Monthly Archives: April 2009
On The Rodeo Road Fans Asked..
Spencer Turner
How long did it take you to cover your first horse???
We asked Spencer, and he told us all about his incredible journey. Thank you Spencer for sharing your story!
Well I didn’t grow up around or near horses so it took a long while for me to get the hang of it. I didn’t know a thing about a horse when I got on my first bucking horse. I was 18 and it was in the bareback riding at a rodeo in southern KS. It didn’t go well. That was the first horse that I every rode by myself. Then I got on another bareback horse a few weeks later and broke my arm and had 2 plates and 12 screws put in my arm. About a year later I got on my first saddle bronc still not knowing a thing about horses or rodeo. I was completely in the dark. The first saddle bronc I got on I covered, just because it didn’t really buck that hard and was mainly just kinda run bucking. After that I started entering rodeos about one every couple months or so then eventually one a month and then every weekend and so on. I am not positively sure but I think I went a VERY long time before I covered another bronc. I do know that it seemed like a few years before I started covering them good enough to get checks at some amateur rodeos. It has been a long road for me. I didn’t go to rodeo schools or grow up riding horses. Everything I have learned about rodeo I have pretty much taught myself by asking questions, listening to advice, and watching how everybody else does it. It hasn’t been easy but with the Lord’s help and Grace I have gotten where I am today. The thing about rodeo is that you should never stop learning or trying to improve. I personally wasted several years, just traveling around to rodeos and riding and partying. I thought I was getting better but in all reality I wasn’t. I was winning but not consistently, but I constantly had a beer in my hand. Once I realized that, I decided to get my life back on track and start living like I should and being a better Christian. I have been sober since Oct 22, 2004 and things couldn’t be better. I strive to improve all the time, keeping in shape, and trying to be a good example to the kids that are out there watching. Over the last almost 5 years my rodeoing has came a long ways. I have been pretty successful for a kid who knew nothing about horses and rodeo when I started, and I want to thank all my friends and family for helping me along the way and I would like to Give the Glory to God for the talents He has given me to ride bucking horses and live the most awesome life!
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You asked and We Got the Answer..
Scotty NeSmith
On The Rodeo Fans wanted to know how long it took Scotty to cover his first Bareback horse………
Scotty: I rode my first 4 horses I got on. My 5th horse blew me out the back door and knocked me out….I didn’t ride them right by any means, but I made the 8 sec ride on them. It was my 7th or 8th before I started moving my feet the right way. It was after Brian Massey come to my house and helped me out.
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Top 10 Things that Tracey has to have for her Horse Before she Leaves for a Rodeo…..
Tracey Goodman at Fort Smith
10. All of my blinged out tack, of course!!
9. TREATS!! Doesn’t operate well without treats.
8. Magnetic blanket and hock wraps.
7. Liniments
6. Feed
5. Buckets, buckets and more buckets!!
4. Meds of all kinds in case someone gets to feeling yucky.
3. ZEBRA HAY BAG!! lol. So Biscuit can be eating in style.
2. Vet wrap! Ya never ever know (and vet wrap is ranked right up there with duct tape.)
1. Brushes and anything to clean them with!
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Amber Mostoller Update from Bulter GA, IPRA Rodeo
Amber on Mighty Mouse
Date, Rodeo Name and Location
March 28th * Butler, GA * 3rd Annual Bethel Cong. Methodist Church * IPRA Rodeo
Which horse did you run?
I was back on Instant Victory aka Dorey at this rodeo. She is an 11 year old bay mare that I am riding to sell for a business partner of mine.
How was the ground, alley, warm up area, etc?
The ground has always been DEEP sand at this rodeo. If you are not within the first 5 or so girls it’s hard to place. It had been raining all week in Butler which would help keep the ground tight. The arena has a nice center alley way and there is plenty of warm up area in the field around the arena.
Tell me about your run, the good the bad and the ugly. Exactly how you felt about it.
