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CLICK
HERE FOR CINDY'S RODEOPAGES.COM PROFILE
Click
for Cindy's Comments Animal Rights Issues Only
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Cindy's
Special Thought:
True
love is
unconditional.
Only
two people have ever
offered to die for
you . . .
Jesus
Christ and the
American GI
One
died for your Soul,
the other for your
Freedom!
When
trouble knocks on
your door, just say,
"Jesus would
you get that for
me."
This
week's special
though is in form of
a presentation sent
to me. Enough
Said!
CLICK
HERE FOR "IN
GOD WE TRUST"
PRESENTATION
A
fool never changes
his mind. . .
A
wise man will!
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Exceptional
Rodeo Project
One
of the biggest
projects the Rodeo
Attitude Program is
working on is
getting funding for
more Exceptional
Rodeos. It is
our goal to have
more associations
and events to hire
James Nolan to
produce these events
at what we
hope will be a
supplemented
rate To
learn more about
what we did at the
NFPB Federation
Finals and James and
Mary Nolan use the
links below.
For more information
on how to help with
this project you may
speak with them or
Bryan Curd with
Revma Media and of
course I am always
available.
Help us make this
dream become a
reality!
EXCEPTIONAL
RODEO AT NFPB FINALS
rAFTER
J MECHANICAL BULL
AND HORSE
REVMA
MEDIA WEB SITE
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Shirley
Durby Myers, 80 Years Young!
On
August 11th my mom,
Shirley Myers, celebrated her 80th
birthday.
There are the normal things
that can be said about her.
She has five children, 12
grandchildren and 7 great
grandchildren.
She was a wonderful wife,
an extraordinary daughter and is a
great mother.
My grandmother lived to be
97 and until her death I do not
remember a day that mom didn’t
stop in and do something for her.
To the moment my dad died
my mom was literally at his side.
Whether they were working
in the field, milking cows or he
was taking honors for having the
highest corn yield in the state of
Iowa
she stood by his side.
Mom
has lived a very full life.
Most importantly her life
has touched so many other lives in
a way that has made the world a
better place.
I can not remember a time
when even though there were five
of us children, Mom and Dad did
not have a foster child or two or
three living with us.
Our house wasn’t big but
they always found room.
Today they all still call
her mom and are as much a part of
our family as they were back then.
She was a cheerleader in
1943, the last year her hometown
team went to state.
She has never stopped being
a cheerleader, cheering others on
to excel in life and then proudly
watching as they became all that
they aspired to be always knowing
that she believed in them. .
Mom
has set an example of excellence
for all, always willing to serve
her church and her community.
She taught us that service
was important and set the bar so
high we often find it hard to
reach.
Most of all she taught us
that love was above all
unconditional.
She loves us when we are
successful and she loves us when
we fail, No matter what we always
know she loves us and is there for
us.
Mom
will never make it to the Cowgirl
Hall of Fame.
Yet she has left her mark
on
Iowa
rodeo.
She worked tirelessly
helping dad get the “Lincoln
Highway Days Rodeo” going.
She would go to every
parade she could and march in it
telling people about the
celebration.
Several years ago the town
honored her by selecting her as
the “Queen” of the
celebration.
She was the grand marshal
for the parade.
When Dad died the rodeo was
dedicated to him and Mom proudly
accepted the plaque.
August 25th=26th her
hometown, Nevada, Iowa, will
once again host the rodeo.
Few of the younger people
in town will remember or even care
how it got started or those who
worked so hard to make it a
successful, but I will.
Maybe some day people will
remember one of the greatest gifts
she gave the world was a daughter
with a Rodeo Attitude!
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July
21st was the 2nd
Annual National Day of the
Cowboy. Our
hats go off to those
who have worked
tirelessly to honor
the heritage of the
American Cowboy and
Cowgirl. A
wide and diverse
group our history is
based on the actions
of these brave men
and women. It
is only fitting that
they should have a
day to honor
them. There
were several
festivities across
America to honor
them but there are
several more planned
for this weekend and
throughout the
year.. Go to
the site below for
complete details.
CLICK
HERE FOR NATIONAL
DAY OF THE COWBOY
WEB SITE
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Cindy's
Opinion
This
web site is
dedicated to our
Western Heritage and
the lifestyle that
has come from
this. Even
though I was raised
on an Iowa farm we
always raised cattle
and my dad was a
"cowboy"
in my eyes.
One of the greatest
gifts dad gave me
was a deep love of
history. Dad
always said that the
best advise he ever
heard was that a
fool never changes
his mind and a wise
man knows when
to. This
advise and the love
I have of history
has often put me at
odds with
others. One
thing I have always
admired about
cowboys is their
deep sense of patriotism
and the way they
honor the
military.
Clicking on the link
below will bring up
an e mail I
received.
Don't know the man
who wrote it but
from my study of
history I know that
I do agree with the
historical
information it
contains.
Thank you for taking
the time to read it.
CLICK
HERE FOR "WHY
WE ARE IN IRAQ"
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Brokenheart
Mountain
It
is no secret that I
love what I call
cowboy gospel
music. Some of
the biggest country
stars have been
known to put out a
tune or two.
