cody is rodeo section

Cody Enterprise - Thursday, July 9, 2015 -C-1

By LEW FREEDMANStaff writer

It may not be the job for everyone – herding and lining up calves for their rodeo runs – but Pop maintains a sense of humor about it.

“I’m so used to looking at the south end of a calf while she was going north,” he said.

He would never say it, but the Cody Nite Rodeo might fall apart without him.

Phillip Eugene Bates is not the name the cowboys and cow-girls know him by, even if it is on his birth certificate. Everyone calls him “Pop” and at 74 he is the oldest cowboy on the scene each summer night.

Without Pop, horses might go hungry, flags might not fly and the lights might not go on. Pop Bates is the unsung, behind-the-scenes do-everything stock man whom the crowd rarely ever sees and never knows to acknowledge.

The bareback, bull riders and barrel racers get the applause, but Pop is the indispensable man. And his boss, Cody Nite Rodeo operator Maury Tate, appreciates that.

“He is the most important person I have,” Tate said. “He’s just so dependable.”

When he was younger, Pop worked for the U.S. Forest Ser-vice. For the last 11 years, since Tate has supervised Cody Nite Rodeo, he has been a constant in making the show run on time and making sure the livestock have the energy to run.

Pop is craggy faced, but until recently much more distinguish-able from afar by his thoroughly beaten-up felt cowboy hat that has more folds in it than a paper plane. The everyday refrain of “Pop, when are you going to get a new hat?” amongst the cowboys

and co-workers finally wore him down sufficiently that he bought a new one.

Only the brim is four inches wide. Pop plans to trim it back to three so he can better fold the front.

Pop met Tate for the first time in May 2004 and hauled 50 tons of hay for him. It was impressive enough work to be offered a job.

During rodeo season Pop, who has pretty much always been a ranch hand, but never a rodeo competitor, starts his day around 9 a.m. feeding grain to bulls and horses in the corrals, then driv-ing to Diamond Basin where the rest of the livestock reside and changing the pasture water.

A horseback rider since he was a toddler, Pop literally can get flighty bareback horses to eat out of his hand. It helps that the hand contains a delicious treat like alfalfa or grain cakes laced with molasses.

Rodeo begins at 8 p.m., but after his day work Pop is back at the grounds by 6 p.m., where he unlocks the flag shed, cuts the string that serves as the barri-ers for riders and calves in the timing events, obtains his entry

By AMBER PEABODYNews editor

A lot of boys want to follow in their father’s footsteps and Casen Gines is no different.

His dad Colby was a bullfighter for 13 years and now the 7-year-old is getting in on the action, helping protect riders during the steer rid-ing at the Cody Nite Rodeo.

“I want to be like my dad,” he said. “I’ve got to help cowboys and my brother (Caden).”

Colby stepped away from bull-fighting six years ago, but the fam-ily has remained active in the Nite Rodeo, as both he and his wife Codi team rope and older son Caden rides steers.

“I was a professional when I was 19 years old,” he said. “I had hoped my older son would try it, but he wanted to ride steers. This one (Casen) has only seen pictures on the wall. But it’s cool he wanted to try it.

“‘Dad, I want to be a bullfighter,’ he told me straight up,” Colby added. “So we got him some clothes and he started getting out in front of them.”

At 5 years old he made his debut. Casen said the first time he stepped into the arena he was scared, “but wanted to see what it was like.”

Dad is never far away. He helps open the chutes during the event so he can keep an eye on both sons.

“I know where he’ll be and I always stay close by,” he said. “I know if a steer heads his way he’ll get out of the way.”

During his travels as a bullfight-er, Colby stumbled upon a pickle barrel and decided to buy it in case one of his sons decided to give bull-fighting a try. With the help of rodeo clown Matt Tarr they fixed it up ear-lier this year, adding padding to the inside and covering the outside with camouflage tape. It’s less than half the size of a regular rodeo barrel.

Young bullfighter enjoys protecting steer riders, cheering on big brother

Rodeo wouldn’t be same without Pop

Junior bullfighter Casen Gines walks around in his barrel while waiting for the steer riding recently.

Learning from the best

Bullfighter Dusty Tuckness of Meeteetse shares his knowledge and experience of the sport with a group of young bullfighters during the Rumford/Tuckness Rodeo School on Monday at Stampede Park.


The first time Shane Jorgen-son performed as a rodeo clown before 2,000 people with a million thoughts ricocheting through his mind, he was more than a little bit nervous.

