August 9, 2006

On this weeks program, Mat Funk and Bucky Campbell look like they are headed for the NFR in the team roping. And we preview the Omak Stampede...Check it out at rodeoprofiles.com

We've added several new names to our mailing list...If you would rather not receive this newsletter just drop me a line. If you would like to advertise, let us know. My email address is rodeoprofiles@yahoo.com.

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The PRCA's Wrangler Pro Rodeo Summer Tour is coming to Hermiston, Oregon this week for the Farm City Pro Rodeo. Last year Hermiston paid out more than $150,000.

The Tour has reached the half way point after last weeks sixth stop in Dodge City, Kansas. The Tour Round and Average winners in Dodge City...

Bareback Riding
T: Cody DeMers (Kimberley, Idaho), 87 points
A: Jason Jeter (Mansfield, Texas), 172 points on two head, $5,400
Steer Wrestling
T: Jule Hazen (Protection, Kan.), 3.8 seconds
A: (tie) Hazen and Dean Gorsuch (Gering, Neb.), 13.1 seconds on three, $5,813 and $4,109, respectively
Team Roping
T: Jess Tierney (Laverne, Okla.)/Jace Crabb (Mangum, Okla.), 6.3 seconds
A: Chad Masters (Adams, Tenn.)/Cole Bigbee (Stephenville, Texas), 17.7 seconds on three head, $5,226 each
Saddle Bronc Riding
T: Billy Etbauer (Edmond, Okla.), 90 points
A: Etbauer, 171 points on two head, $4,463
Tie-Down Roping
T: Josh Peek (Pueblo, Colo.), 8.1 seconds
A: Cody Ohl (Hico, Texas), 25.7 seconds on three head, $6,520
Barrel Racing
T: Brandie Halls (Carpenter, Wyo.), 16.66 seconds
A: Halls, 49.99 seconds on three runs, $6,544
Bull Riding
T: Matt Austin (Wills Point, Texas), 90 points
A: Austin, 172 points on two head, $4,056

Austin was the only man to make a qualified ride in the short round of the bull riding in Dodge City. The reigning World Champion was matched against Broken Arrow’s Smokeless War Dance, the 2005 PRCA Bull of the Year and a previously unridden bull in the PRCA. Austin matched the bull jump for jump to the tune of 90 points to win the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Round en route to the average title with 172 points on two head. Austin, who leads the world standings, added another $4,056 to his 2006 earnings.


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The Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo in Longview, Washington turned Pink August 3-5, and earned more than $4,000 for a local Cowlitz County organization called "I Understand" which works with breast cancer issues.

The rodeo had planned to have a "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" night for it's opening night performance on August 3, and that spread into a week long event.

The opening night raised just over $2,000 from raffles and donations. That spread to a challenge instituted by stock contractor Frank Beard on the rodeo's second night. Beard collected more than $300 from rodeo contestants and then challenged the crowd to match the cowboy's, that challenge resulted in another $1,000. Donation cans were circulated through the crowd again on the rodeo's final night.

The rodeo attracted big crowds for all three nights of competition. The fans saw National Finals tie-down roper Brad Goodrich win his two head event with a total time of 18.8 seconds on two. Goodrich won the first round with a time of 8.9 and earned more than $2,000. Goodrich started the rodeo 29th in the PRCA's tie down roping standings.

Record setting Columbia River Circuit barrel racing champion Barb West from Oak Harbor won the Longview rodeo for the second straight year. West earned more than $1,100 for her first place winning time of 17.47.

Longview's other winners...

Team Roping - Shane Erickson, Terrebonne, Oregon and Rick Copher, Molalla, Oregon
Bareback Riding - Zac Compton, Pendleton, Oregon - 85 points
Bull Riding - Mason Michaelis, Caldwell, Idaho - 77 points
Saddle Bronc Riding - Dusty Otley, Adel, Oregon - 81 points
Steer Wrestling - Blake Knowles, Heppner, Oregon - 10.5 on two head

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The Omak Stampede started on Thursday night, August 10...

