes: League of Rodeo Champions will make a stop in Sheridan as a part of its eight-town tour.

Sheridan will be the only outdoor venue on the schedule and the smallest city to host a stop on the tour.

But when an event as big as the ERA rolls into town, it’s bound to take away the intrigue from Sheridan WYO Rodeo, right?

Not so, WYO Rodeo Board President Nick Siddle said.

Siddle said the arrival of the new rodeo will not take away from Sheridan’s four-day rodeo in July. In fact, he believes the ERA rodeo will only enhance the Sheridan WYO Rodeo’s popularity and should do wonders for Sheridan’s latesummer tourism economy.

“We look at it as entirely separate events,” Siddle said. “The WYO Rodeo continues to be one of the largest (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) rodeos out there.”

Siddle sees the WYO Rodeo in a much different light, much like a community homecoming of sorts where the people return to town or residents gather to attend one of the biggest events all year.

The ERA rodeo is expected to attract a much different crowd.

With the advent of a new rodeo asso-

ciation that will feature some of the biggest names in the sport, Siddle said he believes the rodeo will attract more of a regional audience — which will undoubtedly lead to more outside dollars rolling into town.

One of the most attractive parts of the ERA rodeo is its timing. Taking place Labor Day weekend after most of the summer events have passed, the influx of visitors into town is expected to give Sheridan County an added boost during off-peak tourism season. This is an area that the Sheridan Travel and Tourism office has consistently hoped to improve upon.

But another Sheridan tradition also takes place Labor Day weekend. Don King Days is an annual event featuring steer roping, bronc riding and other cowboy-centered events. Siddle said the two events should work hand-in-hand. He said both events draw a similar audience.

“With our event Saturday, and Don King Days being a Sunday-Monday event, hopefully people will be able to plan their three-day weekend in Sheridan,” Siddle said.

ERA was created for the fans, founded by the top pro rodeo athletes from across the globe — and the Cowboy State Elite Rodeo will put the state’s local athletes center stage.

“I’ve always loved riding in front of Sheridan crowds because the stands are packed with seasoned fans,” said saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson of Sheridan, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier.

“Bringing the Elite Rodeo Athletes to the

King of Cowboy towns will be great for the new tour.”

The one-night payout is projected to exceed $200,000, providing the live audience with a one-of-a-kind high-stakes environment unique to ERA rodeos. This is especially true in Sheridan where the purse makes the Cowboy State Elite Rodeo the largest one-night rodeo in Wyoming.

Saturday’s rodeo performances at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds will begin at 4 p.m.; a pre-show meet and greet will begin at 2:30 p.m. All ERA Premier Tour athletes will be on hand to sign autographs and spend one-on-one time with their fans. Athletes include 23-time World Champion Cowboy Trevor Brazile; 11time World Champion Barrel Racer Charmayne James; five-time World Champion Steer Wrestler Luke Branquinho; threetime World Champion Tie-Down Roper Tuf Cooper; eight-time World Champion Tie-Down Roper Fred Whitfield and World Champion Barrel Racer Fallon Taylor.

The Sheridan WYO Rodeo board is helping to facilitate and promote the ERA rodeo’s stop in Sheridan, but Siddle said they plan to call for more help and support from the community.

Tickets for the ERA are now on sale and can be purchased at the WYO Theater or at extremetix.com.

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Security for 20,000 people The priority of safety and the regulations in place are all to maintain order so the rodeo can be an enjoyable event for everyone.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Montana-based CMS security checks tickets and stamps as rodeo goers enter the fairgrounds. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

With more than 20,000 people gathering in town for the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, security is a top priority.

To ensure that the week’s events run smoothly the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Board hires Crowd Management Services of Billings, Montana.

“The most important thing to us is that everyone feels safe and secure at the rodeo,” Rodeo Board President Nick Siddle said.

The 40-person crew has people on duty 24 hours a day at the fairgrounds to ensure security.

Siddle doesn’t predict any big issues though. The main problem is typically accommodating the number of cars that swarm the fairgrounds. Because the facilities are short on parking, the rodeo board utilizes the Sheridan High School parking lot. Shuttles run spectators back and forth between parking lots and the fairgrounds.

The priority of safety and the regulations in place are all to maintain order so the rodeo can be an enjoyable event for everyone, Siddle said.

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Volunteers make sure events go off without a hitch For those wanting to get involved, see sheridanwyorodeo.com.