“It was death-defying,” he said.Like most of the participants

at Cody Rodeo School this week, Jorgenson, 39, of Cameron, Wis., brought limited experience under his belt buckle – three rodeos.

But Monday night he was dressed for clown success with a bright red shirt, red suspenders and enough kerchiefs dangling from his waist to service the entire crowd at Cody Nite on Monday if it sneezed in unison.

Send in the clowns. A rodeo fan might have thought he took a wrong turn at the circus. There were more people wearing makeup behind the bucking chutes than at a Miss American pageant.

The rodeo school attracted about 10 clown wannabes and 20 potential bullfighters, plus others who sought bull riding and bucking horse tutoring in all-day sessions Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at Stampede Park.

The school was the idea of Jus-tin Rumford, the three-time PRCA Man In The Can who just com-pleted performances in the Cody Stampede. Rumford got his clown-ing start at Cody Nite Rodeo.

The bullfighting professor was Dusty Tuckness of Meeteetse, the five-time Bullfighter of the Year, who also worked the Stampede.

One perk was that the students got to perform at Cody Nite Rodeo sessions. Real-live action followed day-time lecture time in a class-room setting (Tuckness passed out notebooks and writing utensils) and hands-on instruction.

Cody Nite Rodeo operator Maury Tate said Rumford pitched the clown school. Tate decided it

Tuckness, Rumford put on bullfighting and clowning clinics

should be open to several events. Clown students paid $300 tuition; bullfighters $350. Others gained livestock riding tips, but Rumford’s and Tuckness’ reputations were a big draw.

Jacob Welker, 20, of Pretty Prai-rie, Kan., said the roughly 950-mile drive to Cody was worth it because of the caliber of instructors.

“These guys are the best in the business,” he said. “I want to fine-tune my fundamentals. Without the fundamentals, you’re just

going to get hurt.”Talking points made by Rum-

ford and Tuckness noted that there is a whole lot more to the roles than the obvious that clowns must be funny and bullfighters must be fearless.

“You think LeBron James showed up one day and said ‘I’m going to be in the NBA?’” Rumford said.

While being a bullfighter is an out-of-the-mainstream job that can result in bodily harm, Tuckness

said he gets irritated when anyone suggests he must be crazy to do it.

“Be proud of being a bullfight-er,” he said. “I’m not crazy. Crazy people aren’t very good at any-thing. I’m a professional.”

Bullfighters are protectors. Their job is to shield vulnerable cowboys from injury after they dis-mount from an eight-second ride, or are scrambling to their feet after being thrown.

Raymond Brown, 26, of Tucson, Ariz., is a beginning bullfighter.

The first goal he has set is to become the first native of Tucson to be a bullfighter in that city’s annual February rodeo.

“Hopefully soon,” he said.Brown was in the arena Monday

night. He wore typical bullfighter attire, but also displayed a painted-on A and Z, on both sets of cheeks, the smaller version on his face and the larger lettering stitched on the behind of his blue-jean skirting.

Once during his turn on the

photos by RAYMOND HILLEGAS

“

”Maury Tate,

stock contractor

He is the most important person I have. He’s just so dependable.

Please see POP, page C-2

Please see SCHOOL, page C-2

Please see GINES, page C-2

C-2 - Cody Enterprise - Thursday July 9, 2015

Rodeo

“I bought it for this rea-son,” Colby said.

In late June, the barrel made its debut at the Nite Rodeo and Casen said he liked the extra protection it offered him.

“If they come at me then I duck down and hide in the barrel,” he said.

When it was show time on a recent Friday, Casen set up his barrel and got in position. He gave the crowd a friendly wave when he was announced as “Prime Time” Casen Gines.

“You get excited when they clap for you,” he said of the audience.

As each steer came out of the chute he was quick to duck into his barrel, whether they were close or not.

“I don’t really worry because he hasn’t gotten his bravery quite yet,” Colby said. “But when that point comes then I’ll be nervous.”

Casen said his dad gave him some advice before he went out.

“He told me to try and make the steer hit the bar-

rel and be careful,” he said. “Before it starts I get kind of excited. It was a good day. I had fun.”

He added that every steer came close to his barrel, which was not quite the case, but one likely would have knocked it over had one of his fel-low (adult) bullfighters not jumped in. However when his barrel does get knocked down, Casen’s ready.

“You get in, duck down and push,” he said.

Earlier in the night he practiced with Caden, who pretended to be a bull and pushed the barrel over.