Carrie Underwood's
big hit "Jesus
Take the Wheel"
shows that I am not
alone. I
received an e mail
with this
link. I really
enjoyed this song
and hope you do
to.
BROKENHEART
MOUNTAIN WEB SITE
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THE POWER OF PRAYER
We all know that most
rodeos begin with
prayer. Often it
is the traditional
Cowboy Prayer.
We also know that our
cowboys and their
organizations
repeatedly pay tribute
to the American
soldier. Someone has said that, if Christians really understood the
full extent of the power we have available through prayer,
we might be speechless.
In W.W.II there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a
group of people who dropped what they were doing every
day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray
for the safety of England, its people and peace.
There is now a group of people organizing the same thing
here in America.
If you would like to participate:
Every evening at 9:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 pm Central)
(6:00 pm Pacific) stop whatever you are doing and spend
one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our
troops, our citizens, and for peace in the world.
Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.
Together, we "CAN" make a difference! Thank You, and God
Bless America and ALL who are seeking world peace!
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Rodeo Cowboys Get a Chance to Meet Oprah Winfrey
I
have tried to reach
Oprah Winfrey with
just one idea in
mind, get her to do
a show on rodeo
cowboys and their
strong Christian,
patriaotic and
family values.
No luck. Then
in a quirk of fate
she takes a wrong
turn and ends up
watching three
ropers.
Let's just hope they
showed her a little
about cowboys!
COMPLETE
FOX NEWS STORY
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More
News on Ugliest
Cowboy Hat in
America Contest!
Rodeo
Attitude along with
our newest member
Cowboy Co op and
RodeoAuction.com are
getting ready to
launch "The
Ugliest Cowboy Hat
in America"
Contest. We
are currently
putting together a
few more sponsors
but we can tell you
the winner will get
a custom made hat
from Rodeo Attitude
member Weather Hat
Company. One
of the premier
custom hat makers in
America, the list of
cowboys and cowgirls
wearing these hats
is very
impressive. I
personally love the
one they made for my
husband,
Larry! Once
the rules are
released we can tell
you that all entries
will include a
picture of the
hat and a short
story about the
hat. We know
there are a lot of
"ugly"
hats out there with
great stories to
match so start
thinking. The
official contest
will be launched
real soon!
Cowboy
Co op Web Site
RodeoAuctions.com
Web Site
Weather
hat company web site
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Great
News From Cindy!
I
have been released
by the doctors from
my light stroke in
February. In
fact, with diet
changes and
lifestyle changes
they recommended I
am actually in
better shape and
with my new glasses
I think I feel 30
again! Praise
God for modern
medicine.
Also,
I have received word
that our Director of
Cowboy Ministries,
Homer Joy, is now
first on the list
for a heart
transplant!
Homer's song
"Streets of
Bakersfield"
was the final song
of the 41st ACM
Awards this week as
a part of their
tribute to his great
friend, Buck
Owens.. Our
prayers are that
with a new heart the
music will continue
for years to come.
God
has blessed me with
very talented
children (comes from
their dad so I can
brag!). Most
of you know James,
who does the
majority of the web
designing and
LoriDee who is one
of our top
reporters. The
third, Carolyn, is a
very talented artist
and has used her
talent to remodel
her home in Ankeny,
Iowa. Well, I
guess this is my
week for joys as her
family has purchased
an acreage just
north of our
home. She is
currently a Merchant
Member of the
program and does a
lot of signs and
banners for the
rodeo
industry. She
is currently
updating her
business site but
click on the link
below to see the
house they remodeled
and will sell.
Loved the house but
very happy she will
be close to home
once again.
May
you all be as
blessed as I have
been!
CAROLYN'S
HOUSE
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Cindy's
Red Blanket
It
came in the
mail. Just a
small package.
Inside was a bright
red blanket just for
me. The note
said it was from the
Prayer Blanket
ministry and that
their church had
prayed for me over
the blanket and that
as I slept with it I
would feel the love
of both Jesus and
this congregation so
many miles
away. A member
had told them about
me, my light stroke
and the work I do
for the rodeo
world. Each
night I now sleep
under the bright red
blanket and remember
that song of my youth,
"Jesus loves me
this I
know....".
Jesus does love me
and each and every
day I ask Him to
guide me in my
work. Rodeo
Attitude is reaching
more and more people
every day and more
and more cowboys and
cowgirls are living
their lives as role
models for our
youth. I guess
He is doing a pretty
good job!
CLICK
HERE FOR PRAYER
BLANKET MINISTRIES
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What's
It All About?
This
is probably one of
the biggest
questions we get
asked. There
are lots of things
that the Rodeo
Attitude Program
does in the pursuit
of our
mission. We
are constantly
answering questions,
disbursing
information and
maintaining this
site so that our
members can let
others know who they
are and what they
do. It is a
work in
progress. We
will never be done
because there is
always something new
or more information
to be added.
Helping our member
associations make
their finals as
successful and fun
for all as possible
is one of our
biggest
endeavors. We
are always excited
when an association
includes in their
finals an
exceptional
rodeo. This
year the NFPB
Federation Finals
hosted an
exceptional rodeo to
beat all exceptional
rodeos.