FROM STAFF REPORTS With all the action that occurs over Rodeo Week it can be easy to forget all the effort it takes to make sure the events go off without a hitch.

SPURS Volunteers work can be seen throughout the rodeo helping with everything from putting up banners on Main Street to carrying the flags in during the actual rodeo.

“The reality is,” said volunteer coordinator Sam Summers, “that without the SPURS and without the volunteers it just would not happen.”

More than 150 people are helping with this year’s SWR. While some people feel under qualified to help put on a professional rodeo, Summers said there’s something for everyone.

“There’s just a variety and a lot of different events that we need help with,” he said.

While some volunteers help for a few hours or a few days, others have more of an involved job. The women who ride

out with the flags, the Wranglers, are a prime example.

“They have to practice. They have to do a lot of things our other volunteers don’t have to do,” Summers said. “Normally it’s hard to fill all those positions because first you have to know how to ride and then you have to have a horse that can carry that flag and not spook.”

Other volunteers who are an asset to the actual rodeo production are the kids from FFA and 4-H who help with the slack performances loading shoots.

Many of these volunteers and others have been helping out for years. One group of long-term SPURS helpers are a father, son and nephew team who help with the catch pin.

“We just have a lot of those long-term volunteers who have been around forever. It’s like a family affair for them,” Summers said.

For those wanting to get involved, see sheridanwyorodeo.com.

TOP LEFT: Volunteer Brandt Ross helps pull horn wraps off of roping steers at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo performance. File photo | The Sheridan Press BOTTOM LEFT: Volunteers help Dana Bowman with his parachute and folding the American flag.

RIGHT: Sheridan WYO Rodeo banners are hung along Main Street by volunteers in preparation for Sheridan WYO Rodeo Week. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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A young girl carries her stick horse through a clover-leaf pattern during the barrel racing event at the annual Boot Kickoff. Staff photo | The Sheridan Press

kickofF — Literally The Boot Kickoff is FREE and open to the public.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Starting off the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, the Boot Kickoff will take place at Kendrick Park on July 12 from 4- 7 p.m. The kickoff is free and open to the public.

An all ages event, activities will include stick horse races for children 8 years old and younger, as well as the Chamber Ambassador’s Challenge. Additionally, as the name implies, the evening will include multiple boot-kick competitions.

“We take ‘kickoff’ literally,” said Ryan Koltiska, the director of marketing and communications at the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Bucks will be awarded to first-, second- and thirdplace winners in each of the boot kick age groups. A popular event, spots are limited to 20 competitors in each age bracket so Chamber organizers recommend signing up early. Bring your own boots or borrow a pair supplied by event staff.

During all of the fun and games, food and drinks will be available and to wrap up the night, live music will be featured in the band shell.

The Boot Kickoff is a great way to start off Rodeo Week with a family friendly event, Koltiska said.

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Pancake breakfast — A good reason to wake up early Kiwanis feed more than 2,000 people pancakes and ham.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Wake up early and join the Kiwanis Club as they host the annual Pancake Breakfast at Grinnell Plaza from 6-9 a.m. July 15.

A delicious tradition, this will be the 42nd year for the downtown community meal.

Kicking off before the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Parade, Kiwanis Club members will feed more than 2,000 people pancakes and ham with the help of the Girls State delegates and local Boy

Scout troops.

Tens of gallons of syrup and pancake batter will be served up across the roughly 70 tables. Breakfast tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 years old and younger.

During the breakfast the Sneakers & Spurs Rodeo Run will take place on Main Street at 8 a.m., followed by the Beds Along the Bighorns Race at 9 a.m.

TOP LEFT: Volunteers help pour orange juice in preparation for the pancake breakfast.

BOTTOM LEFT: A young boy enjoys the first few bites of his pancake.

RIGHT: A Kiwanis Club member checks the temperature of the grill surface. File photos | The Sheridan Press

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Get Active during rodeo week 5K takes participants through historic Sheridan.

FROM STAFF REPORTS A popular way to get active during Rodeo Week, the Sneakers and Spurs race takes runners through downtown Sheridan.

Starting the morning of July 15, the 5K (3.1 miles) run and 1.5-mile walk starts on Grinnell Street taking runners through historic downtown Sheridan, even utilizing trails in Kendrick Park before coming back down Burkitt Street. Taking place before the parade, four to five blocks of the run will be lined with parade goers.

“So if you love to be cheered for and feel like a champion it’s great,” race director Michelle Maneval said.

