Lindsey Sears

CHEYENNE, Jul 27, 2010 (Wyoming Tribune-Eagle – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — Savanah Reeves will never forget last August.

For how tough it was on this Cross Plains, Texas barrel racer but also for how humbled she felt.

It was then that Reeves had to put down her horse, Moon. She was devastated. She didn’t want to rodeo the rest of the year.

Until her good friend and fellow barrel racer Lindsay Sears made her an offer.

Sears had been in Reeves’ position and wanted to do what she could for her friend. Sears also knows that chances to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo don’t come that often, and Reeves was in a position to do that.

So Sears gave her the choice between her two horses, Martha and Mo, to ride the rest of the year.

Martha is Sears’ phenomenal horse that led her to the 2008 world title. Mo is right behind Martha on the pecking order.

The gesture knocked Reeves to the floor.

“It was amazing,” she said. “Most people don’t go out of their way to help people like that, especially competing against one another. It definitely showed what type of person she really is.” Once Reeves got over the initial shock of that act, it took her a couple of days to make her decision.

She decided to ride Mo.

“That just made our friendship grow to what it is now,” Reeves said. “That just does not happen every day. It just shows what an irreplaceable friend she is.” There are few, if any, world champions who would make this offer to a competitor. Let alone an offer that includes your moneymaker. (read more)

When it comes to barrel racing, timing is everything—just ask Tammy Fischer. The record-breaking rodeo champion beat out her closest competitor by a mere fraction of a second at the 2009 Calgary Stampede. When Fischer competes again at this year’s event (July 9 to 18), she plans to win—and being in the best physical shape of her life will certainly help get her there. Here are a few of the fitness tips that have helped to get Fischer where she is today.

Tip: Evaluate your lifestyle

While Fischer, 41, is one the highest-rated in barrel racing—a rodeo event that requires horse and rider to circle three barrels in a clover-leaf pattern—she hadn’t actually seen the inside of a gym until 2007. “I didn’t think I needed to work out,” she says from her home in Ledbetter, Texas. “When I first graduated from college, all I ever did for exercise was ride horses. But once you do something for so long, the muscles that you use get used to it and the rest of your body suffers as a result.” This revelation, combined with an unwanted 15 pounds that she had gained with age, pushed Fischer to start taking her health more seriously.

Tip: Consider a personal trainer

Twice a week, Fischer works out with personal trainer Alex Selvera, who focuses on core strength and balance—two essentials for horseback riding.(read more)

You won’t be disappointed!

It’s said the $100,000 jackpots the cowboys and barrel racers win at the Calgary Stampede change lifestyles.

They will, to a degree, again this year.

But not this week.

Texas barrel racer Savanah Reeves didn’t have much time to celebrate her $112,500 conquest.

She went out for dinner with Canadian counterpart Lindsay Sears after the rodeo, but the two, who finished one-two on $1-million Sunday, had to be at the airport to catch a charter to Nampa, Idaho, three hours after the Stampede rodeo ended.

They competed early Monday morning in the Snake River Stampede’s slack, which accommodates the overflow of timed-event entries.

Reeves and Sears, who earned $37,000 at Calgary, sent their top horses — Thunder and Martha — to Cheyenne, Wyo., for the Frontier Days rodeo, where they will run in the slack today.

They had their backup horses waiting for them in Nampa, and there wouldn’t be more than 50 spectators in the stands, compared with the thousands who watched them in Calgary.

Spanish Fork, Utah, and Salt Lake City were on the itinerary for Wednesday and Thursday.

Reeves probably won’t be able to sit down and reflect on her good fortune at Calgary until after the regular season ends in late September.

Taking things to the extreme, when Charlie Sampson won the $50,000 bull-riding bonus at the Stampede in 1985, he still had the dog-eared cheque in his wallet three weeks later while working the Heritage Days rodeo at Strathmore.

Things have changed since then. Rodeo earnings for the most part are directly deposited into contestants’ bank accounts.

On The Road Again (read more)

(photo credit)

Hours away from competing in the saddle bronc competition, Sam Kelts walks over and takes a seat. “I hear you want to talk about injuries,” the 26-year-old says, smiling.  

“I’ve broken my leg, my wrist, my tailbone, my upper arm, had three shoulder surgeries, dislocated my shoulder four times — oh yeah, pretty much everything,” Kelts says.

“I’ve probably had a few more injuries than quite a few guys, but everybody’s had something. It comes with the territory.”

Watch a bucking horse try to throw off the Millarville, Alta., native and it’s clear what he means by that.

It’s why the four-man Canadian Professional Rodeo Sport Medical Team is one of the busiest teams you’ll find at the Calgary Stampede. Walk by their office — conveniently located beside the cowboy dressing rooms at the back of the rodeo grounds — and the activity never stops.

