7.7! Scheck breaks steer roping world record 

FORT SMITH, Ark. – Cody Scheck knew he’d been fast on his third-round run at the Old Fort Days Rodeo on June 2, he just didn’t know that he’d been the fastest ever. When rodeo secretary Marlene Dreesen called out a time of 7.7 seconds, Scheck’s first thought was “well, that’s not possible … no way.

“I sat on my horse and looked over at the (other competitors) and they looked at me. Everybody was totally silent. When (Dreesen) repeated the time, I said to myself, ‘Holy crap, did that just happen?’”

Well, yeah, it kind of did. Eighteen-time world champion Guy “The Legend” Allen held the previous record. He had a 7.9-second run at Duncan, Okla., in 2000 and another at Deadwood, S.D., in 2003.

Scheck, a bit of a rodeo history buff, quoted the time and places from memory. For the Ellinwood, Kan., cowboy it was one of those records, like Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, “you think is never going to be broken.”

And he certainly didn’t think it was going to be him knocking Allen out of the record book.

A day earlier, Scheck had won the second round at the Ken Lance Memorial Rodeo in Ada, Okla., with a personal best of 8.6 seconds. He’d been 8.6 once before in Poteau, Okla., a few years back – negated when he broke the barrier – but otherwise had not broken 9.0 seconds before this weekend.

“Somebody told me that on my 8.6 in Ada, I was a little slow with my hooey or I could have been in the short 8s,” Scheck said, “but I wasn’t sure what to think about that.”

Out of contention for a check in the average entering the third round at Fort Smith, Scheck was in a position to see just how fast he and FBI – the horse he bought in 2009 from two-time World Champion and mentor Rocky Patterson – could be under ideal conditions.

Quite fast, as it turns out.

“The arena is kind of small and narrow,” Scheck said, “and after the first (round) steer didn’t go down, I was just going for the round win. The steer tried … he broke hard. When he took a big step we went with him. I took one swing and then a second; when the loop went over his horns, I was already turning. I went as fast as I could.”

Scheck thought he might have been in the low 8s, but nothing like what he got.

“It happened,” Scheck said. “I’m still having trouble believing it. A 7.7? One of the guys told me, ‘Hey, I think you’re splitting third in the tie-down roping (with that time).”

Two-time World Champion Scott Snedecor ended up winning the three-head average with a time of 33.4 seconds, well ahead of second-place finisher Corey Ross (37.0). Snedecor won the first round in 9.0 seconds and Shane Suggs the second in 9.3, before Scheck’s ride into history.

The other champions in the $142,337 rodeo at Harper Stadium were bareback rider Ryan Gray (87 points), steer wrestler Jule Hazen (9.2 seconds on two head), team ropers Colby Lovell and Kinney Harrell (10.4 seconds on two head), saddle bronc riders Wade Sundell, Cody DeMoss and Isaac Diaz (85 points each), tie-down roper Bryson Sechrist (15.6 seconds on two head), bull rider Travis Kastner (89 points) and barrel racer Carlee Pierce (16.13 seconds).

• Sundell won his share of the saddle bronc title despite competing with a fractured bone in his left foot. “I was riding dirt bikes at Jesse Kruse’s place in Montana and got hurt doing that,” Sundell said. “We built a ramp and seemed to be doing pretty good, so we made it bigger and that’s when things went wrong.” Sundell, second in the world standings, was in so much pain after the ride at Fort Smith, that he withdrew from planned stops in Cherokee, Iowa, and Licking, Mo. He expects to be back on the road this week in Sisters, Ore., and at a couple of rodeos in Alberta, Canada.

Woman bull rider makes history in Kansas

BENNINGTON, Kan. – Move over Kaila Mussell, you have company in ProRodeo’s most exclusive club.

Maggie Parker, a 19-year-old permit holder from Shaftsburg, Mich., became the first woman in PRCA history to earn a check in a bull riding competition June 2 at the Bennington PRCA Rodeo and joined Mussell (a saddle bronc rider) as the only female contestants to place in any roughstock event.

Parker, coached by 1970 World Champion Bull Rider Gary Leffew, scored 70 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s B12 to finish sixth in a field of 38 and earn $190 (plus $270 in day money), the first step on her way to becoming the first woman to qualify to buy her PRCA card.

“I’m in this for the same reason the guys are,” Parker said, “because I love doing it. I didn’t set out to prove a point beyond being able to prove myself.”

In truth, Parker came within one second of qualifying to buy her card a night earlier when she got bucked off David Bailey Rodeo’s Shambala at the seven-second mark at the 75^th annual Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City, Kan.

There were no qualified rides among the 24 entered contestants in Strong City. One more second and she would have had two checks and her first win on the same weekend.

“I’ve been kicking myself all weekend about that,” Parker said. “I was so close. It was just one of those things. I thought the bull was going one way (on the final jump) and he went the other.

“I work for David Bailey Rodeo, so Shambala is right in my backyard. He’s mean. He chases after me when I’m by the fence. I thought I’d get back at him by riding him at Strong City, but I just came up short.”