RevmaMedia has
created a short
promotional piece on
this event. It
is our goal to find
sponsors to host
these events at
other finals and
large events.
RevmaMedia has also
filmed the entire
NFPB Federation
Finals and we will
announce when this
will be
televised.
Please take a moment
to read about the
NFPB Federation
Finals that were
held the end of
March and watch the
short video about
their exceptional
rodeo. We are
very, very proud to
be a part of both of
these
projects. If
you would like to be
a part of these
projects contact
Cindy Meyers or
Bryan Curd at
RevmaMedia.
CLICK
HERE FOR NFPB
FEDERATION FINALS
AND EXCEPTIONAL
RODEO REPORT
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RodeoAuctions.com
Joins the Rodeo
Attitude Network
Rodeo
Attitude is proud to
announce the newest
member,
RodeoAuctions.com.
The owners of
RodeoAuctions.com
joined the Rodeo
Attitude Program
today and will be
the official auction
site for the Rodeo
Attitude Program and
will be hosting all
Rodeo Attitude
benefit auctions.
This site is the
place to go to buy
or sell rodeo memorabilia,
collectibles, art,
equine and other
rodeo tack items and
more. We are
very excited to
welcome them into
our network and hope
you will consider
them for your next
auction.
RODEOAUCTIONS.COM
WEB SITE
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ProRodeoBet.com
now has live Calcuttas
The
riders that enter
the arena each week
bet there skills
against their
competitors.
Now is your chance
to not only follow
their careers but
purchase them in Calcutta's.
The most wonderful
thing about this is
each month they will
present a
scholarship to a
deserving rodeo
college
student!
Please support their
new effort. CLICK
HERE FOR PRORODEOBET.COM
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Team
Roping
Have
you made your
plans for the
summer
yet? A
remarkable
number of
families will
include team
roping in their
summer
plans. In
fact, team
roping will be
the main ingredient.
From youth rodeo
to the PRCA with
a lot of
regional and
USTRC team
roping events to
sweeten the mix,
team roping has
grown
drastically in
the last
decade.
You might not
see it every
weekend on TV
but the USTRC
alone maintains
records on over
127,000
ropers. In
2005 the USTRC
paid out over
$25 million in
cash and
prizes.
Booger Barter's
events are known
for the pickups
they give
away.
George Strait,
an avid roper
himself,
hosts the
richest open
team roping
yearly.
Learn
more about
roping on our
Team Roping
Directory.
TEAM
ROPING
DIRECTORY
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Some
unique and special men of
God
For
some time now I have been
receiving each day the Daily
Devotions from
Liveprayer.com. What a
wonderful surprise when I
opened the morning e mail on
February 7th to find a
beautiful devotion centered
around Cody Custer and
several other PBR bull
riders. I thought you
might enjoy it as well/
LIVEPRAYER
DEVOTION ABOUT BULL RIDERS
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Breast
Cancer Bill
Several
people have sent me
information regarding the
Lifetime Networks campaign
to help get the bill that is
currently in Congress to
"stop drive-through
mastectomies"
passed. Not all issues
supported by the rodeo
community are strictly
"rodeo"
issues. We all know
about the pink shirts in
support of breast cancer
research worn at this years
NFR. We won't all get
a chance to "wear
pink" at the NFR, but
we can all take 30 seconds
and sign this
petition. Thank you.
STOP
DRIVE-THROUGH MASTECTOMIES PETITION
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Time
Life's Ultimate Bull Riding
Some
time ago I received a call
from Time Life. They
were considering doing a
series of DVD's on bull
riding and wanted Rodeo
Attitude's feedback on the
project. I always
enjoy when I see a project
that promotes our sport
completed. You may now
purchase the 5 volume set on
the Internet and the first
volume, Ultimate Bull
Riding, DVD is available in
stores. The full set
is only available on line.
Time Life sent
me the first DVD and I found
it very enjoyable.
Pure bull riding and some of
the greatest rides of all
time. Ever heard of
Tuff Hedeman's famous hang
up? Did you ever get
to see the great Donnie Gay
ride or what about Jim
Shoulders? Now is your
chance. Rodeo Attitude
member and 2004 World
Champion, Dustin Elliott,
can also be seen on the
first DVD.
I
personally highly recommend
this set with my favorite
section, the Last Waltz, a
series of bull riding clips
set to waltz music.
Totally emphasizes the poise
and grace of both the rider
and the bull and the
expression "dancing
with the
bull".
TIME
LIFE ULTIMATE BULL RIDING
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Landon
Spafford Update
Last
year at this time we were
all praying for a little
baby named Landon Spafford
and in May the Iowa bull
riding industry joined
together to raise funds to
help with his needed open
heart surgery. I have
received the following note
from his mother.
"Landon
has done great since his
open heart surgery which was
May 20, 2005.
The doctors
anticipate no further
surgery and his follow up
has went as planned.
Landon came home on
no oxygen and has been able
to discontinue all
prescriptions that had been
needed before surgery.