“It’s constant,” says Mark Lafave, president of the crew that consists of two athletic therapists, a chiropractor and a massage therapist.

“We’ve seen rib injuries, shin injuries, calf injuries, neck injuries, and lots of serious bruises. Some of these guys have been stepped on. But for the most part these are all old injuries, so we’re doing lots of back and neck adjustments, lots of taping, massaging.”

The Stampede is also equipped with on-site physicians and EMS. Lafave’s team is charged with taking care of all the non life-threatening cases.

He says they haven’t seen any major broken bones yet. The worst injury: steer wrestler Lee Graves popped a joint in his ribs during practice. And he’s still competing.

“These guys are tough — too tough for their own good,” says athletic therapy coordinator Brandon Thome. “It’s a special breed.”

“These cowboys will fight through pain to the point that it’s detrimental to their bodies,” adds Lafave. “They take it to the edge, and we’re here going, ‘Okay, let’s bring it back a little.’” (read more)

BULLRIDING

It was a birthday to remember.

Already a two-time world champion, J.W. Harris celebrated his 24th year by taking top spot in bullriding at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

The Calgary Stampede rookie spurred out an 87-point ride to edge Brazilian champ Edimundo Gomes in Day 2 of Pool B action on the rodeo infield.

To help get his birthday party started, the Texan took home a fat $5,500 cheque.

Gomes and Australian Jason O’Hearn split second and third with 86-point rides and added $4,000 to their pockets.

Harris sits atop the two-day aggregate standings with $10,000 earned after taking second spot Tuesday. O’Hearn, who won the opening round, is just behind him with $9,500.

BARREL RACING

Savanah Reeves will admit she shouldn’t have run her top horse, Thunder, in the muddy conditions on Tuesday.

Which is why the barrel racer from Dublin, Tex., gave Thunder another chance under the blue skies and — more importantly — a better infield Wednesday.

The second shot paid off.

Reeves, a registered nurse, clocked a 17.59 time to win the day’s round and $5,500 prize.

Joleen Seitz, the 2006 Calgary Stampede champ from Savona, B.C., finished second at 17.78, followed by Mary Burger of Pauls Valley, Okla. (18.15).

SADDLE BRONC

JJ Elshere split top spot three ways in his first go-round.

He scooped up all $5,500 for himself Wednesday in the second afternoon of saddle bronc action for Pool B at the Calgary Stampede.

Elshere’s 85-point spur ride aboard Awesome was one point better than Sam Kelts’ 84 on Holy Hollie.

Kelts took $4,500 for his eight-second effort.

Todd Herzog was one of the three who shared top spot Tuesday and he was in the money again with a third-place, 79.5-point ride atop Raveen.

BAREBACK

Justin McDaniel s back is finally 100%.

He s proving it at the Calgary Stampede.

McDaniel, who won the 2008 World bareback title but went through a horrible 2009 due to a pair of herniated disc which needed surgery in February, has been in action less than a month and already on form.

The 23-year-old from Proum, Okla., scored 85.5 on Holly Time to claim top spot Wednesday to claim the $5,500 prize.

McDaniel is also sitting atop the Pool B standings with $10,000 in the first two days.

Dusty LaValley of Crooked Creek, Alta, finish second with a 83 on Centenial. Davey Shields Jr. of DeWinton, Alta., made the most of a re-ride to score a 81.5 to place third and earn $3,500.

STEER WRESTLING

Stockton Graves was last out on the first day of Pool B action.

The bulldogger set the pace first out of the gate on Day 2.

He wrestled his steer to the infield dirt in 4.1 seconds Wednesday, and despite a lineup of stars at the Calgary Stampede, the time held.

The ground was in much better condition thanks to hours of work by the Stampede rodeo crew and a respite from the rain.

Casey McMillen, who claimed top prize Tuesday, finished second on the day with a 4.2 and sits atop the aggregate leaders with $10,000 to his name.

Hunter Cure, Todd Maughan and Curtis Cassidy split the rest of the prize money with identical 4.6-second times.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Tuf Cooper s shirt says on the sleeve, I am second.

The fact Jesus is embroidered on the collar will explain why he has that message for all the world to see.

Cooper was No.-1 during Wednesday s tie-down roping action at the Calgary Stamped.

Cooper, the rising star from Decatur, Tex., scored a 6.8 to claim top spot the second day of Pool B action and the $5,500 prize.

Cody Ohl of Hico, Tex., was second at 7.1 to claim $4,500, followed by Marty Becker of Cardston, Alta., who won $3,500.

If anybody was going to complain on Tuesday about the ground conditions of the Calgary Stampede rodeo infield, it would have to be the barrel racers.

While the surface was exceedingly slick from an all day rain, there wasn’t a peep out of any of them.