A safe and manageable race, 500 or so people participate an-

nually. Everyone from “babies in strollers to 80-year-olds” can be seen crossing the finish line, Maneval said.

For those who aren’t quite convinced they want to run 3.1 miles, she reassured everyone that the T-shirts this year make it worth it.

Another bonus is that the race is chip timed for accuracy.

Every race number has a small chip that logs when each runner starts and finishes.

Registration is $25 and includes an event T-shirt. Race day registration is $30. To sign up stop in at The Sport Stop, Foot of the Bighorns, PURENERGY Fitness or go to wyorace.com.

TOP: The runners take off as the starter fires the gun to begin the annual Sneakers and Spurs Rodeo Run. LEFT: Jason Szewc, right, leads several runners down the home stretch.

MIDDLE: Runners take off from the starting line of the annual Sneakers and Spurs Rodeo Run, which features a 5K and a 1.5-mile walk.

RIGHT: Second-place finisher Kyle Dietsche, from Casper, bounds toward the finish line. File photos | The Sheridan Press

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A quirky event Four runners and two in bed... hurdling down Main Street.

FROM STAFF REPORTS By the time Friday rolls around during Rodeo Week, spectators might need to recuperate. Luckily a handful will be able to stay in bed without missing out.

Following the Kiwanis pancake breakfast, Main Street will be swarmed with activity for the Beds Along the Bighorns bed race.

A quirky event, the bed race involves co-ed teams of six — four runners and two on the bed — hurdling down the street.

Whichever team crosses the finish line first wins the grand prize of $500.

Most racers are from the community, advertising or sponsored by local businesses. Teams can sign up through sheridanmedia.com or pick up forms at the Sheridan Media office. The entry fee is $45 per team.

The race kicks off at 9 a.m.

ABOVE: The Sheridan Troopers baseball team competes in the bed races during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Parade. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Wagon wheels to turn into Sheridan this rodeo week!

A nonprofit and its members that are dedicated to the interpretation, education and preservation of the vehicles that were integral to the development of the West.

FROM STAFF REPORTS As you travel around Sheridan this summer, into the Bighorn Mountains and throughout the foothills, think of traversing the area in a wagon pulled by a team of horses. Could you handle it?

The National Stagecoach and Freight Wagon Association hopes to celebrate the triumphs, struggles and day-to-day operation of the legendary vehicles that traveled West when it was nothing but open space.

The nonprofit was founded in 2008 by a group of people who saw the need for an organization that focused on the commercial stagecoach and freight wagon. The nonprofit and its members are dedicated to the interpretation, education and preservation of the vehicles that were integral to the development of the West. They also tell the stories of those who designed, built and drove the stagecoaches and wagons in the 19th century.

According to the group’s website, a stagecoach is a horsedrawn vehicle used to carry cargo between stations. They primarily carried mail, express, gold and people. It was used to travel in areas with no rail transportation.

A freight wagon, according to the group, is a horse-drawn vehicle used to carry freight to their destinations. They were primarily used to ship goods, supplies, equipment and raw ore.

This rodeo week, a variety of makes and models will be on display as part of the NSFWA’s ninth annual conference in Sheridan. The conference is set for July 13-16.

The NSFWA will have various event for the organization around Sheridan, including guest speakers, featured displays and vendor booths at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.

In addition, the group will participate in the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade.

LEFT: Charlotte Brown and Iris Hernandez of Worland, Wyoming, prepare food over the campfire for the chuck wagon cook off.

RIGHT: Ray Gullion of Worland, Wyoming, pours whiskey into a colored bottle for the chuck wagon cook off during Big Horn Heritage Days in Big Horn.

Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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parade marshals — fort phil kearny To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Fort Phil Kearny’s construction, members of the staff, volunteers and representatives from the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites will act as the grand marshals.

FROM STAFF REPORTS This year, July 14 will mark more than just the start of the 2016 Sheridan WYO Rodeo performances. It will also mark the 150th anniversary of the building of Fort Phil Kearny in Banner.

According to Misty Stoll, site superintendent at the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site, in terms of Western expansion, the site was one of the first non-native presences in the Rocky Mountain West.

Fort Phil Kearny was one of three U.S. Army forts established along the Bozeman Trail in 1866. Named after deceased Civil War General Philip Kearny the fort’s mission was to protect travelers along the Bozeman Trail against Indian attack.

