Durfey sets arena record in Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo to earn seventh title of 2010
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Tyson Durfey says he wants to live his life “like a snowball coming down a mountain, getting bigger as I go.”
So far, so good.
Durfey has qualified for each of the last three Wrangler National Finals Rodeos and improved his spot in the final world standings each year, advancing from 11th in 2007 to seventh a year later and third last year when he won $85,236 in Las Vegas.
And he is off to the best start of his career in 2010.
When Durfey broke the arena record at the June 11-13 Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo with a two-head time of 16.9 seconds, he secured his seventh title at a PRCA rodeo this year.
With a third-place result on his backup horse, Hemi, at the Lea Park Rodeo in Marwayne, Alberta, Durfey banked $6,317 for the weekend. That pushed his season total to $42,985, good for sixth place in the PRCA World Standings.
The Colbert, Wash., cowboy tied for second in the first round at Sisters with a time of 8.6 seconds on his primary mount, Bailey. He had to send Bailey on to Pleasant Grove, Utah, for a rodeo there this week, so when he came back from Canada for round two, he borrowed a horse from fellow tie-down roper Sterling Smith.
No problem: Durfey won the second round in 8.3 on the loaner to break the Sisters average record of 17.2 seconds set by Jerry Alley in 1997.
“It was a pretty cool experience,” Durfey said. “I’d been to Sisters five times before and never won anything. I thought those two runs might be good enough to win, but I never even thought about an arena record.”
Durfey tries never to get caught up in those things. He says he never looks at the world standings because he doesn’t want to take away from his single-minded approach to making the best run he can each time.
His father, Roy, a horse trainer, always taught him to stay focused on the basics. He has tried to model his practice and mental preparation after proven champions like Cody Ohl and Trevor Brazile.
He also gives a great deal of credit for his consistency this year to the maturity he has seen in Bailey, the horse he bought in 2008, and his only slightly different approach to tie-down roping.
Durfey doesn’t try to run off his horse real fast. He likes to hesitate just a little bit in the stirrup and watch where the calf is going. He feels the style has two benefits – it helps his horse stop, and he can get a better read on the approach he wants to take.
Durfey’s two-head average was one of three records set at the Sisters Rodeo Arena.
Saddle bronc rider Scott Miller, of Hemet, Calif., had an 87-point ride on Big Bend Rodeo’s Kool Toddy that broke Jesse Kruse’s year-old record by a point and earned him $4,646.
Shawn Greenfield, of Lakeview, Ore., had a 3.6-second run to win the second round of the steer wrestling and break the record of 3.8 seconds set by Sam Willis in 1991 and tied by Pat Nogle in 2005. B.J. Taruscio won the two-head average with a time of 9.5 seconds.
The other champions at Sisters were bareback rider Ryan Gray (83 points), team ropers Clay Tryan and Travis Graves (11.3 seconds on two head), bull rider Mikey Allison (86 points) and barrel racer Kelli Tolbert (17.38 seconds).
• Justin McDaniel returned to competition this past weekend in Garden City, Kan., after six months lost due to back surgery. He scored 79 points on a colt from the Korkow Rodeo string – it was actually a re-ride – and placed sixth to earn $393. It was his first ride since the ninth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last December. “It was awesome,” said McDaniel, the 2008 world champion bareback rider. “It felt good to be back. I was a little rusty, but I hadn’t been on anything in a long time. I had to get on two horses, and the second one felt really good. “I’ve just lost a lot of muscle memory, but it’ll come back.”
• Three-time World Champion Bareback Rider Bobby Mote also made his return to competition this weekend after a two-month hiatus to recover from surgery to ease impingements in his neck. Mote had a 71-point ride at Sisters, Ore., and then a 76-pointer in Livermore, Calif., where he tied for eighth place and earned $67. He reported his free arm is still weak, but that otherwise he feels good.
Feild out 6-8 weeks with broken bone in forearm
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Kaycee Feild spent some time in Iraq and Kuwait earlier this month debating with soldiers about the relative danger involved in their day jobs. Feild was in awe of the daily risks taken by U.S. military personnel, and they couldn’t believe that a man would willingly climb onto a 1,500-pound bucking horse for a living.
Both sides have a point.
In one of his first rodeos since returning from the Wrangler National Patriot Tour, a goodwill visit to U.S. military bases in the Middle East, Feild suffered a broken right arm at the Livermore (Calif.) Rodeo June 12 and will be out of action for 6-8 weeks.
The Growney Brothers’ horse Witch Doctor reared up in the chutes and pinned Feild’s elbow against the gate, snapping the radius, the larger of the two bones in the forearm.
Dr. Pepper Murray performed surgery at his Bountiful, Utah, office on June 14, putting in a plate and screws to stabilize the bone. Feild made the trip from California to Utah overnight, traveling in his truck and camper with Tilden Hooper, Joe Gunderson, Jessy Davis, Taos Muncy, Steve Woolsey and Jerad Schlegel.