All were unanimous in one point – nobody wanted to go first. Yet, it is the one event where every contestant wants to run on the top of the ground.

As it was, the random draw picked five-time Canadian champion Deb Renger to lead off and she startled the half-empty stands with a smooth 17.82 second run that wound up third best on the day.

Rana Walter, recently married and now Rana Koopmans, topped the leaderboard with a 17.64, incredibly the fourth fastest time of the week.

“It wasn’t treacherous out there, I didn’t have any trouble with it,” she said. “When Deb had a 17, I knew it would be all right. It was more just miserable with the rain. But, the footing was there for us. (read more and photo credit)

A British animal rights group has joined a Vancouver Humane Society campaign against calf roping at the Calgary Stampede.

The League Against Cruel Sports, based in Surrey, England, is urging its supporters to write to the Canadian High Commission to voice their opposition to the rodeo event. The group is also asking U.K. travel companies to stop promoting tours to the Calgary Stampede.

Rodeos have been banned in Britain since 1934.

Earlier this week, the Vancouver Humane Society published a $15,000 full-page ad in the Calgary Herald condemning calf roping.

The ad, which appeared in the newspaper’s sports section in the days leading up to the Stampede, shows a calf on its side while a cowboy tries to tie its legs with a rope. The text asks: “That’s entertainment?”

The Stampede’s organizers say they take a “disciplined approach to animal care,” and that the Calgary Humane Society and the province’s SPCA monitor the activities on-site each year. Both organizations are empowered to enforce Alberta’s Animal Protection Act.

The Calgary Humane Society says it’s “fundamentally opposed” to rodeo events such as calf roping, but “has found it can best protect the interests of the animals involved by working with organizations that put on such events,” according the group’s website.

Should calf roping be banned from the Calgary Stampede? Tell us why or why not. Take our poll below. (click here to VOTE)

(Photo credit)

There are 120 cowboys and barrel racers on the Calgary Stampede major event roster and the championships they’ve accumulated over the year are nothing short of astounding.

Nineteen world champions and proud owners of 41 gold buckles; 23 Canadian champions embracing 43 gold and silver buckles; 23 Calgary Stampede champions, who have collected 27 highly coveted bronze trophies.

Only five have never competed at a Wrangler National or Canadian Finals Rodeo.

It is, without question, the strongest lineup ever put together for a regular-season rodeo.

Then there are the bucking horses and bulls and timed-event horses, littered with world and Canadian champions.

And finally, the cattle, fast calves and well handled steers that will test rodeo’s record books for times.

Calgary has sufficient resources to put on the Stampede with its own bucking stock.

But the rodeo committee has chosen to bring in the cream of the crop from 14 other contractors, including four from the U.S.

That alone excites the cowboys.

“They want to make it a riding contest because they got the best cowboys in the world,” said Texan Isaac Diaz, who last week won the saddle bronc riding at the Ponoka Stampede.

“That way, they get the real winners; everybody has a shot to win first. And the guys who do will make the fewest mistakes.

“The lineup of bucking horses is unreal. When I competed at my first Calgary Stampede in 2008, I thought the pens of horses each day were more even that what they are at the National Finals Rodeo, and that’s not a joke.

“I’m excited; I can’t wait to get there.”

The newest stock contractor to join the fold is John Growney and his outfit from Red Bluff, Calif.

He’ll have the strawberry roan mare Moulin Rouge in his truck, the horse that carried two-time Canadian champion Dusty LaValley to a split of first at the Wrangler Tour rodeo in Reno, Nev., a couple of weeks ago.

When it comes to the timed events, there’s nothing more attractive to watch than a smoothly executed calf roping run.

Marty Jones, then from Hobbs, N.M., set the Stampede arena record of 6.5 seconds in 1993. Professional rodeo’s poster boy, Trevor Brazile, matched it last year.

It could be erased over the next 10 days.

Curtis Cassidy says he’s always heard about Cowboy Christmas but never celebrated one.

Now he’s thinking it’s a neat deal.

Cowboy Christmas surrounds the July 1 and July 4 holidays in Canada and the U.S. and consists of about 30 high-paying stops on the rodeo trail.

Cassidy worked five of them and cashed at three to rake in a whopping $19,172 in prize money.

He won the steer wrestling at Ponoka for $9,843, gathered up another $4,700 in the same event at Cody, Wyo., collected $2,936 at Williams Lake, B.C., and added another $1,693 at the same rodeo in the calf roping.

“I also finished in the crying hole at St. Paul (Ore.) and Airdrie,” he said. “It’s been a really good week for me. I think the most I ever won is like $4,000 or $5,000 over the July holiday week.

“This was more the kind of Cowboy Christmas everybody talks about.” (read more)