According to Stoll, though, the Lakota Sioux Indians led by Red Cloud viewed the building of the fort in the middle of their sacred hunting grounds as a threat to their very existence. The Lakota also felt the fort was built in direct violation of an earlier treaty that stipulated the land belonged to them. This fueled a war with the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians led by Red Cloud that eventually led to Capt. William J. Fetterman’s entire command of 80 men being wiped out on Dec. 21, 1866.

“The battle was put in the shadow after Custer’s last stand, but 10 years prior to that battle the Fetterman Fight happened,” Stoll said. “It was the largest loss of life up until that point. Had

Custer’s last stand not happened, this would be the battle people remember.”

Fort Phil Kearny was burned by the Indians when the Army abandoned it in 1868. Today you can visit the fort grounds and enjoy the scenery of the surrounding hills that has changed little in the past 147 years. There is also a visitor’s center with a small museum with fort and Indian artifacts and a bookstore.

This year, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Fort Phil Kearny’s construction, members of the staff, volunteers and representatives from the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites will act as the grand marshals of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade on Friday, July 15.

The group plans to have a horse-drawn setup that includes one of the fort’s Howitzers.

“It won’t be your average horse-drawn setup,” Stoll said.

In addition to leading the WYO Rodeo Parade, on July 8-9, the staff at the historic site will host a dinner and presentation with experts. On July 9, guided bus tours of local battle sites within “a day’s march” of Fort Phil Kearny will be offered.

The historic site’s interpretive center and gift shop are open from 8 a.m. to 6 pm. each day. The site is located off Interstate 90’s exit 44 at 528 Wagon Box Road.

LEFT: Jody Lange, with Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, builds a berm around a tree after it was planted at Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site.

RIGHT: Kearny’s Frontier Regular Bob Wilson has Colter Stanley fire his Springfield rifle during a demonstration at the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site.

Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

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2016 Service Directory This is a list of services rendered by individuals, companies and associations in Sheridan and the surrounding area.

For a larger list of companies and services, please visit www.TheSheridanPress.com

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Hitch your wagon to the wyo Friday morning, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Parade will take over Main Street.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Friday morning after the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast and the Beds Along Bighorns race, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Parade will take over Main Street.

This year’s theme is “Hitch your wagon to the WYO,” and it ties in with the National Stagecoach and Freight Wagon Association conference in town throughout the week.

Entry prices for such groups and floats are based on category: commercial, political, horse, float, novelty and band and drill divisions. Commercial entries are $75 per unit (vehicle), political are $150, horse related entries, youth organizations, band and drill units and tax exempt entries are free and community floats are $25.

Prizes will be awarded in each category from $25-$100.

Those interested in signing up have until July 1 and can go

to sheridanwyorodeo.com for entry forms.

In order for everyone to enjoy the parade Sheridan WYO Rodeo board member Linda St. Clair asks for spectators to follow safety rules.

“We just as always ask people to have control of their child and ask them not to approach moving vehicles or the horse… If they’re (the horses) spooked at all it could be very bad,” she said.

As for participants in the parade, they’re reminded not to throw anything from their floats or units and instead to walk up to the audience when handing out candy and trinkets.

Sponsored by Century 21 BHJ Realty, the parade will start on Main Street from the First Street bridge, move west toward Works Street and turn onto Gould Street before making its way back on to First.

TOP LEFT: Seven-year-old Carson Norling blows a toy horn as the Seventh Cavalry Drum and Bugle Corps marches down the street.

BOTTOM LEFT: Eight-year-old Skia Gilmore, left, and Keegan Hill pick up candy tossed by parade participants.

RIGHT: Mac Kay of Arizona sprays bubbles with a bubble gun during the Sheridan WYO Rodeo parade. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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2015 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 2015 parade.

Grand Prize — First People’s Powwow

Commercial — mirror mirror salon & Day spa

Horse — barbula’s carriage service

Organizations — first light children’s center

Band/drill units — sheridan marching band

Novelty category — First interstate bank

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a ‘Ducky’ tradition Ducks can be purchased at the WYO Theater or from Kiwanis Club members.

FROM STAFF REPORTS A popular Rodeo Week event, the Sheridan Kiwanis Club will once again host the duck races.

According to the group’s website, the Kiwanis Club is focused on helping youth “one child and one community at a time.” The duck races act as a fundraiser with the proceeds benefiting Sheridan children, event chairman Dr. Rodney Bisbee said.