“I’m not going to try to ride with my left arm,” Feild said. “I’m just going to let the break heal, get my arm strong again and come back in a couple of months. No, the timing’s not great with all those big rodeos coming up in the next few weeks, but injuries are part of the deal.
“I’ve earned a fair amount already, and there will still be some big rodeos left when I come back in August. I think I’ll still make it to the (Justin Boots Playoffs) and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.”
Feild is in second place in the PRCA World Standings with $64,626 after finishing in a tie for second place at the June 11-13 Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo. That puts him about $40,000 ahead of the current cutoff for 15th place.
Next Up
June 16 Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse, Cleburne, Texas, begins
June 16 Buffalo Bill Rodeo, North Platte, Neb., begins
June 16 Strawberry Days Rodeo, Pleasant Grove, Utah, begins
June 16 Parker County Frontier Days ProRodeo, Weatherford, Texas, begins
June 16 50th Annual Daines Ranch Rodeo, Innisfail, Alberta, begins
June 17 Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls Tour, Reno, Nev.
June 17 Jackson County ProRodeo, Bellevue, Iowa, begins
June 17 Big Spring (Texas) Cowboy Reunion & Rodeo begins
June 17 Coleman (Texas) PRCA Rodeo begins
June 18 Wendy Wood Memorial Rodeo, Cedar City, Utah, begins
June 18 St. Croix Valley PRCA Rodeo, Glenwood City, Wis., begins
June 18 Mesquite (Texas) Championship Rodeo begins
June 18 Stanley (Wis.) Rodeo begins
June 18 Steamboat Springs (Colo.) ProRodeo Series begins
June 18 Cold Lake (Alberta) Stampede begins
June 18 Reno (Nev.) Rodeo begins
June 19 Cowtown Rodeo, Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J.
June 19 50th Annual Belt (Mont.) Rodeo begins
June 19 Crazy Horse (S.D.) Stampede begins
June 19 Evergreen (Colo.) Rodeo begins
June 19 Earl Anderson Memorial Rodeo, Grover, Colo., begins
June 19 Wild West Days PRCA Rodeo, Sturgis, S.D., begins
Rodeo News and Notes
Five-time NFR team roper Sanders dies at 75
Gayle Sanders, who competed in the National Finals Rodeo five times as a team roping header, died June 1 in Tucson, Ariz., at age 75. Funeral services were held June 5 at the Duncan, Ariz., Church of Latter-Day-Saints Stake Center.
Sanders ranched on 22,400 acres north of Clinton, Ariz., and roped for pleasure, limiting his travel generally to rodeos in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
He joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association (precursor to the PRCA) in 1962 and made his first NFR appearance in Los Angeles at the end of that year, pairing with Gordon Wilkerson.
He teamed with Buddy McEuen at the NFR three consecutive years in Oklahoma City (1966-68) and made his final NFR appearance in 1969 with Jim Hudson Jr. They won two rounds that year and placed in two additional rounds.
Sanders was preceded in death by his wife of 24 years, Wanda, and daughter Norene Mortensen. He is survived by wife Marion; daughter Rhonda (Guy) Clouse; son Richard (Diane) Sanders; son-in-law Mike Mortensen, many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Famed Canadian stock contractor Weatherly dies at 72
Stan Weatherly, who founded Big Country Rodeo in 1971 and turned it into one of Canada’s finest rodeo stock contracting firms, died June 8 at Stettler (Alberta) Hospital and Care Center. He was 72.
The cause of death has not been established, but the Botha, Alberta, rancher had complained the night before of abdominal and hip pain.
“We finally convinced him to go to hospital, and they were quite concerned because his heart rate was very low,” son Warren, 41, told the Calgary Herald. “But he was up in the morning talking and walking, although he wasn’t feeling very good. I left for a minute, came back and he’d passed away.”
Weatherly was the elder statesman of Canadian stock contractors, having supplied stock to the Calgary Stampede for nearly three decades and every Canadian Finals Rodeo since its inception in 1974.
His best-known bucking stock included two-time CFR saddle bronc champion War Cry (2005-06), 1980 Calgary Stampede champion bareback horse Tanya Tucker, and Stampede champion bulls Cowtown’s Raisin’ Hell, a two-time winner, and Handyman.
“Right now, we probably have about 140 bucking horses and 60 bulls,” said Warren Weatherly, who admits he hasn't looked too far into the future. “Certainly we will honor our commitments to the end of the year, absolutely.”
Weatherly is survived by his wife, Elda, the secretary for most Big Country rodeos; son, Warren; daughters, Diane and Donna; and four grandchildren.
Korkow Rodeo’s Little Vegas remembered as top bucking horse
Korkow Rodeos’ mare No. 711 Little Vegas, a nine-time selection for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – appearing both in bareback riding and saddle bronc riding competition – has died at Korkow’s Anchor K ranch near Pierre, S.D., at age 23.
Cowboys won money aboard her in 12 go-rounds at the Wrangler NFR from 1996-2004.