Well I really don’t remember much of my run. It was one of those runs that I came out of the arena and just kinda went what the heck was that. Dorey worked good I just rode like a monkey. No money but she did her part I just have to get my crap together…
Comments about the rodeo?
This is the 3rd year for this rodeo, and the first time I have been to it. It adds $1,000 to each event and for the most part is a good rodeo.
Anything interesting happen on the trip there or back?
So Spencer and I left Springfield, MO immediately following my run in the slack. It was supposed to be a 12 hour drive, and there was really no good way to get there. Looking at the map it was ALMOST ALL red roads (the kind that you don’t want to drive on) and very few blue roads (the good ones) Spencer knew I had been sick the week before and was still feeling crummy (especially after being completely soaked after my run in Springfield), so he took over the wheel right out of the gate and Memphis and I crashed in the back seat. It was pouring down rain when we left and when we stopped to get fuel there was someone there that was having problems with their windshield wipers, so Spencer went over to help them out. I got out, paid for fuel and went right back to sleep. I woke up when we made another stop a couple hours down the road at a Wal-Mart. Spencer was having a hard time seeing out my truck windshield with the monsoon he was driving through so he bought me some new wipers and some rain-x. 
At some point early the next morning I woke up and I saw that the gas light was on and there were NO fuel stations anywhere on the road that we were on. We finally get off an exit and roll into a fuel station on FUMES, only to find out that the power had been knocked out and EVERYTHING on that side of the road was without power! We decide to go down the road a few miles to another station on the other side of the road and finally found a place with power. We put 40.67 gallons in my 40 gallon truck!! When we were about 3 hours from the rodeo we get a phone call saying that the rodeo had been POSTPONED till the next day at 2:00pm because of rain. We went to check out the rodeo grounds and while the arena was in good shape the parking lot was a pond! I have a friend in Perry, GA that allowed Spencer and I to crash at their house along with Billy and Scott who followed along. Thank you to the Holly family for all your hospitality! After the rodeo the next day Memphis and I headed to Ohio leaving Butler at 6:00pm Sunday night and made it home 7:30am Monday morning!
What do you do to help you stay awake when driving?
NOS energy drinks are the bomb. After one I can drive all night. It gives me the shakes most of the time lol, but it certainly does the job of keeping me awake
Posted in Amber Mostoller, Rodeo Updates
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Spencer Turner Rodeo Update: 7.44 Ride, Low Fuel, and Fire Ants..What a Weekend!
Spencer Turner, Winning Ride at IFR 2009
Date, Rodeo Name and Location
I went to the 3rd Annual Bethel Cong. Methodist Church IPRA rodeo in Butler, Georgia on March 28th
Which horse did you draw?
I drew a little bay horse 310
Stock Contractor?
The contractor in Butler is Oubre Rodeo Company
How was your horse in the chute?
She stood okay
Did you learn about the horse before hand?
I made a phone call before hand and was told that the horse was not worth driving to get on, and that he was really weak. Also I couldn’t pull a real tight saddle, I couldn’t tighten up the back cinch at all and that I shouldn’t pull on his head too much. If I did any of these things he would not only be weak but he would completely stop. So I had that going for me! haha.
Tell me about your ride, did you feel strong, did the horse perform the way you thought it would?