At 16 months he is so
animated and a joy and
blessing to his family and
friends.
Landon’s
family would like to thank
everyone for their continued
support and prayers.
Your acts of kindness
will never be forgotten."
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Me
Quit? Never!
Today
I was updating on the Team
Roping Directory just
checking out sites and
information to make this the
most informative site for
our sport on the web.
Some days, like probably
everyone does, I get down and
wonder about little things
like paying bills and if
anyone appreciates it
all. Well in the midst
of my work and my thoughts I
had to make a correction to
the address for Walt Woodard's Roping School
site. While there I
started reading "Me
Quit? Never:". I
enjoyed it and as I finished
it I realized all the petty
little things in life aren't
really as important as we
think they are and I knew that our goal,
like his, will come and
that I, like Walt, won't
quit!
WALT
WOODARD'S STORY
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Corporate
Member - Pro Bull Rider
Magazine Looking for Dealers
For
the first time ever Pro Bull
Rider Magazine is offering
an opportunity to stores and
venders across the rodeo
world to sell the number one
bull riding magazine in the
world. Click on the
link below for an
opportunity to help promote
the fastest growing sport in
the world! Remember
tell Wes you heard about it
on Rodeo Attitude!
WANTED
DEALERS
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A
Christmas Story Brought to
You By a Drunk Driver
Your
may have received this story
over the Internet. It
is currently circulating
through e-mails. The
sad part about this story is
that it is in some way or
form repeated every day
across America. This
Christmas thousands of
friends and families will
mourn the loss of a loved
one to a drunk driver.
Children will spend
Christmas without a
parent. Enjoy this
blessed season but take a
moment to remember and if in
your holiday celebrating
choose a designated driver
or call a cab least your
family have their own story
to tell.
LITTLE BOY'S CHRISTMAS
STORY
CINDY'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
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Josh
Peter - I finally got to
meet Josh Peter. After
two years of talking on the
phone it was quite a pleasure
to meet the author in
person. It was wonderful
to see all the fans standing
in line to purchase his book
and meet him. We read
his book on the drive from
Iowa to Las Vegas and we all
found it very
informative. I could not
believe any dyed in the wool
bull riding fan would not
totally enjoy this book.
It is obvious that Josh tried
very hard to tell it like it
he saw it as fairly as
possible. I am sure
there will be those that will
want to differ with some of
the issues but that is true in
any good book.
Check out the page below for
more information.
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Josh
Peter, Friend and Author = Could
it really be almost two years ago
that I got that first e mail from
Josh? The message was
simple, he was a sports writer and
was contemplating writing a book
on bull riding and the PBR.
Any input was welcome. From
our very first phone conversation
I knew this was going to be a book
I would love to read. Going
through my list of contacts I was
able to give him a "10 second
bio" on as many of those I
thought could help him. We
spoke about everything from the phenomenal
growth of the PBR, the courage of
the cowboys, to their faith and
the PBRO. I will be picking
up my copy at the PBR Fan Zone
next week at Mandalay Bay where
Josh will be the special guest.
Gail Hughbanks-Woerner, rodeo
historian and Rodeo Attitude
columnist, and Bill Palanuk,
TalkRodeo, were selected to
receive advanced copies to review.
From what they have told me and
the excerpts I have heard I can
tell you without a shadow of doubt
that this book is one of the best
books ever written about the sport
of bull riding and one you won't
want to miss!
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Shane
Drury - For me the story of
bull rider, Shane Drury, is one of
courage and strength. Not
for his accomplishments in the
arena, although he is an extremely
good bull rider, but for his faith
and courage in his battle with
cancer. I have followed his
story over the last couple of
years and when Cody Custer
introduced me to him in Des
Moines, IA in August all I could
say was what an honor it was to
meet him. He was judging at
the PBR that night. With a
smile and a cheery attitude for
all it was hard to tell this man
was in the middle of a series of
cancer treatments. He is an
inspiration to us all. On
September 23rd Shane had his final
treatment. All of us will be
praying for him. If you
haven't read Shane's story, it is
one that will inspire you.
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Farm
Aid - Twenty years ago the
first Farm Aid was held in
Illinois. Looking back it is
hard for me to realize that it
could be that long ago.
Twenty years ago Larry and I were
one of the farmers that lost our
farm to the Farm Crisis.
Twenty years ago I was one of many
calling anyone who would listen to
the blight of the American farmers
and ranchers. We called them
all and a wonderful man named
Willie Nelson listened.
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Just
thinking - I think
it is sad that when a
world record gets
broken in any other
sport it makes the
news, but when a world
record gets broken in
America's oldest
sport, it slides by
almost
unnoticed. For
years rodeo was
"the
sport".
This country's great
heritage is built on
the cowboy way of
life. Therefore,
I am going to give you
one more shot at the
big story of the
weekend and maybe the
summer!
Canton
breaks
world tie-down roping
mark
Fourteen-time
Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo qualifier
Ricky Canton broke the
world tie-down roping
record earlier today,
Thursday, July 28,
during the second
round of the
Strathmore (Alberta)
Stampede.