So, maybe Parker was due a little luck when she went on down the road to Bennington, and she got it when she drew B12.

By her own account, the bull didn’t turn back, but “bucked hard and kicked for the whole ride. He kicked so much that I kept resetting my feet and spurring on every jump; it almost seemed like a bareback ride.”

The first post-ride phone call went to Leffew at his place out in Santa Maria, Calif.

He was just about as excited about the breakthrough as Parker.

“Maggie Parker has been a pleasure to train,” Leffew said. “If there’s going to be a girl make it in professional bull riding it’s going to be her. She has the heart and grit in her soul that it’s going to take to get it done.

“I had her switch hands, where she could learn to build all new habits, and I wanted her on at least 100 bulls before she entered rodeos. She is about halfway there, but is entering anyway, so any wins between now and her 100 will be a bonus.”

The two Kansas rodeos over the June 1-3 weekend were the fifth and sixth for Parker since buying her PRCA permit last November – she’d previously competed at California rodeos in Auburn, Stonyford and Riverdale, and in Poteau, Okla.

The win at Bennington went to Wrangler NFR qualifier Trevor Kastner, whose 89 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Price Sherriff was the same score he had in winning at the Old Fort Days Rodeo in Fort Smith, Ark., this weekend.

The other Bennington champions were bareback rider Jared Keylon (83 points), steer wrestler Chancey Larson (4.4 seconds), team ropers Quincy Kueckelhan and Christopher Young (5.1 seconds), saddle bronc rider Isaac Diaz (86 points), tie-down roper Hunter Herrin (7.9 seconds) and barrel racer Kyra Stierwalt (16.27 seconds).

Teenager flying high after first X Bulls title

ELIZABETH, Colo. – Nevada Newman is studying aviation at Casper (Wyo.) College and if his rookie season as a PRCA bull rider is any indication, it won’t be long before he can start pricing his own Cessna, Piper or Beech.

The 19-year-old from Melstone, Mont., broke through on June 1 to secure his first Xtreme Bulls Tour title with 167 points on two head at Casey Jones Park. Newman finished fifth in the first round and won the final of the Division 2 event with an 85-point ride on Burns Rodeo’s Sex Appeal.

It added up to a $3,565 night and moved Newman from 40th to 31st in the world standings. He is second to Trey Benton III in the rookie standings.

“I really wanted to win Rookie of the Year this year,” Newman said, “but there are some really good bull riders in front of me. I’m going to hit the road hard this summer, and I still hope to make it to my first (Wrangler) NFR.”

Newman, who this time last year was gearing up for the National High School Finals Rodeo, has already had three major wins in PRCA competition – the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo, the NILE Rodeo in Billings, Mont., and now his first Xtreme Bulls title.

“I don’t really feel any pressure because I’m the youngest guy at a rodeo,” Newman said. “I’ve been learning a lot and I still get called ‘Rookie’ and that stuff and they give me a hard time, but it’s fun.”

Lonny Graham of Ault, Colo., the only other contestant to achieve two qualified rides, was 22 points back in second place with a 145 total. Cody Samora of Cortez, Colo., who won the first round with an 86-point ride on Brookman/Hyland’s Double Millen, finished third overall.

The winners at the June 2-3 Elizabeth Stampede – the reigning PRCA Small Rodeo of the Year – were bareback rider Casey Colletti (85 points), steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch (4.3 seconds), team ropers Calvin Brevik and Kory Bramwell (5.1 seconds), saddle bronc rider Merritt Smith (76 points), tie-down ropers Mitch McAdow and Joe James (10.6 seconds each), bull riders Cody Rostockyj and Guytin Tsosie (82 points each) and barrel racer Sabrina Ketcham (16.12 seconds).

• One of the eye-catching results of the weekend came at the Hugo (Okla.) PRCA Rodeo where Stan Mauldin won the steer wrestling title in 3.0 seconds. “I thought that was pretty good for being 57 years old,” Mauldin said. “You know that old expression, ‘the older the violin, the sweeter the music …’” It was a career best for the Holdenville, Okla., ranch cowboy, who remembers being 3.2 seconds back in the 1980s. “I’m on a horse every day and that keeps me in pretty good shape,” Mauldin said, “plus I lift weights and ride the bike, so I feel pretty comfortable when I do compete.” He only went to about 20 rodeos last year and Hugo was his third appearance in 2012. “This was a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m used to being the oldest guy out there, but some of the guys (at Hugo) couldn’t believe it when I told them I’d just had my 57^th birthday.”

• Best roughstock performances of the weekend – at least by the numbers – belonged to bull rider Corey Granger who was 93 points on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Line Man to win the Wild Wild West ProRodeo in Silver City, N.M., and bareback rider R.C. Landingham, who rode Classic Pro Rodeo’s First Kiss in Silver City. “It’s a pretty good feeling when you get off your bareback horse and the announcer says 90 points,” Landingham reported on his Facebook page.