I got on him and he reared up and tried to smash me. When the gate opened he turned out and didn’t move, he was standing half in the chute and half out. We stood there for a few seconds with me kicking him in the belly. Finally they closed the gate and we tried it again but he did the same thing. The judges said if I tried him one more time I would get a reride, which is in the rule book if you try an animal three honest times and nothing happens you get a reride. So I got off of him and was going to try it again. When I got off he sat down like a dog and wouldn’t get up no matter what we did. They awarded me a reride, the reride was 303. This horse has been around for a long time and a contractor owned him from Iowa and I had never been on her but had seen her buck. I knew she wouldn’t be real rank or bucky but just be a good hopper. I was content to have her for a reride. They run her in the chute and she started acting up. When I tried to reach back and snug up my back cinch she reared over on me in the chute and smashed me pretty good (I was getting used to it cause that was the 3rd horse that weekend that had smashed me in the chute) She kept rearing up and trying to paw at me. Finally after her doing that a few times I suggested we tie her in the chute. After they tied her in I got on again, this time she ran her head through the slide gate in front of her and wouldn’t back up to get her head out. I remained seated on her but I was getting really frustrated with the whole ordeal. After she got her head out, she sat down and wouldn’t get up. Finally she halfway stood up so I nodded my head. She was weaker than I thought she would be. She wasn’t kicking out at all and hopped in a big circle. I spurred her good but knew that she wasn’t going to be good enough for me to win on. She made a big circle in the arena and came in front of the bucking chutes. I bailed off and was walking out of the arena when the judge got my attention and said that I jumped off too soon the watch said 7.44 seconds and I didn’t make a qualified ride. I didn’t get bucked off or wasn’t out of shape riding, I just thought it had been 8 seconds so I jumped off like I do. Apparently I need to reset the internal clock in my head! I was disappointed in the whole situation. I really wanted to get on a bucking horse this weekend but all the horses were really weak and ended up just kinda run-bucking. I was also disappointed in myself again for thinking that the 8 seconds were up and jumping off. I know the Lord has a plan and a reason for everything, so maybe this was my attention getter to let me know that I have to take every ride seriously and start paying more attention and taking care of business. I am blessed that the Lord has giving me the talents to ride broncs as good as I do.
Comments about the rodeo? committee, hospitality, etc.
Well this was defiantly a fun and exciting weekend even though I didn’t make any money. I drove Amber’s truck and trailer from Springfield, Mo to Butler, GA Friday night so she could get some rest, while driving across 78 highway in Alabama the truck was running low on fuel but there wasn’t any fuel stations and Amber and I were getting really nervous. When I finally found a station the fuel light had been on for a VERY long time. I was relieved to find a station. I got out going in the store and getting the pump turned on and happy we didnt run out of fuel, when I got inside the guy said that there was no power and I couldn’t pump fuel. I then became a little nervous again. He said that all the power on that road was off and that all the fuel stations couldn’t pump fuel. I had no other choice but to get in and keep driving. We finally came up on a station with power and I pulled in there and pumped 40.76 gallons in a 40 gallon tank. That was kinda close! For most of the drive there were major rain storms and we were told that Bulter had a bunch of rain and was under tornado warnings. We got about an hour from Butler and got a call that they had postponed the rodeo till 2pm the next day. We drove to the arena and took pictures of everything underwater. Amber knew some people about 35 miles away and they were kind enough to let Me, Amber, Billy Griffin and Scott Davis stay with them that night. We all got cleaned up and were going to head into town to eat some steak. Apparently on the way to get in the truck Billy and Scott stepped into a huge fire ant hill. The ride to the steak house was very entertaining! They both had ants all over them! They were squirming all over the truck trying to get them off. When we go to the restaurant they both jumped out and did the “ants in the pants” dance right in front of the door. They kept jumping up and down and screaming “THERE BITING ME THERE BITING ME”. It was quite hilarious!!! Scott eventually ran (very fast and funny-like) into the bathroom. The people inside were all looking at us really weird. It was quite a site!
I was very impressed with the rodeo committee. After all the rain they had and everything underwater the arena and parking was perfect! The arena was sand and the parking was mostly sand too. They did an EXCELLENT job of getting it ready for us on Sunday.
Posted in Rodeo Updates, Spencer Turner
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Amber Mostoller Update Cowboy Classic IPRA Rodeo
Amber and Dorey at Cleveland
Date, Rodeo Name and Location
March 27th * Cowboy Classic IPRA Rodeo * Ozark Empire Fairgrounds * Springfield, MO
Which horse did you run?
