Monthly Archives: September 2009

OMAHA, Neb. — Team roping is the only one of Trevor Brazile’s events in which he has not won a gold buckle as world champion. He took one small step toward rectifying that Thursday night in the opening round of the Justin Boots Championship at the Qwest Center.

Brazile and heeler Patrick Smith, who owns the gold buckle dated 2005, had the night’s fastest time of 4.1 seconds, and with earnings of $5,808, Brazile moved into third place in the PRCA World Heading Standings and to within about $4,000 of second-place header Kelsey Parchman, who did not qualify to compete in Omaha.

“Everything went awesome today — we drew a good steer, and made a good run on him,” Brazile said. “We roped aggressively, and that helped everything come together.”

For tie-down roper Blair Burk of Durant, Okla., the evening’s business was all about securing a spot at the $5.75 million 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, and his win in the first round moved him off the bubble, from 15th all the way to 10th in the tightly-bunched field.

Burk, 36, who is a 13-time qualifier for the Wrangler NFR, had a time of 7.1 (read more)

By JOE KUSEK Of The Gazette Staff

Posted: Friday, September 25, 2009 1:00 am

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is pleased to announce the formation of the All American ProRodeo Series, which in 2010 will include more than 450 rodeos from coast to coast. Every PRCA rodeo with total added money of $30,000 or less is automatically included in the series.

“The Heartland Series was a great start, and this new series, which is an expansion of that concept, is a chance to take it up another notch by including the majority of our rodeos in an exciting new series that will lead to its own championship,” said PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman. “The All American ProRodeo Series gives contestants throughout America the chance to win their way to a major championship event and compete for more than half a million dollars.”

The All American ProRodeo Series will culminate with the All American ProRodeo Championships, which are slated for October 7-16, 2010 in Waco, Texas. (read more)

By Steve Beideck
World-Herald Correspondent

There’s one bareback riding list this season on which Clint Cannon isn’t ranked No. 1, and his last chance to change that begins Thursday night at Qwest Center Omaha.

Cannon has won more than $200,000 this year in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings. He leads Bobby Mote of Culver, Ore., by more than $32,000. Cannon also tops the Heartland Tour standings and the Texas circuit.

In the Justin Boots tour that concludes Saturday in conjunction with the River City Roundup, Cannon trails Mote by just more than $10,000. But the totals for all 12 contestants in the seven events are set back to zero, and the overall tour champion is whoever has the best three-day run in Omaha.

“I definitely want to catch up,” Cannon said. “I’m No. 1 in all of those other standings, but I’d like to have a good trip to Omaha and win that one as well.”  (read more)

By BUTCH THURMAN

For the Capital Press

PENDLETON, Ore. — Winning a title at the Pendleton Round-Up is a dream for many contestants. Not only for the rich prize money and a chance to climb the world standings late in the season, but also because of the rich tradition the Round-Up offers.

“This is a cowboy’s rodeo. I’ve always wanted to win Pendleton,” said all around champion Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo.

Peek was also thrilled with the many prizes given away with the championship.

“We can’t say enough about Pendleton and the sponsors that back this deal,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to come here if it wasn’t because of the committee members from Pendleton and their backing.” (read more)

By OWEN R. SMITH
The East Oregonian

PENDLETON - Needing a 28.52 second ride or better to secure a record fourth consecutive barrel racing win at the Round-Up, Linzie Walker put her faith in her horse Azure Dude and turned in the best time all week-a 28.22 second effort that gave her the victory in just her fourth rodeo of the year.

“My horse is my secret,” Walker said. “He never lets me down. There’s nothing you can really do to prepare. You just sa a little prayer before you get on and away you go. But I have Dude and I can count on him 110 percent. That’s what sets him apart from the rest.”

Jana Isaac almost stole the show with a 28.40 time to go with her first-round 28.45, but Walker and Azure Dude were nearly flawless in the last ride of the day.

The Round-Up is Walker’s favorite rodeo, which might be obvious with four wins in a row here. But she said that Saturday’s win is the one she treasures most.

“Honestly, this year is my favorite year because I know what competition’s coming, I know how tough it can be, I know what I have to do,” she said. “Everybody who knows me and Dude, everybody in these stands expects it from me. I try not to let them down and not let Dude down.”

The timed events portion of the rodeo started with a tie between two men. Jerrad Hofstetter and Matt Shiozawa both turned in a 33.7 aggregate through three runs. Hofstetter came in at 23.1 and needed to hit 10.6 to take the lead, which he nailed exactly in the third-fastest run of the day. (read more)

Shy clown has nerves of steel

By KATHY ANEY
The East Oregonian

Keith Isley swears he is shy.

Those who have seen him on the job might shake their heads in wonder at that statement. A day at the office for Isley is getting out in front of thousands of rodeo fans and amusing them with his antics. In between rodeo events, he banters with the announcer and interacts with trained animals who stubbornly defy him.

Still, the 52-year-old who clowns regularly at the Round-Up felt a wave of shyness wash over him this week at a local Rotary meeting where he was the guest of saddle maker Randy Severe. When Severe asked him to say a few words, Isley reluctantly complied.

“If I would have had my make-up on, I’d have felt a lot more comfortable,” Isley said, grinning.

Inside his motor coach/horse trailer, Isley’s home on the road, he sat back and talked about a career that spans more than three decades. Without his grease paint and red nose, he looked, well, normal in jeans, plaid Wrangler shirt and slip-on shoes – he could have been a member of the fence crew.

His career started out with a short stint as a bareback and bronc rider, but then Isley changed course and became a bull fighter – the guy who distracts bulls, stomping and snorting, from cowboys freshly bucked to the ground. As a bullfighter, Isley’s speed and lack of fear was his most valuable asset.

“I was confident in myself,” he said. “There was no bovine that could ever catch me.” (read more)

THE old bulls are set to show the young bulls how it is done at the National Rodeo Finals at Ipswich this weekend.

In a unique addition to the national finals events, seven former bull-riding champions aged in their 50s will compete in a Legends Bull Ride on Friday and Saturday night.

All are either former Queensland, Australian and/or World Champions, and have spent the past six months working hard to get back into shape for their return to the rodeo arena.

The seven riders – Lance Anderson, Bernie Wallis, Mitch Deans, Graham Heffernan, Shane Connolly, Col Wilson and Danny Salgado – were all going round in the 1970s and 1980s before most of the current crop of bull-riding stars were even born…..(read more)