Canton
, who turns 40 in
September, stopped the
clock in 6.3 seconds
during slack. The
previous record was
6.5 seconds, held
jointly by five-time
world champion Cody
Ohl at the 2003
Wrangler NFR and Clint
Robinson last year in
Amarillo
,
Texas
.
Canton
roped and tied a black
and white spotted
calf, using three
swings and a wrap and
hooey, according to
reports. The previous
fastest time by
Canton
, who lives in
Navasota
,
Texas
, was 6.9 seconds.
Blair
Burk of
Durant
,
Okla.
, won the first round
in Strathmore with a
7.0.
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"ICE"
Your Cell Phone - Prompted by the
story below I have received this
message and I believe it is one we
want to pass on to everyone.
With all the traveling our cowboys and
cowgirls do this is excellent advice.
Paramedics
will turn to a victim's cell phone for
clues to that person's identity. You
can make their job much easier with a
simple idea that they are trying to
get everyone to adopt: ICE. ICE
stands for In Case of Emergency. If
you add an entry in the contacts list
in your cell phone under ICE, with the
name and phone no. of the person
that the emergency services should
call on your behalf, you can save them
a lot of time and have your loved ones
contacted quickly. It only takes a few
moments of your time to do. Paramedics
know what ICE means and they look for
it immediately. ICE your cell phone
NOW!
Two
Cowboys Die in Tragic Accident -
After the tragedy death of two cowboys
in 2005 I received
this from Tom Smith and felt it deserved
to be archived on Rodeo Attitude.
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Rodeo
Friends,
Bareback
rider Doug Curry and Bull rider
Dalton Howell passed away in a
rodeo camper on July 15th due to
Carbon Monoxide poisoning. The two
PCA cowboys had just picked up the
brand new camper and were
traveling to Selma, Alabama. They
had spent Friday afternoon
visiting with rodeo equipment
maker Pete Hennessy. Pete said
that the cowboys were tired and
had indicated that they wanted to
continue driving for a few hours
before stopping to rest. Pete was
deeply saddened when he was
notified by a county sheriff who
found "Hennessy"
bareback riggings in the vehicle
and inquired about the men. Carbon
Monoxide poisoning is quite common
among rodeo cowboys and many have
lost their lives to the silent
killer while catching a nap in
campers and horse trailers. The
real tragedy is that sickness and
death can be avoided by purchasing
a Carbon Monoxide Monitor for less
than $50. The monitors are similar
to smoke alarms and will awaken a
person when the oxygen level in a
room drops to an unsafe level. In
addition to the monitors,
generator exhausts need to be
directed away from doors and other
openings and they should never be
left running under a goose neck
trailer dome. The fumes can find
their way into the living quarters
and prey on an unsuspecting
victim. Please purchase a monitor
or two for your camper (they are
available at any Wal-Mart) and
make sure that your friends are
aware of the dangers of Carbon
Monoxide poisoning. The sport of
rodeo is dangerous enough as it
is. Let's remember the lives of
these young cowboys by saving the
lives of others.
Sincerely,
Tom
Smith
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Rodeo
Attitude in the news -
SQ News has done an article on
Rodeo Attitude and its early
history. We are honored and
hope you enjoy it.
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Youth
Rodeo Creates Tomorrows Champions -
In all sports not just rodeo there
are different levels of
competition. In rodeo many
of the contestants competing at
the "major leagues" each
year got their start in youth or
junior rodeo. Many a bull
rider started out as a mutton
buster. High school rodeo
has also played a significant role
in creating the stars of the
future. In 2005 the
Wrangler Junior High School Rodeo
Association was created and held
their first finals. These
associations are helping create
the leaders of tomorrow. They also
put on some pretty good
entertainment as well. It is
easy to overlook these
events. Next time someone
asks you to support a youth rodeo
or to attend, give it a second
thought. Who knows you might
meet a young contestant that in a
few years you will see on the
PRCA, PBR or CBR or maybe he or
she will be a world champion roper
with the USTRC. But then
maybe they will just become a
better citizen because of it!
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Liveprayer.com
- When you make your living
riding bulls the one thing you are
always sure of - someday your
going to get hurt or even
killed. It is a dangerous
job. Mike Lee said in the
press conference at the 2004 PBR
Finals, "When you nod your
head, you must be prepared to
die." Anyone who knows
Mike knows he is referring to his
faith in God. It is this
faith that spurred the man who was
about to win a million dollars to
walk over to Adriano, the only man
who could beat him, and help him
with his bull. For Mike this
wasn't a competitor, it was a man
he shares Bible study with.
His competitor is the bull.
He would win or lose on his own
ability, nothing more. When
these bull riders talk about their
faith it is real. They
believe that by being champions
they are given the opportunity to
witness to the world. Having
observed these bull riders over
the last several years, when
another bull rider sent me this
devotion from Liveprayer.com with
a note saying this is a message
for everyone. I read it and
thought of what I had heard both
Mike and Adriano say to the press
and how they were not just bull
riders but
missionaries. I
thought of how many of our cowboys
are missionaries and role models
and how much I respect
them. Thank you to the
bull rider who sent me this I
don't ride a bull for a living but
I do need to be prepared. and I do
agree - it is a message for everyone.