So I got to run a horse that my friend Cari Titsworth just purchased. I actually helped her find the mare as she was owned by a friend of mine in Alabama. Cari had tried her when we went on our run to Pendleton, Ft Pierce, & Huntsville a few weeks ago. The mare is a 10 year old quarter horse named Renes Play Girl aka Betty. I have seen Betty run for years with Stacy on her but never had the opportunity to run her. Cari offered her to me at Springfield and I jumped on it.
How was the ground, alley, warm up area, etc?
The ground was good here. It is a small indoor arena with a side gate. We did not get in the arena for intermission and the only warm up area was an arena outside.
Tell me about your run, the good the bad and the ugly. Exactly how you felt about it.
I was in the slack at this rodeo so I got to watch Cari run Betty in the performance. I knew from watching Stacy run Betty over the years that the mare responds well to the whip so I carried one on me and let her know I had it before going in the arena. She walked in good and I sent her to the first barrel, she had an awesome 1st barrel and I cracked her once with the whip going across to the 2nd. As soon as I stopped pushing she set up and we just BARELY hit the 2nd barrel. I pushed her on to the 3rd barrel and she ate it up. When I hit her going home she hit another gear which was awesome to feel. They were winning the rodeo with a 13.6 and we ran a 13.5! BUT that dang 2nd barrel cost us a 5 second penalty so sadly no money. I am very anxious to get another chance on this mare so we can redeem ourselves
Comments about the rodeo?
This was the 1st time I had ventured out to this rodeo, and I would go back. It’s a nice facility with free stalls to the contestants. They also give away awards to each event winner which is fun if you happen to win your event
Anything interesting happen on the trip there or back?
Ok so I knew it was gonna be a long trip to Springfield, MO and boy was it ever. I left Thursday night and was picking up a horse near Dayton, OH for someone that needed a horse (well pony) hauled out. I always try to find a horse to haul on longer trips to help pay for my fuel and it works out well I picked up this pony around 1:00am Friday morning. Besides the pony dragging me all over the ladies yard when I was trying to load him, he jumped on the trailer and we were on our way to MO! I was just getting over being sick so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it the whole 10 hours without pulling over. I like to do most of driving at night because of less traffic and it’s just more peaceful. I made it about 2 hours outside of St Louis and HAD to pull over to sleep. My energy drink had run its course and I was spent lol. It’s very hard for me to sleep with horses on the trailer but I got a couple hours of sleep and was back on my way. I met another lady to drop the pony off Friday morning around 10:00am and arrived in Springfield, MO around Noon. I put Dorey in a stall, plugged in my trailer and slept until a couple hours before the rodeo started. Fellow Ontheorodeoroad buddy Spencer Turner jumped in the rig leaving Springfield, MO to help make the 12 hour drive to Butler, GA so I could sleep and ooohhh what a trip we had…to be continued
What CD is in your cd player in your truck right now?
I don’t remember it was probably something very LOUD to help me stay awake
What Jeans did you wear?
OK so I am OFFICIALLY obsessed with Miss Me Jeans…I bought two more pairs off ebay and LOVE them
Posted in Amber Mostoller, Rodeo Updates
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Spencer Turner Update from Cowboy Classic IPRA Rodeo
Spencer Turner, Winning Ride at IFR 2009
Date, Rodeo Name and Location
Friday March 27th I went to the Cowboy Classic IPRA rodeo in Springfield, Missouri.
Which horse did you draw?
I drew H26
Stock Contractor?
Hampton Rodeo Company had the stock there.
How was your horse in the chute?
She was really moving around in there when I was trying to get her saddled and put the halter on her. When I got in and got on her she flipped over on me in the chute and smashed me pretty good and banged my head on the slide gate (I didn’t really know she hit my head till I saw my hat later and the back of it was creased and bent upward pretty good. haha) The way she smashed me didn’t really bother me, I usually just try to stay on and ride it out till they stand still.
Did you learn about the horse before hand?
I have actually been on this horse before. I think it was somewhere in southern Missouri last year. I had borrowed a saddle at that rodeo because mine had broken. She bucked good then and I was 78 or 79 points, she seemed a little hard to ride that time because the back cinch on the saddle I borrowed broke which made the saddle rock forward every jump. She also is known to rear out and hold her head really high in the air which makes her a little droppy and harder to ride too.