• Brazile Watch: After a couple of weeks off, 16-time World Champion Trevor Brazile went back to work over the June 1-3 weekend and won checks totaling $4,292 in Fort Smith, Ark.; Hugo, Okla., and Ada, Okla. It brought his all-around season total to $78,343 as he bids to win a record seventh consecutive (and 10^thoverall) all-around gold buckle. He leads the all-around and steer roping world standings, is sixth among team roping headers and is 25^th in the tie-down roping.

For full results of the weekend’s 15 PRCA rodeos visit www.prorodeo.com.

Blood donors have chance to win Wrangler NFR tickets

The American Red Cross is offering all presenting blood donors in Idaho, Montana and Utah a chance to win two tickets for two nights to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Dec. 6-15.

Donate blood with the Red Cross this summer, fill out an entry form and you might win the tickets. This prize package will include an overnight stay at the Marriott Las Vegas and air fare from a selected departure point to Las Vegas. To find the nearest blood drive to you visit redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The worst thing is changing clothes in the porta-potty – trying to balance without putting anything down on the ground. Now that’s difficult.”

– Maggie Parker, 19, talking about the pitfalls of being the only female bull rider in PRCA competition when there are no women’s facilities to be found.

News and notes from the rodeo trai

Billy Etbauer has been bestowed with a long list of honors since he retired from rodeo, and he will receive another in the form of a bronze statue. Sculptor Tony Chytka is creating a three-fourths life-size bronze sculpture of the five-time saddle bronc riding world champion that will stand outside of the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center in Fort Pierre, S.D. Chytka has created a 15-inch replica that will be on display at Etbauer’s ProRodeo Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on July 14 in Colorado Springs. Fans will also be able to see the sculpture, along with other pieces of his work, at Chytka’s booth at Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas during the 2012 Wrangler NFR … Bull rider Shawn Hogg, a qualifier for the 2010 Wrangler NFR, has been diagnosed with fractured vertebrae and will be sidelined indefinitely … 2011 Wrangler NFR bull riding qualifier Tyler Willis has injuries to both knees and his status is questionable … PRCA bareback rider Ryan Little is out of commission for up to five months. The 28-year-old from Lake Charles, La., broke a bone in his riding hand when he was thrown from a bucking horse during the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo on May 5, according to his father, Randy Little, who also rode bucking horses in his day. Orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Bo Frederick, who is associated with Dr. Tandy Freeman of the Justin Sportsmedicine Team, performed surgery a few days after Ryan’s fall, inserting a pin into the hand. The pin may be removed this week, his dad said. “He’s pretty down – he’s been riding well and was hoping for a good run this summer,” said Randy Little … ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Lewis Feild and his son, reigning Bareback Riding World Champion Kaycee Feild, will be guest speakers at the June 5 banquet to open the Utah high school rodeo finals … Former PRCA bull rider Robert Colacino will be inducted into the Bell County Rodeo Hall of Fame Ring of Honor on June 30 in Belton, Texas … The Santa Maria Elks Rodeo continues to make strong progress toward its goal of again becoming one of the top rodeos in California. Total attendance of 22,106 included the rodeo’s first sold-out performance in decades on Sunday. “We have been working on this for 24 months,” said rodeo Executive Director Seth Doulton. “We got half way to a sell out last year and never looked back. It was a combination of great sponsors, non-stop marketing and a great group of Santa Maria Elks volunteers that all pulled together.”

Upcoming Events

June 6    Sisters (Ore.) Xtreme Bulls Division 2

June 6    Gladewater (Texas) Roundup Rodeo begins

June 7    EOLS Ed Miller Memorial Xtreme Bulls Division 2, Union, Ore.

June 7    Cody (Wyo.) Nite Rodeo begins

June 7    Ute Mountain Roundup, Cortez, Colo., begins

June 7    Crosby (Texas) Fair & Rodeo begins

June 7    Days of the Old West Rodeo, Delta, Utah, begins

June 7    Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo, Garden City, Kan., begins

June 8    Kinsman ProRodeo, Brooks, Alberta, begins

June 8    Canton (Texas) Stampede Rodeo begins

June 8    Shelby County Sheriff’s Posse PRCA Rodeo, Center, Texas, begins

June 8    PRCA Championship Rodeo, Hawley, Minn., begins

June 8    Mesquite (Texas) ProRodeo Series begins

June 8    Pioneer Days Rodeo, Clovis, N.M., begins

June 8    Lea Park Rodeo, Marwayne, Alberta, begins

June 8    North Central Rodeo, Medford, Wis., begins

June 8    Wisconsin River ProRodeo, Merrill, Wis., begins

June 8    40^th annual Rocky ProRodeo, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, begins

June 8    Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo begins

June 8    Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, Union, Ore., begins

June 9    Cowtown Rodeo, Woodstown-Pilesgrove, N.J.

June 9    Livermore (Calif.) Rodeo begins

June 10  Glennville (Calif.) Round-Up