World Champion Dan Mortensen, who split first-place money after riding Little Vegas for 82 points in the sixth round of the 1997 NFR recalls that, “Little Vegas was an awesome horse, a mare that was a product of a great breeding heritage and the kind that you want to carry on that great program. It was a true honor to be able to get on her.”
Little Vegas was retired following Cody DeMoss’ 87-point ride in Round 9 of the 2004 NFR. She lived out her years raising babies along the Missouri River Breaks. One of her up-and-coming colts – and her name/numbersake – is a black stud horse born in 2007, No. 711 Vegas Moon.
Little Vegas was buried on the Korkow’s ranch in their horse cemetery.
Four-time World Champion Bareback Rider Akridge honored in Ellensburg, Wash.
Eddy Akridge, a four-time world champion bareback rider, heads the 2010 induction class of the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo Hall of Fame, which will be honored Sept. 2 in ceremonies at the Central Washington University Student Union. Akridge will be joined in the Hall by the Ida Nason family and Judy and Dan Ackley.
The Nasons are descendants of original Native American inhabitants of the Kittitas Valley who participated in the rodeo starting in the 1920s, and the Ackleys were long time contributors behind the chutes. Judy Ackley served as Ellenburg’s rodeo secretary for two decades.
Vold back in the saddle after two knee replacement surgeries
Harry Vold on horseback at a rodeo is an iconic site. The fact that he is riding at age 86 doesn’t surprise those who know the ProRodeo Hall of Famer and 11-time PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year, but returning to action so quickly after two surgeries on his left knee surprised even Vold and his family.
“It was pretty remarkable,” said Vold’s daughter, Kirsten, who helps run the Harry Vold Rodeo Company. “Even he didn’t think he would be riding at Fort Smith (Ark.).”
The “Duke of the Chutes” returned to the arena when the Harry Vold Rodeo Company provided livestock at the Old Fort Days Rodeo, May 31-June 5.
Vold has had an artificial left knee for 18 years. A serious infection was found in the knee joint earlier this year, so he had to have a temporary knee put in Feb. 2. A permanent artificial knee was put in on April 20.
The key to Vold’s recovery has been daily physical therapy. “He has been dedicated to his rehabilitation,” Kirsten said.
He went from a walker at the hospital to a cane, and now is jumping back into his work full swing. Vold’s mettle was recently tested when he got his truck stuck in a dry creek bed when the family was gathering horses in rural Colorado. Sand, dirt and brush blocked the driver’s side door.
“He got his truck buried in an arroyo, and he was agile enough to get out the passenger’s side and climb to the top of the hill and call us on his cell phone,” Kirsten said. “He is doing amazingly well for someone who has had two knee surgeries in the last four months.”
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo awards $240,000 in scholarships
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo awarded $240,000 to Texas 4-H students on June 11 during the 4-H Roundup in College Station, Texas. Thirteen students received $16,000 scholarships, 12 received $1,000 scholarships and 20 more received $1,000 rural youth scholarships.
This year, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo has committed $8.5 million to education programs. The amount represents scholarships, grants, endowments, junior livestock auctions, the Calf Scramble program and show premiums paid to youth in the state of Texas. This brings the total amount that the organization has committed to the Scholarship Fund to $105 million.
The San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc. is a volunteer organization that emphasizes agriculture and education to develop the youth of Texas. For additional information, go to www.sarodeo.com or call 210.225.0612.
News and notes from the rodeo trail …
Three-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Monty “Hawkeye” Henson will be the featured singer during the 6 p.m. cocktail reception at the July 16 Cowboy Ball at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, one of the featured events of induction weekend in Colorado Springs. Henson, who was inducted into the Hall in 1994, started singing while still on the rodeo circuit in the late 1980s and played in a band for a while before striking out on his own. He performed “Nuevo Laredo” on the American Cowboy album and acted in the HBO series Deadwood ... Deadwood, S.D., will host the first annual Badlands Circuit Steer Roping Finals on Sept. 4 in the Days of ‘76 Arena. The top 12 finishers in the regular season standings will compete for prize money and a chance to qualify for the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping ... The committee for the Horse Heaven Roundup in Kennewick, Wash., is adding a 15-by-24 foot flat-screen scoreboard and several smaller monitors in time for the Aug. 25-28 rodeo at Benton County Fairgrounds. “It definitely is a step up for us into the bigger leagues,” fair manager Lori Lancaster told the Tacoma News Tribune, “but it was time for us to upgrade.” ... Just in time for the 114th Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Rodeo, American Airlines will begin flying two daily nonstop flight between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Cheyenne ... The Dickinson (N.D.) Roughrider Days Fair & Rodeo has an economic impact of more than $3 million annually, according to Dickinson Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Terri Thiel ... The Cowtown Rodeo series in Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J. – now in its 56th year – was recognized recently by New Jersey Monthly as one of the top 15 day trip destinations in New Jersey.