Tell me about your ride, did you feel strong, did the horse perform the way you thought it would?
After the action in the chute got stopped I nodded and she did the typical rear out and I spurred her out really well. She was really bucky and I spurred her well for the first 3 or 4 jumps then she decided that she wanted to stop bucking and start run/lunge bucking. She held her head really, really high in the air and I had WAY to much rein. When she stopped bucking and started run bucking she stopped kicking which made it harder to ride. I hung in there and spurred her the best I could with her run bucking. We had got almost to the other end of the arena so I double grabbed and jumped off and landed on my feet and walked back as usual. But apparently I jumped off to soon and didn’t ride for the 8 seconds. The judge stopped the clock at a little over 7 seconds. So I did not get a score. I was disappointed with the horse. I have seen her be good and I knew I could win on her. Every horse has good and bad days just like people so I understood that. I was disappointed in myself for double grabbing and jumping off to soon. I know better than to do that. I was in good spirits though, because I am just happy and blessed to be out here rodeoing. You can’t win them all, and everything happens for a reason.
Comments about the rodeo? committee, hospitality, etc.
I really enjoy this rodeo. The Hampton rodeo company has great bucking horses and you can win on almost any horse. The Rodeo committee also gives out championship pocket knives to the Event winners which is pretty neat (I won it last year).
Spencer and Amber travelled together this past weekend. Here is Spencer and the famous Memphis, out on the rodeo road!!
Spencer and Memphis
Posted in Rodeo Updates, Spencer Turner
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3 X IFR Champion Brian Massey Shares a Funny Experience from the Road…..
Brian Massey
Anyone who’s ever entered two rodeos on the same day knows that it can be a delicate operation. Such was the case when we were in the northeast trying to make it from Rodeo #1 to Rodeo #2 before they kicked the latch on me. Racing against the clock, it was apparent that every other vehicle on the road was out for a leisure Sunday afternoon drive. So, evaluating time against distance we decided it was necessary to be a little more aggressive. That was when we turned a road that technically had only one lane going each way into a two-lane road by utilizing the horse-and-buggy lane to our advantage. It’s hard to convey the excitement of playing a game of chicken against a horse and buggy! I’m not sure if there is a law against this, but either way it always comes to mind when asked about life-on-the-road experiences!
Posted in Brian Massey, Past Rodeo Experiences
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Getting to know Scotty NeSmith….
Scotty NeSmith
Do you have any superstitions? Don’t let your hat touch the bed… don’t wear yellow in the arena.
What is your favorite food to eat while out on the road? I eat a lot of salad and hamburgers.
Do you have a dog? If so, tell us about him/her I have a dog Cheyenne. She is 8 years old. she travels with when I can take her she don’t get to go as much as she use to she is a blue healer she loves to play with a stick or any toy…very friendly but she don’t like kids much.
Do you haul alone or do you have hauling partners? I have a lot of different guys I travel with.
What is the farthest you have traveled in one day for a rodeo? 22 hours from Wisconsin to Florida not very smart.
How do you keep yourself in shape while out on the road? it’s hard to do eat right …go play ball…p90x is what I’m doing now…anything I can do.
What is the most bizarre thing that has happened to you while at a rodeo? in 2006 I had a horse fall down and knocked me out then it got back up and continued to buck with me knocked out on his back after 5 or 6 jumps he throw me of…I landed on my head…I went onto a seizure…they life flighted me out of there…I ended up breaking my neck…the IPRA and people that where there called the wreck of the century…the funny thing is that I was knocked out and still almost got a score.
Words you live by? “if it is to be its up to Me” John Luthie my rodeo coach….don’t sweat the small stuff…(live everyday like it’s your last).
Longest you have been out on the road at a time, before heading back to the house? 6 months
What is your signature color? blue and orange my college colors.
Posted in Scotty NeSmith
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