When his brother rides, Casen is always the first to go give him a high-five.

“He’s his brother’s number one fan,” Colby said.

How long Casen sticks with bullfighting is anyone’s guess, but for now Colby is just happy he’s enjoying it.

“He’s been doing really good,” he said. “If he wants to do it later that will be good and if he decides not to, that’s good too.”

list at 7 p.m. and gets to work lining up the calves in proper order for the tie-down and breakaway roping events, team roping and the kids calf scramble.

Those animals are gath-ered in pens at the west end of the arena and Pop mingles with them as if he is an old friend. No one knows the calves better than Pop. He is sure they recognize him when he enters the pens and speaks soothingly to them.

“I ’ l l go , ‘What ’s up today?’” he said. “It’s like talking to kids. I’ll say, ‘Hi, kids. What are you doing tonight?’ They’ve all got a different personality.”

One official who helps work the gates in the tim-ing events is Cody Stam-pede board member Larry Allshouse. He watches Pop’s work up close night after night.

“He is very devoted to making things work and work right,” Allshouse said. “He keeps to himself, just does his job and never com-plains.”

Except for nine years in Montana between 1972 and 1981, Pop has pretty much always lived in Cody. He has a love for the Wyo-ming mountains and enjoys fishing and spending time with his grandchildren, who sometimes help him in the pens before a rodeo.

One th ing that Pop ensures is that the proper contestant is matched up with the proper calf.

“He makes sure we have the right ones in the draw,” Tate said. “We never have to worry about it. He makes the judges’ job easier.”

Pop also puts Tate’s mind at ease long after the rodeo season is over. Tate heads

back to Oklahoma, but leaves horses in Pop’s care. Last winter he watched more than 68 of them.

There have been sugges-tions, given his age, that Pop is retired. That’s not a word he knows the meaning of, even with a dictionary close at hand. Tate said that Pop is always in a good mood, always brings a good attitude to work.

Pop says he is the perfect fit for the job.

“Oh, I love this,” he said. “I’m going to try to do this as long as I possibly can.”

Heck, Pop Bates hasn’t even truly retired that bent and exceptionally well-broken-in cowboy hat that friends rag him about.

“I’m not going to give up on it yet,” he said.

He wouldn’t want to appear a stranger to those calves.

dirt, Brown had to dodge a charging bull like a matador minus the cape. Another time he had to throw a hip fake at a running bull.

Garrett Wilkinson, 20, of Ogden, Utah, came to Cody to hear Tuckness’ wisdom. He has some experience, but wants to keep improving.

“I’ve been to other schools, but I’ve not been able to find anyone of this velocity,” Wilkinson said.

Presumably, he meant Tuckness’ stature, not super speed.

Clowns and bullfighters must sell themselves. Rum-ford and Tuckness agreed that being outgoing, friendly and personable is critical to obtaining jobs.

“You can be the best bullfighter and the funniest clown and be unemployed,” Tuckness said. “I’ve seen it. Be a people person.”

There were so many clowns at Monday’s rodeo that in the classic clown joke they emerged together from a tiny car.

Dewey Porter of Hunts-ville, Texas, deadpanned that it was “a Chevrolet Spark.” Anyone who has seen a Spark realizes it should be named a Speck.

Porter, known profes-sionally as Dewey Du-Right, suggested one way to gain confidence as a funny man is to show up at comedy clubs on open microphone nights. He said he also watches documentaries about famous comedians and has attended acting class.

Monday, every inch the clown with face paint and gaudy clothing, he danced a strip tease to the theme song from “Flashdance.” Porter wore more layers than Jen-nifer Beals in the movie role,

one a plastic sumo-type suit that inflated his girth.

He left the arena pour-ing sweat. Not a breathable oufit? “No,” he gasped. “I’ve never done that one before.”

Clowns wear makeup and offbeat outfits. They must banter with the rodeo announcer in synch and entertain with skits.

Rumford said that is the easiest part of the job. Behind-the-scenes details are essential. Rumford said a clown must demand a con-tract laying out responsibili-ties. He must be an expert travel booker, charging fees so he can profit out of a trip, and learn how to cozy up to those who hire on rodeo com-mittees.

Dominic Giorgi, 35, of Oakdale, Calif., was the first clown out, engaged in live back-and-forth with the announcer, and worked the

grandstand hard. A longtime bullfighter whose injuries ended that chapter of his rodeo life, Giorgi said he had fun Monday night.

