Monthly Archives: February 2010

Dont miss this video of Trevor! (NBA ropers)

There was searing pain, of course, when Marcus Michaelis shredded a muscle in his right groin while thrashing atop a bull in Salt Lake City last summer.

But it was what happened next that he found peculiar.

“Whenever you get hurt like that, something serious, stuff starts going in slow motion,” Michaelis, 30, said Tuesday night at the AT&T Center. “It just all slowed down.”

That didn’t stop once he got off the offending beast.

The 150-pound Idaho native was knocked out of action for six months with the injury, which impacted the muscle needed to help grip the 2-ton bull as it contorts during a ride that competitors hope will last at least eight seconds.

When he returned this season, including this week at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, things remained awfully peculiar. Despite his right groin still throbbing, Michaelis has enjoyed one of the hottest starts of his career.

Coming into the San Antonio competition, Michaelis was second in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings, with nearly $22,000 earned in four events. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights at the AT&T Center, he earned an additional $6,222 with top scores in each go-round.

“This winter is the least healthy I have felt, but I’m winning,” said Michaelis (read more and picture credit)

Tammy Whyte

(pic source)

Rapid City, S.D.-The Wrangler Million Dollar Tour has officially begun with the closing of the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City this past weekend, the first stop amongst the Silver Tour Rodeos.

Eau Claire, Wisconsin cowgirl Tammy Whyte has dominated the Great Lakes circuit for several years aboard her tough gelding, Luckys Tiny Bit, better known as Cisco. The 2009 Great Lakes Circuit champion, who won an incredible 13 of 25 circuit rodeos last season, is venturing outside the confines of her circuit this season.

Before heading south to Texas, Whyte decided to try her luck in Rapid City as a warm up. It was a profitable decision. The four-time circuit champion and her 14-year old partner dominated the competition at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Whyte and Cisco swept both rounds en route to the average title and $4,971 in winnings. The earnings put the cowgirl near the top 20 in the early NFR standings.

“I am still on cloud nine,” Whyte laughs. “I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went.”

Whyte took the competition by storm in the opening round, held during slack. She and Cisco rounded the tiny course in 12.46 seconds. The nearest competitor was Melissa Bachand, nearly three tenths back…(read more)

Last year, two brothers whose rodeo bloodlines run deep helped break in a rookie tie-down cowboy — showed him the ropes, so to speak.

This year, the novice has turned all that coaching, tutoring and relentless ribbing into a trip to the top rung of the event, shoving his mentors and traveling buddies aside.

Does Shane Hanchey acknowledge his adopted brethren for his overwhelming success this year?

Sure, to some degree. But mostly, he says the credit goes, in true cowboy fashion, to his horse.

“My horse and I have a good bond, and it’s easy when you have a good horse,” said the current PRCA tie-down world standings leader.

Hanging out with Clif and Tuf Cooper, sons of rodeo Hall of Famer Roy “Super Looper” Cooper, didn’t hurt his swift ascent, either.

But when Hanchey spreads the credit around, his gaze first falls on his mount.

His horse, Reata, has been Shane’s steed for six years, since his sophomore year in high school.

“I don’t have to worry about him while I’m sitting in the box. He’s so solid, reliable,” Hanchey said. (read more)

*Photo Credit

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Winning the world is a monumental feat. Winning it twice puts a cowgirl on a whole other stratosphere.

In taking the 2009 world title, her second in three years, Victoria cowgirl Brittany Pozzi entered that elite level.

Pozzi won 14 rodeos last year on the way to her second title, and has already put her stamp on 2010 winning the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver.

In a short time, Pozzi has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Along with her two world titles, she was the rookie of the year in 2003 and has broken the single-season record for earnings.

What is even more amazing about Pozzi’s success is that she is self-taught.

“My parents really didn’t have anything to do with the rodeo industry. I just really loved horses,” Pozzi said. “I didn’t get a horse until I was 10 or 11 years old. I learned from my mistakes and my parents helped me along the way, but they never really knew about rodeo. It was kind of trial-and-error.” (read more)

*Photo Credit

Trell Etbauer was born into the rodeo lifestyle and grew up around the bucking chute, always eager to lend a hand.

To help saddle a horse or listen to another cowboy story.

His father, Robert, was a two-time world saddle bronc champion. His uncle Dan reached the National Finals Rodeo in bronc riding 10 times before retiring in 2003.

Another uncle, Billy, is still competing and is perhaps the most famous Etbauer of all. He is a five-time world saddle bronc champion and has qualified for a record 21 consecutive NFRs.

So when it came time to choose a career path, Trell Etbauer didn’t have to give it a second thought.

He was already on it.

He even had one of those catchy cowboy names. His father named him Trell after a character in a Louis L’Amour novel.

“All I ever remember is wanting to rodeo,” Etbauer said.

His only problem was choosing an event. In high school and college, he competed in steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding and tie-down roping.

He couldn’t make up his mind which one to pick. So he decided to go pro in all three events. (read more)