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LoriDee
Meyers Graduates - As many of
you may know our vice-president
graduated from high school in
2005. I am sure some are
saying how do you get to be a
vice-president of something like
Rodeo Attitude while you are still
in high school. The answer
is you earn it.
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Shane
Drury - It has been a while
since we made a post on
Shane. Today Shane posed on
his updates that he is going to
take a break from the chemo.
Please say a prayer for Shane in
his battle with cancer. This
young bullrider has showed us all
the true meaning of courage.
God Bless you Shane. S
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Wisdom
from the message board:
Posted
by BlueEyes:
"After reading this it
occurred to me I must be a redneck.....but if this is what
defines a redneck then I am proud to be one.....
You might be a redneck if. . .
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, "One nation, under God. . "
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You still say "Christmas" instead of "The Holidays."
You bow your head when someone prays.
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.
You've never burned an American flag.
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.
You'd give your last dollar to a friend."
Guess
I'm a redneck, too!
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Rodeo
Loses a Great Friend - Tom Smith
was lucky enough to have known Chris LeDoux in his early years. The
following is Tom's story of a young
cowboy and the man that shaped his
life.
RODEO
LOOSES A GREAT FRIEND BY: TOM SMITH
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This
one was just too good to not pass
on! Are
you a carrot, an egg or a cup of coffee?
Curious? Click
Here
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High
profile stock will make for higher
scores - Brett Hoffman has
wrote a story on the San Antonio Stock
Show Rodeo that I want to commend him
on. I agree 100% with the
message he says San Antonio is sending
and I hope committees are
listening. If you want to have a
top level event you need top level
stock. No matter what the level
of competition using multiply stock
contractors with each one bringing
there best insures top level
events. If you want the top
cowboys to thrill the fans you need
the top livestock. My hat goes
off to Brett for a great article and
to San Antonio for a great event! Rodeo
Insider by Brett Hoffman
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Little bull
company - Rodeo Attitude member Bert Davis
and Kevin Dessel have started a new "little
bull company". More
information
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Lynn's
Letter - I received a request from a
lady who had a friend who was in her late 60's
deaf and losing her sight whos biggest joy in the
world was the PBR. Her friends had arranged
for her to go to the Columbus PBR. After the
event I received the following letter from Lynn
the lady in question. I received her
permission to pass on to you her feelings about
attending this event. So often we get so
involved in our own lives that we forget that what
we are creating is entertainment. A little
enjoyment in a world that is full of the everyday
stresses and turmoil. There are thousands of
"Lynns" out there. I wish every
rider, every personnel and yes every sponsor could
read Lynn's letter and realize there is so much
more than just a "bull riding" going on
here. Click here
for Lynn's Letters
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One of those weeks
- You ever have one of those weeks when it
just feels like the whole world is against you and
nothing you do is right? We all do.
It's like getting the flu. No matter how
healthy and strong you are at some point in your
life you will get the flu. Same way no
matter how strong your faith or how strongly you
believe you are headed down the right road to the
right destination life tries to put up a great big
old road block. Recently I was having one of
those weeks and then
one of the members sent an e mail for changes to
their site and at the bottom was a short note,
"Jaymie shared a really good site with me the
other day. It's worth taking the time
to sit down and view with a cup of
coffee..." I did. I thought about
it and suddenly the road blocks got smaller and
the world got better. Here it is "The
Interview With God"
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"Last
Man Standing" competitions - (Please note this is
NOT an event that professional rodeo contestants
compete in.) Watch out folks! I got out my
soapbox! Sadly rodeo
fans have been severely injured or even died from injuries received while competing
in these events. There were
three incidents of this type in 2004 alone that
caused severe consequence. I watched in
horror in 1999 when a young man flew 6 feet in the
air, landed and never walked again. In the
incident I witnessed the young man did have on
protective gear and the event was totally put on
by the promoter. The rodeo producer wanted nothing
to do with it. Yet when everything was done
he was sued along with the stock contractor, the
rodeo committee and the promoter. With
release in hand he had to hire a lawyer. I
never did hear how the outcome. That is not
unusual. Out of court settlements are often
kept quiet. I think it is very important
that everyone realize that this type of event has
nothing to do with traditional rodeo. There
is a reason that all rodeo producers hire
bullfighters to protect the bull riders.
There is a reason that one of the first thing you
are taught at bull riding school is to get on your
feet and head for the fence. There is
a reason they call bull riding the most dangerous
sport in the world. The reason is simple.
These bulls are dangerous. This is my
opinion and not necessarily the opinion of the
members of the Rodeo Attitude Program. I believe
that the contractors and committees that are still
promoting these events could add excitement to
their events by hiring one of the many specialty
acts that can add excitement to their event while
the fans sit safely in their seats. As
rodeos have moved away from this type of
entertainment there has been a trend to
these daredevil events. I do not see them as
an improvement. In reality since 1999 I have
been terrified to watch them. I have no
desire to watch another mislead fan who believes
that his local committee would never allow
something that could kill one of their own
townspeople to be a part of a family entertainment
event find out how wrong that thinking is.