Priced at $5, a total of 1,000 rubber ducks will be numbered and sold for the races. On the day of the event, the ducks are tossed into the creek in Kendrick Park where they head to the finish line. The owners of the first three ducks to make it across

win cash prizes: $500, $200 and $100. If poor weather occurs the race will be moved to the Kendrick Park swimming pool, however this has only occurred a few times in the history of the event.

Ducks can be purchased at the WYO Theater or from Kiwanis Club members. Additionally, the ducks can be purchased on the day of the race.

For more than 25 years this event has been a prominent tradition during the week of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. The duck races start at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 15.

ABOVE: Crossing the finish line, volunteers catch the ducks using a fishing net. Staff photo | The Sheridan Press

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Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

North Star amusements 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, July 13-16, 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.

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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 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-re-

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TOP LEFT: David and Madison Bly ride a small dragon themed roller coaster.

RIGHT: A young girl exclaims as she is presented with a rubber duck at the Sheridan WYO Rodeo carnival. Staff photos | The Sheridan Press lated 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.

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Revelers mingle under the neon lights of the Mint Bar during the street dance downtown Sheridan in 2015. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

Western tradition — meets celebration Downtown will be transformed with a food court, stages and of course areas to dance.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Western tradition meets celebration during Rodeo Week.

Bringing music and festivities to downtown, the Street Dance gives rodeo fans a chance to kick back and relax Friday and Saturday nights.

Among a surplus of events during the week, the annual dance lets spectators take over Main Street for a few hours each night.

Starting at 6 p.m. downtown will be transformed with a food court, stages and of course areas to dance.

“People can just go and relax… with plenty of room for

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everyone,” Street Dance organizer Brad Townsend said.

As always, the event will be held between Alger and Brundage streets downtown.

With live music kicking off at 9 p.m., dancers can enjoy a variety from classic rock to country. On the north end of the street Jon Buck and Reckless of Billings, Montana, will be playing. Returning to take over the south side is Harley and the V-Twins from Fort Collins, Colorado.

Townsend promises that there will be a genre for everyone.

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Additionally he wants to remind people that the street dance operates as a family event, where kids are welcome to join their parents for the festivities. (Minors will be given a different wristband than those older than 21.)

For those who might not be dancing all night, Grinnell Plaza will host a variety of food vendors selling favorites such as barbecue and pizzas. Others can busy themselves with a game of butt darts, always a Street Dance favorite.

Along with the food and entertainment, alcoholic beverages are available for those old enough to drink. Representatives of the Rainbow Bar, The Mint Bar and Beaver Creek Saloon produce and coordinate the event.

During the street dance, the area will be closed down for the dance with security at all gates. ID is required for those wishing to drink. Admission is $6.

“We try every year to make sure we don’t have any underage drinking. …We want to make sure it’s safe and fun for everybody. That’s what it’s all about,” Townsend said.

TOP LEFT: Hunter Greer, left, and Dacia Lyman dance during the Street Dance on Main Street after the rodeo.

RIGHT: Sam Davis spins Payton Tyree during the dance on Main Street after the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

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Justin Sheely | The Sheridan Press

tough competition Gathering local and out-of-state ropers.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Gathering ropers both local and from out of state, the Bob King Memorial Team Roping is known for its tough competition.

Named in memory of the late Bob King of King Saddlery, the event has been a part of the WYO Rodeo for years. Starting Sunday, July 17, at 10 a.m., the event will include three different competitions: #10 Century Roping, National Nine Qualifier, The King 5 Steer.

“Many local and visiting ropers participate in the roping and many not only enter because it is a high quality event, but also because of their friendship and/or respect for Bob,” said Zane Garstad, member of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo board.

With King’s lifelong involvement with King’s Saddlery as well as the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Garstad said rodeo officials are honored to have this event associated with the WYO.

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Relax and wind down Polo and rodeo fans alike can enjoy a relaxing day taking in “the beauty of the Bighorns.”

FROM STAFF REPORTS With a week packed full of bull riding, barrel racing and cattle roping, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo will wrap up the fun with the annual tailgate party.

Hosted at the Big Horn Equestrian Center, polo and rodeo fans alike can enjoy a relaxing day taking in “the beauty of the Bighorns,” WYO Rodeo Board member Linda St. Clair said.

“It’s a great way to put a cap on a fun week,” she added.

A free event for the public, the party will consist of a few

polo matches. At 2:30 p.m., after the 1 p.m. Eatons’ Cup, cowboys from local dude ranches will saddle up and play polo their way — using brooms and a volleyball. Next the WYO Rodeo Cup will begin at 3 p.m.