Among the highlights, Deb Renger is leading the barrel race with a 17.47...Josh Reynolds from Montana topped the first night of the bronc riding with an 87.

This week's Omak Stampede will hold it's own "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" night on Friday night during the rodeo's second performance. $1.00 from every ticket sold will go to breast cancer research.

I'm announcing Omak and we are off to a great start, more than 70 bronc riders, nearly 50 bareback riders and a full slate in every event are entered.

The Moses Lake Round Up will be giving two dollars for every ticket to breast cancer research on Thursday night, August 17. Every one is encouraged to wear pink.

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We are adding a new feature to our newsletters...

A segment called "A CONVERSATION WITH..."

This week we talked with Team Ropers Mike Beers and Jim Randle...

Q...HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER?

Mike's answer - "We had known each other for a long time, I had kind of decided I wanted to rodeo some in Canada and he needed a partner and so we decided to rope together up there and we've been venturing down here a little bit in our circuit so it makes it good for both of us."

Q...JIM...YOU ARE A TWO TIME CANADIAN CHAMPION. HOW'S IT FEEL TO HAVE A GUY LIKE MIKE BEHIND YOU?

"It feels great, he's bringing the level of team roping to a new level in Canada and he's also promoting team roping by letting the ropers up there get expert help. When we have spare time Mike does extra schools up there and it's great for the sport up there. Team roping hasn't been a major event in Canada. The team ropers themselves took the event on and found our own sponsors and promoted it at the rodeo level, then we got it into the finals, that all happened six years ago so it's brought it to the rodeo level now. It's a major optional event up there, and of course any rodeo in Canada that has dual approval with the PRCA they have to have team roping so it's great for us."

Q...SO HOW HAS IT BEEN, WILL WE BE SEEING YOU AT OUR CIRCUIT FINALS?

Mike -"Every week we've kind of been knocking them away, it's been pretty good."

Jim - "If I can keep catching them for him I'll be at the circuit finals down here in November."

Q...WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND JIM?

"I come from a ranching background," Randle said. "My grandpa homsteaded the property up there in 1935 and I'm the third generation on the ranch just southeast of Calgary."

Q...MIKE, HOW'S YOUR SON BRANDON DOING?

"He's in Texas, he's going to go to school in Stephenville. He hurt his knee right after the Fourth of July so he's going to get that worked on."

Q...MIKE, WHAT'S YOUR FOCUS THESE DAYS?

"I'm doing a lot of schools. Two weeks ago I was in New York, and then the next week I had a school in Myrtle Point, Oregon. I try to do schools on Monday's, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and then rodeo on weekends. I've cut way back on my rodeo schedule, I wasn't going to go to any this year and then Jim and I got tangled up together and started doing pretty good. I'd like to make the NFR again, we've been doing good together and we've been consistent. Jim ropes great, he scores great, he gives me a chance every time it seems like and that makes my job easier. I've been at this long enough I know what works for me, I can't rope good with somebody who's bombing away trying to win first every time...I've got to have a guy who gives me a chance and keeps my confidence up. We haven't had a dry week yet. It's interesting, when we started the summer out our plan was to be 6.0 every run, not 4 or 5 but 6.0 every run and it's amazing what a guy will win when he does that every day."

Q...JIM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S GOOD CHEMISTRY HERE?

"I'm a catch guy, I try to ride a really good horse with lots of run and then I try to go catch 'em all, and Mike's a really good clean up guy, he likes to rope fast and it really compliments the team."

Randle and Beers are in the top five in Canada, and in the top ten in the Columbia River Circuit Standings.

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ATTENTION WILD COW MILKERS...

Dick Moeller from the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days says the rodeo needs some cow milking teams...Contact the fair office in Walla Walla and they can hook you up.