“Always,” he said. “I never want it to end.”

When he finished, Tate, one of those rodeo decision-makers, asked him, “What are you doing in August?”

Those are magic words. Giorgi may well be back in Cody this season.

The once-frightened Jor-genson said he is trying to become a clown now because “I never want to stop push-ing my limits.”

Most of Jorgenson’s clown experience though, is not of the rodeo kind. His train-ing occurred in grades 1-12 when he was labeled the class clown.

Now his teachers will realize they had him pegged just right.

Since bullfighter-in-training Casen Gines started using a barrel in the arena about three weeks ago he’s been hop-ing a steer would knock it over.

It finally happened during Monday’s per-formance. After it went down, others in the arena quickly swarmed the bar-rel to make sure he was OK. It didn’t take long for him to emerge, wav-ing and smiling at the crowd. Brother Caden came over and gave him a hug and Casen couldn’t stop smiling.

It was a good night for the junior bullfighter, who also got to tell a joke during his time in the arena.

Barrel finally knocked over by steer

GINES (from page C-1)

POP (from page C-1)

Pop Bates (left) and N a t h a n Barthman hand out s p o n s o r flags dur-ing a recent p e r f o r -mance of the Cody Nite Rodeo.

Casen Gines rolls his barrel out of the arena.

SCHOOL (from page C-1)

Jacob Welker, of Pretty Prairie, Kan., cleans the dirt off his cleats before stepping back into the arena.

Dewey Porter, of Huntsville, Texas, clowns during the Cody Nite Rodeo on Monday.

photos by RAYMOND HILLEGAS

Bullfighting students (from left) Justin Weber, along with his brother Jason and Wyatt Mason, all of Casper, wait to practice what they’ve learned Monday at Stampede Park.

Cody Enterprise - Thursday July 9, 2015 - C-3

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Donnie Gay said his father Neal and his dad’s close friend Jim Shoulders – one of the great rodeo cow-boys of all time – gave him the “so you want to be a bull rider treatment” when he was just beyond toddler-hood.

“They taught you how to ride bulls and how to swim the same way,” Gay recalled the other day in Cody. “They threw you in.”

By the time he was five Gay’s ambition was to become a world-champion bull rider. He fulfilled that goal in 1974 – and seven more times.

Gay, who was in town for the Cody Stampede, did some in-arena announcing for the Xtreme Bulls per-formance. Then he and his longtime broadcast partner Dan Miller taped the July 4 rodeo for an Aug. 12 TV showing.

Gay, 61, is a diminutive man with a big heart and anyone foolish enough to question his size can read a resume that features those bull riding championships in 1974-77, 1979-81 and 1984.

While Gay retired from bull riding for the third or fourth time in 1989, he never retired from rodeo. He does that on-air broadcast-ing and arena microphone commentary and is associat-ed with Frontier Rodeo, the main stock provider for the Stampede.

That’s why Gay says, “I’ve been on vacation since I got out of high school.”

Growing up in Mesquite, Texas, Gay was always around rodeo because his dad produced shows, and Shoulders, whom he called “like a second father,” raised bulls.

“I absorbed a lot,” Gay said.

To some extent now, between flying to rodeos (he has a pilot’s license and flying is his second greatest pursuit) Gay has evolved into an elder statesman of sorts.

Gutsy bull riders bow

down to no bull, but they universally bow down to Gay.

“Donnie i s the best who ever lived,” said Sage Kimzey, the 2014 world champion and PRCA rookie of the year. “He’s more than a mentor. There’s nobody better to get advice from. It’s just like a young hockey player asking Wayne Gretz-ky for advice.”

Gay became a profession-al bull rider at 16. He felt he had to prove to his dad right away that he could make it or else come home and get a day job.

“I was so terrified of not being good enough,” Gay said.

He broke his left hand on his first ride when he won his first National Finals Rodeo championship in 1974, but he wasn’t going to drop out.

“You would have had to cut my hand off,” he said.

Gay numbed the hand and rode seven of his next nine bulls to win the crown.

“That was the most excit-ing thing,” he said. “I don’t know if I went to bed for the rest of the week.”

Gay has been flying for 40 years and said he prob-ably flies 300 hours a year for Frontier. But he has cut back from 160 annual rode-os as a bull rider to about 15.

He spends a lot more time sitting in front of TV camer-as than he ever did on bulls aiming for those eight-sec-ond rides, much of that time with Miller.