With food and beverage vendors, great entertainment and a peaceful setting, St. Clair encourages people to relax and wind down.

This year’s event will take place July 17.

LEFT: During a friendly game, two cowboys jockey over a large red ball.

TOP RIGHT: A young girl pats the head of a contestant’s horse.

MIDDLE RIGHT: A vendor waits to take a food order at the annual tailgate party.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A man enjoys a cigar and sunshine while observing a day of polo matches. Staff photos | The Sheridan Press

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Contestant List

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Contestant List

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Contestant List

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Contestant List

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70

Heartland Kubota

94

Big Horn Design Studio

58

D&J Coins

115

Heritage Woodworks

25

Big Horn Polo

75

Downtown Sheridan Association

56

Holiday Inn

131

Big Horn Smokehouse & Saloon

30

ERA / Elite Rodeo Athletes

106

Holiday Inn

60

Big Horn Tire

75

ERA Carroll Realty

4

Holy Cow Ranch

148

Bighorn Airways

47

ERA Carroll Realty

54

Interior Images

110

Eatons’ Ranch

77

JDan Builders

115

Billings Logan International Airport

54

Ebia Hearing Center

47

Jan Pamela Ranch

42

Boot Barn

154

Edward Jones

98

Jimmy Johns

109

Buffalo Chamber of Commerce

36

Elite Automotive Collision Repair

108

Kate Johnson Master Esthetician

124

C&K Equipment

49

Excalibur Construction

132

Kendrick Golf Course

31

Cato Ranch

120

Farmer’s Coop

92

Kilpatrick Creations

62

Century 21 – BHJ Realty

126

Farmer’s Insurance (McCoy)

117

Koltiska Original

98

Champion Funeral Home

56

First Federal Bank & Trust (1)

3

City of Sheridan

108

First Federal Bank & Trust (2)

74

Kosma Heating, Air Conditioning

100

Kraft Jewelry

69

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ADVERTISING DIRECTORY Little Goose Liquors

110

Rocky Mountain Discount Sports

78

Tegeler Insurance

53

Little Willow Traders

96

Rocky Mtn. Exteriors

29

The Brinton Museum

8

M&M and Pedigree (1)

72

Rocky Mtn. Spray Foam

118

The Clothing Company

60

M&M and Pedigree (2)

151

Roosters

45

The Lodge at Diamond Cross

52

Martinizing Dry Cleaners

110

SSR Construction

21

The Mint Bar

133

Metz Beverage

90

Sagebrush Community Art Center 31

The Nest

116

Montana Silversmiths

140

Sheridan Community Federal

18

The Pup Tub

124

Mountain Crane Service

84

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce

The Sheridan Press

149

33

Sheridan County Historical Museum

23

The Sports Stop Foot of the Bighorn The Sugar Boot

13

Sheridan County Implement

40

Thompson Master Masons

129

Sheridan Floor to Ceiling

45

Tom Balding Bits & Spurs

118

Sheridan Homes

85

Total Comfort

35

Sheridan Horse Palace

112

Tru Finish Concrete

43

Sheridan Meat Market

133

Tru-Built

58

Sheridan Motor

15

Turned Antiques

108

Sheridan Seed

150

Sheridan Stationery

119

Urgent Care at Sheridan Memorial Hospital

135

Sheridan Travel and Tourism

156

Vacutech

79

Sheridan WYO Posse

155

Valley Motor

83

Shiptons Big R

2

Water Products & Solutions

51

Shire Valley Farm & Cabins

128

Wells Fargo

94

Side Street Bed & Bath

117

Western Transport

69

Splash and Dash

124

Weston Wineries

81

State Farm Insurance

38

Westview Health Care

65

Strahan & Associates

128

WyoVision

51

Summit Realty

10

Wyoming Audiology

128

Swan Land Company

24

Wyoming Wireless

152

Zowada

62

Mountain View Veterinary Hospital

103

Mountain West Properties

6

NWCCD

62

North East Wyoming Pediatric Associates

114

Northern Wyoming Mental Health

113

OK Corral

113

OTO/Family Ranch

103

Open Range

116

Pack & Mail

96

Pendleton Whiskey

76

Perkins

56

Pioneer Realty

116

Pizza Hut

114

Plaza Gallery and Frame

100

Powderhorn Realty

104

Prevention Management

114

Quilter’s Fix

124

Ramaco

142

Riverside Paint & Body

118

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