Monthly Archives: October 2009

Courtesy PRCA

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Team roping heading horse Precious Speck, owned and ridden by Travis Tryan, and team roping heeling horse, Baileys Cooper Doc, owned and ridden by Randon Adams, both earned their fourth AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year honors.

Precious Speck, “Walt,” has taken top honors in 2003 and from 2007-2009, while Baileys Cooper Doc, “Diesel,” has claimed consecutive first-place honors since 2006.

Steer wrestling horse Rocks Eyes Opener, “Jessie,” owned by Lee Graves and ridden by Graves and Trevor Knowles, picked up a second Horse of the Year award. Jessie also got the top nod in 2007.

“When you back him in the box, he’s going to give you 110 percent every time,” said Graves, of Calgary, Alberta, who leads the PRCA World Standings with season earnings of $120,574….(read more)

By BRETT HOFFMAN

Special to the Star-Telegram

It was one mammoth weekend on the pro rodeo and bull riding circuits.

Four prominent western riding associations concluded regular-season competition last weekend and named end-of-the year finals qualifiers.

The Heartland Pro Rodeo Championships, which concluded Saturday in Waco, was the high-paying season closing event in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. The Professional Bull Riders final regular-season performance on its Built Ford Tough Series was Sunday in Uncasville, Conn. And the Championship Bull Riding circuit conducted its last finals qualifier show Saturday in Lubbock.

In the PRCA/WPRA, the top 15 in each event advance to the Dec. 3-12 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The top 15 in the PRCA’s steer roping standings move on to the Nov. 13-14 National Finals Steer Roping in Guthrie, Okla.

The PBR is sending its top 40 riders to the World Finals, scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 and Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas. The CBR is advancing its top 40 cowboys to the 2009 Tour Finale that’s scheduled for Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 in Kansas City. (read more)

Associated Press – October 19, 2009 4:55 PM ET

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – A Fort Pierre man accused of stealing a rodeo horse made his first court appearance Monday and said he will try to hire his own lawyer.

Twenty-2-year-old Flint David Dahl did not enter a plea to felony grand theft or a misdemeanor charge of inhumane treatment of an animal.

Dahl is accused of taking the horse, Dually, from the Stanley County Fairgrounds July 5, riding it around town and leaving it in a pen behind (read more)

The Etbauer family took a little working vacation this summer to the northwest part of the United States.

They packed enough clothes for the children – Kord, Treg and Jacie – some of mom’s horses, and dad’s hand-crafted saddle.

Unlike most years when dad is traveling around the country during the summer months, this trip was more for mom.

“Hollie has been raising some horses and now she’s able to race them,” Billy Etbauer said of his wife, who is now competing in barrel racing. “The whole trip to the northwest was based on that.”

Hollie Etbauer, a former track and field athlete for Oklahoma State, won the barrel racing at Kennewick, Wash.

“I’m more nervous when she’s racing,” Billy Etbauer said. (read more)

Molly Powell was mentally preparing herself to get out of competitive barrel racing.

For the past two years, her horse slipped at high-paying winter rodeos, first at San Antonio, Texas, last year and Denver this January.

“I started out the past two years with plans to go to the National Finals Rodeo,” Powell said. “But those slips put us too far behind to make a run.”

Along with a slow start this winter, she and her husband Turtle were thinking of starting a family. While her husband was chasing the NFR in team roping, Powell spent her time filming a barrel racing video and putting on clinics around the country.

“I always wanted to do more clinics,” said Powell, a graduate of Simms High School and a 10-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “It’s fun to give back (read more)

JOE KUSEK Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009 12:55 am

L.J. Jenkins’ little midweek tune-up almost proved very costly.

Jenkins, one of the top competitors in the Professional Bull Riders, will ride in Uncasville, Conn., this weekend for a chance to earn more than $35,000.

Two weeks from now, he will be competing at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, with an opportunity to claim the $1 million bonus given to the year-end champion. Jenkins won the event in 2006, winning $288,567. He is 13th in the PBR Built Ford Tough series point standings.

Despite the potential for injury, he was in Billings on Wednesday night, entered in the annual PRCA NILE rodeo at Rimrock Auto Center.

“That’s what my mom says,” Jenkins said before the event about the possibility of getting hurt. “If I’m afraid to get hurt, I should have stayed at home. You can get hurt crossing the street.”  (read more)

JOE KUSEK Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Trevor Brazile had some real simple plans at the conclusion of the Justin Boots Championships two weeks ago.

“I’m going to get back into a workout regimen,” said the six-time world all-around champion from Decatur, Texas. “Do you know how hard it is to eat right when you’re flying or driving everywhere?”

The workouts will have to wait….(read more)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — If Grated Coconut could talk, the Calgary Stampede bucking horse could ask for a raise, or at least an extra scoop of oats. The Calgary Stampede stud claimed the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company/PRCA Bareback Riding Horse of the Year Award for the fourth consecutive year and a record-tying sixth time (2003-04, 2006-09).

With the top nod, Grated Coconut ties the legendary bucking horse Descent of Beutler Brothers & Cervi, who also garnered six awards (1966-69, 1971-72). Grated Coconut claimed his sixth Canadian Professional Rodeo Association award last week. Grated Coconut, 12, is the son of dam, Coconut Roll, and sire Wyatt Earp.

Bareback riding equine stars Wise Guy, of the Classic Pro Rodeo string, and Growney Brothers’ Moulin Rouge finished second and third in the voting, respectively.

In the saddle bronc riding, Spring Planting of the Flying 5 Rodeo string earned her first USSTC/PRCA Horse of the Year honor. The blue roan mare (read more)