|
NFPB
Federation Finals by Cindy
Meyers
 Jermey Harris wins it all!
NFPB Federation Finals A
Huge Success!
Great
bull rides are created by
both great riders and great
bulls and the NFPB
Federation Finals had
both. Fans got three
nights of exceptional bull riding,
scary wrecks and outstanding
cowboy protection.
Jeremey Harris (pictured to
left with Clint Jackson) came into the
finals in first place and
let the world know he had no
intention of relinquishing
his position. He not
only won the 2005 Federation
Cup Championship he was also
the 2005 Federation
Finals Average Champions and
won the coveted Chip Hume
memorial Award to top off
his winnings.
From
the moment we arrived at the
Opening Banquet on Wednesday
night until we left the
Awards Banquet on Sunday
afternoon it was non-stop
excitement, fun and
FOOD! One thing the
NFPB Federation Finals is
known for besides good rides
is good food. The
Opening and Awards Banquets
were held at Terrible's
Casino and the food was
delicious. The
association and the
committee treat all the
riders, personnel and other
special people, like us, to
lunch and supper each
day. Local businesses
cater the affairs and it is
no wonder people think food
when they come to St.
Joseph. The
Holiday Inn Riverfront was
the host hotel and each and
every one of us was treated
like royalty. We not
only got treated well but
the cowboys and cowgirls
returned the respect by
being very well behaved even
in the wee hours of the
morning. Now
if you don't think going to
a finals is fun you should
watch four bull riders
trying to ride a unicycle at
a rather late hour because
they have all heard this is
a good way to improve their
riding skills. I won't
say I laughed but they are
all much better at staying
on the bull then they were
that unicycle! Of
course, LoriDee has
threatened death if I tell
how she did riding the
unicycle, so I won't, just
ask Henry Yoder! As
usual, Shawn "Boom
Boom" Thompson had the
crowd roaring with
laughter. There is a
reason this was his 19th
time to be selected as
Funnyman of the Year by an
association and his second
trip to the NFPB Federation
Finals. Rodeo Attitude
is always proud that Shawn
was one of our charter
members. Special
entertainment was provided
by Tommy Lucia Review
featuring Whiplash the
Cowboy Monkey. I have
to say not only was this
very entertaining but we
want to give a very special
thanks to Tommy's son who
gave so willing of his time
and talent at the
Exceptional rodeo on
Saturday. A very
talented trick roper he not
only entertained with his
talent but patiently showed
these special people the art
of roping. Another
Rodeo Attitude member, Chris
Pyle, made his, we have lost
count, appearance as
Announcer of the Year.
Chris has one of those
voices you could just listen
to all day and never get
tired of. He also
really knows the riders and
the bulls which makes
watching the action much
more interesting for the
spectators. This might
be just one of many reasons
why year after year this
event sells out. You
can not have a good event if
the riders and the
contractors don't go into
the ride feeling they will
be treated fairly. The
NFPB is well known for is
the fairness of the
judges. This year the
riders selected Todd Crase,
Jerry Downs and Adam Proctor
as their judges and they did
not let anyone down.
Each and every ride was
judged fairly. The
scores showed the quality
and equality of both the
bulls and riders. Part
of the excitement of the
finals is the vendors.
This year the vendors were
joined by a mechanical bull
and a mechanical
horse. While the
action was going on in the
arena the fans were
experiencing the sensation
of the ride. Vendors
sold everything from rodeo
toy sets to tack items and
of course FOOD! On
Sunday morning Rodeo
Attitude and Cowboys for
Christ provided a Cowboy
Church Service for those who
wished to attend. The
room was donated by the host
hotel and Jeff Reid gave the
sermon. It was very
rewarding to see how many of
the NFPB family took time to
attend these services. Throughout
the year the NFPB sanctions
over 180 events and pays out
well over a half million
dollars to its riders.
There is one winner each
year but the one thing that
stands out to me each year
is the large number of
riders who earn a percentage
of these funds. It is
an association where every
rider has a shot at the
championship. Top
quality producers working
with top quality contractors
has helped the NFPB build
one of the top bull riding
associations operating
today. This is proven
over and over again when
riders graduate from this
association on to the major
leagues and literally rock
the bull riding world!
|
For
years the VIP or Exceptional
Rodeo has played an important
role in the Federation
Finals. This year Clint
Jackson, president of the
NFPB, and the whole
association rolled out the red
carpet for their special
guest, James Phillips, and his
family. James who has cerebral
palsy, refuses to let it stand
in his way to enjoy the sport
of bull riding. James
has spent many hours on the
phone selling J. W. Hart
training videos, working on
rodeo related benefits and
loves riding mechanical bulls
every chance he gets. It
is his goal to see that more
people with special needs like
himself will get the
opportunity to experience what
it is like to be a bull
rider. James was able to
experience everything
including the after event
parties, staying up to the wee
hours of the morning visiting
with cowboys and fans, riding
a mechanical bull and
attending the awards
banquet. It was a
weekend he will never forget!