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TrailerConnections.com
We
are always happy to have new Merchant
Members to the Rodeo Attitude
Program. One of our newest
members is TrailerConnections.com. In
speaking with Jeffery Reid, owner, I
became of two things. First,
they have a extensive inventory of
trailers. You should be able to
find something to fit your
needs. Second, Jeffery, has a
remarkable resemblance to Hank
Williams, Jr. and is also a licensed
minister. His friends have put
the two together and he is often
called Rev. Hank. "Rev.
Hank" has also offered to help in
anyway he can in the Rodeo Attitude
Program and will be working with Homer
and Suzan our directories of Cowboy
Ministries. We appreciate his
support. Please take a moment to
check out his website.
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Bad events?
Rodeo like all good things has some "bad
apples". We all realize this. It is
a fact of life everything isn't perfect. If
you attend or participate in an event that you do
not feel lives up to the high standards most rodeo
companies and associations adhere to the best thing
you can do is not to be down on a whole industry for
what one person has done but to contact the
association that sanctioned the event. Most
associations take these complaints into account when
they sanction events. Rodeo Attitude does
receive complaints about events we follow two
guidelines. First, we do not release the names of
those who have confided in us.. When we have
negative information regarding an individual and are
asked we simply will say we have received some
negative comments. Second, we will pass the
information on to the sanctioning body. We
take great care in selecting the members of the
Rodeo Attitude Program and believe the people with
the red dots on this site will provide the fans with
the outstanding entertainment.
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What is
in a name? Sgt. Chuck
Wagner, Pentagram staff writer, wrote
a very thoughtful piece, "Why
is "cowboy" a bad
word?". After reading
this article I would like to add my
two-cents worth. Chuck is right
- the early cowboys were hard working,
rugged and not afraid of any
challenge. They forged the
cattle industry and a new country out
of the rough wilds of the old
west. They were heroes and the
words courageous, determined and
decisive are good superlatives for
these men. There are a lot of
"cowboys" in this world
today. Today we have a new breed
of cowboy. He is working every
day to restore the ethics of the early
cowboys to the American way of life.
They come from all walks of life but
they are still forging a way for those
that will follow behind. Yep,
the modern cowboy is still my hero and
I will always use the term to refer to
someone who "cowboys up" and
gets the job done. At least
that's Cindy's opinion.
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FYI-
In checking references in this
industry the PRCA and PBR both publish
a media guide with information
regarding their associations and have
records of previous award
winners. If information is not
in the media guide-its a lie.
Rodeo Attitude goes to great lengths
to check out the people we give red
dots to. We are not perfect but
we try very hard to do a good job for
you. There is always someone
claiming to be something they aren't,
"wanna be" cowboy throwing
around big names. In our efforts
to promote the well being of this
sport our members will do everything
possible to expose these people.
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Meeting
Lyle Sankey and Steve Gander -WOW!
There
are definite advantages to this
job. No it is not the
hours. It definitely isn't the
pay. But the people you get to
meet. WOW! The last two
weeks have been astronomical on my
scale of WOW. I got to meet two
of my heroes in this industry. Continued
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Give
Tobacco the Boot- NO! Have you
ever heard the expression,
"Opening a can of worms." or
how about, "They sure opened
Pandora's Box." Well I
believe either of these expressions
would fit the group that started the
petition and efforts to "Give
Tobacco the Boot". There
goal is to get the PRCA to drop United
States Smokeless Tobacco Company as a
major sponsor. There is no one
who will not agree that tobacco or
alcoholic beverages, for that matter
are legal for ADULTS ONLY. We must
respect ADULTS and ASSOCIATIONS
to make the decisions it is their
RIGHT to make. We need to focus
our efforts on teaching children they
are not adults and have not yet earned
the rights of adults and must follow
the rules of both the government and
their parents. We need to focus
our monies on helping them grow into responsible
adults with good family values.
As I see it, today the sport of rodeo
is one of the best examples of a group
of people providing a positive environment
in which these values flourish.
Whether these people like it or not
that positive environment is there
because of "adult" sponsors
such as USSTC, Budweiser and
Coors.
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Bucking
BullsThere
is no doubt that the bulls being produced by
today's breeders are getting ranker. (Rest
of Cindy's Comments on Bucking Bulls)
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Denny
Gentry - USTRC in the making
Kristin Boroff has written a very informative
article that appears on the website, "The
Agriculturist, Texas Tech University",
about Denny Gentry the gentleman whose vision
became the United States Team Roping
Championship, the largest team roping
association in the world and the standard
bearer for many others. I'll be willing
to place a Las Vegas wager that not very many
people knew that the organization that
propelled team roping into a multimillion
dollar sport got its start as a way to boost
membership in the New Mexico Cattle Growers
Association. Those of us who were
involved in the cattle industry in the mid
1980's know that as the world turned from
being totally agriculturally based to urban
based it was very hard to convince ranchers
that they would ever need to
"promote" their product. We
just all assumed everyone would always want
meat. We were country and didn't
even know "country wasn't
cool". I was 32, we had over 600
head of cattle on feed and a banker who
believed in us. Oh boy, did that change
quick. Reading this made me feel good
that during this time someone took lemons and
made a great lemonade that is bringing
pleasure to thousands of people, young and
old, every day. Just another case
of how rodeo changed the course of history and
helped the American economy. At least that's Cindy's
opinion.
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Stock
Show and Rodeo Season
A lot of people like to call July "Cowboy
Christmas" for the number of rodeos
scheduled during that month. The first
quarter of the year needs some special name
because it is such a special time in
rodeo. At this time of the year the
majority of the major stock shows are held and
of course nothing goes better with a stock
show than rodeo events. Stock
shows illuminate one of America's greatest
assets. Whether you want to call it our
"western heritage" or our
"agricultural heritage", you cannot
deny its value. Until relatively
recently in our countries history, agriculture
was at the top of the list for employment in
the United States. There are very few
people you will meet that will not say that
someone in their very recent family history
was a cowboy, a farmer, or a rancher, whatever
they choose to call them. It is from
this heritage that the rodeo evolved along
with many of the values that have made this
country great. Hard work and learning
that no matter how hard you worked you
ultimately needed to be a part of a community
to survive would top my list.
I
have been blessed in my life to have done many
things (there has to be some benefits to being
in the "Over the Hill Gang!). One
of these things was exhibiting cattle.
This is very hard work, especially for the
youth that show livestock. They must
take care of these animals and train them
while also participating in all the other
activities growing up has to offer. Fans
and cowboys when you attend these stock shows
and rodeos take the time to walk through the
livestock and let these young people know they
are doing a good job. They are our
futures and no matter how many jobs open up in
the cities we will always need the products we
receive from our agricultural sector, At least that's Cindy's
opinion.
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Pro
Bull Riders Outreach
In conjunction with the PBR BFTS tour
events the Pro
Bull Riders Outreach holds a Cowboy Church
Service on Saturday mornings at the host arena
at 11:00 AM. The Pro Bull Riders
Outreach consists of bull riders, their
families, friends and fans that gather to
worship and learn more about the Word of God
while on tour. Todd Pierce is the pastor
for the PBRO and he leads the service.
Music is provided by the bull riders, members
of their families and others volunteers.
Cody Custer and Wiley Petersen are two of the
founders of this organization and both play a
very active role, often speaking at the
different services. I have attended
these services and always walk away having
learned something, usually a deeper insight
into who I am in God's World. Everyone
is welcome to these Outreach Services and
there of course is no charge. Just go to
the host arena shortly before 11:00 AM.
One of the goals of the Rodeo Attitude Program
is to spread the word about these
services so if you know someone in a city that
will be hosting a 2 day PBR event tell them
there is a second event at each PBR that is
well worth their time!
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Organ
Donor lives on
Bull rider Shaun Harper died as a result
of a bull riding accident in 1998 but his
legacy lives on in the lives of those who
received a second chance at life because he
had chosen to be an organ donor. He was
just beginning his senior year of high school
when his life was cut short, but his family
had discussed this important issue and when
the time came there was no question what Shaun
wanted done. This is a hard subject to discuss
within any family but what that merits our
attention. This Thanksgiving around the
country thousands of organ recipients sat down
to celebrate with loved ones knowing they had
another person they had never met to thank for
that opportunity. At this time of year
when we are all celebrating with our loved
ones take a moment to consider this important
issue and make sure your family is aware
of your decision. At least that is Cindy's opinion.
Story
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I
wrote the following in 2004. Well here
is an update: This year John is
herding buffalo to the top of the
trailer. Yes I said BUFFALO!
Didn't think it was possible to make a great
act better but he did!
One
Armed Bandit
What a thrill for me to meet the famous "One Armed Bandit" this weekend in Dayton and after watching his act it was not hard to understand why he was named Specialty Act of the Year 8 times for the PRCA. Having spent many hours of my life trying to get cattle loaded into a truck-getting longhorn cattle to walk up a ramp and stand on top of a trailer totally amazed me. I always say I am a fan first and president of Rodeo Attitude second and as a fan it was an honor to meet John Payne in person having only spoken with him on the phone and when he told me to look at his fender on his beautiful Dodge pickup he uses in his act and there were the words "Rodeo Attitude" I was delighted. He is not only an outstanding performer but a genuinely nice guy.
They are getting a new web site he told me and that is why the link is dead on the main site but we will link in to the new site as soon as it is available.
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Red Dots? -
I want to answer a question here. What
do the red dots mean by names in the
directories? They represent members of
the Rodeo Attitude Program. What does
this mean to you? These dots are a
symbol of pride for these participants.
No dot is given without checking with at least
three of their peers as to their
qualifications for this honor. This dot
tells committees, contractors or fans that
these people will provide them with top notch,
professional, family entertainment. The
members of Rodeo Attitude recognize the labor
committees put into their events and treat
working at your event with diligence and
respect. These dots are the rodeo
industries "good housekeeping seal of
approval"
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American Cowboy CD
~ Endorsed by Rodeo Attitude. |
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National
High School Rodeo Association ~ 8 Second Program |
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