Gay said he first saw

Miller about 40 years ago in Butte, Mont., when he was staying at a Holiday Inn that featured an act play-ing music he didn’t care for and wandered next door to another hotel where Miller was playing rock music.

Mi l ler i s more the straight man when they do their nightly commentary during the National Finals. Gay said it is Donnie Gay “unplugged.”

Miller said he came to the partnership with a team sport background and Gay gave him a love of rodeo. After 30 years of friendship he admires Gay in many ways.

“Donnie wants to be the best, whatever he does,” Miller said. “That’s what separates champions.”

Some of his most enjoy-able days of the year are sharing the studio with Gay in Vegas.

“It is absolutely unre-hearsed ,” Mi l l er sa id . “There is no outline. I am the referee is the best way to put it. There is no filter. There isn’t any, ‘You can’t say that.’”

Whether it is flying or continuing involvement with rodeo, Gay shuns retirement.

“All that is is getting ready for death,” he said. “I need something to look for-ward to.”

One of those things is a return to Cody on Aug. 16 for the Champions Chal-lenge. You can bet Donnie Gay will have something to say about that rodeo.

Donnie Gay talks to the crowd during the Cody/Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls on June 30. He was in town with Frontier Rodeo.

Former champ has no plans of slowing down“

”Sage Kimzey,

World champion bull rider

There’s nobody better to get advice from. It’s just like a

young hockey player asking Wayne Gretzky for advice.

photo by RAYMOND HILLEGAS

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Slack is a rodeo within the rodeo.

Slack can be a lonely time if you prefer New York-sub-way-at-rush-hour crowds.

The grandstands are near-ly empty. There is no roar of the crowd because there is no crowd. There are no march-ing bands, National Anthem singers, military figures in their dress uniforms.

The main event of the Cody Stampede costs $20 most days and $25 for July 4 to enter the gate. Admission to slack was free.

Slack makes the Cody Nite Rodeo look like the National Finals in Las Vegas by com-parison.

At Friday morning’s bar-rel racing there were 94 rid-ers and there were not 94 spectators in the stands.

“It’s just you and the pat-tern,” said Shelly Anzick of Livington, Mont.

She was not complaining about the lack of fanfare or applause accompanying her ride on Scooter.

“Some horses feed off the adrenaline,” she said. “My horse likes it quiet.”

It was not library quiet at Stampede Park since back-ground music played over the loudspeaker after each rider’s name was announced, but it wasn’t a Rolling Stones concert frenzy either.

There were about 800

entries for the 96th annual Stampede last week com-peting for $400,000 in prize money. Sellout crowds of 5,600 watched the highest rated cowboys and cowgirls in the world rankings per-form, 10 or 15 at a time dur-ing the featured performanc-es.

What many fans may not even have realized – if they were not veteran rodeo observers – was that the hundreds of barrel racers,

tie-down ropers and team ropers competing in the morning in low-key condi-tions had an equal chance to win or place.

Their times counted just as much as the night entries’ did.

Many of the women in the Stampede could have been part of other rodeos compet-ing before full grandstands, but chose slack in Cody instead. It is a richer rodeo with a bigger reputation and they liked the sound of being part of it even if they were not in the showy part of the draw.

C.J. Vondette of Rifle, Colo., a first-timer in Cody, said she was willing to be in slack for the Stampede even though her horse Griz “likes to show off” in front of peo-ple.

“It seems like the louder it is, the more he runs,” she said. “There’s so much money here. I like it. The

ground’s good. I’ll definitely be back.”

Noting that the ground was good for slack was a compliment to the Stampede board. With 94 riders going out so swiftly, it took a major earth mover to keep the dirt smooth.

There is only one women’s event in the Stampede, but the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association voted the Stampede the top outdoor rodeo of 2014. A banner stat-ing that hung on a fence in Stampede Park. Perhaps grounds care was part of it.

Dana Whitfield of Brown-ing, Mont., got a taste of both high profile and low profile rodeo within about a 12-hour period.

Thursday night she was in the main performance in Livingston and Friday morn-ing she was in slack in Cody.

“He obviously was still sleeping,” said Whitfield, 30, of her horse Jet after a slug-gish morning run.

“He usually likes it a little quieter in slack. In a per-formance he can get a little scared.”

Whitfield called Jet a young horse at 7 with just three years of barrel racing under his cinch.

“For me, being with a young horse, slack helps me focus,” she said. “I’m more focused and doing my job as a jockey. I like slack a lot.”

Even if it is held in near secrecy.

“

”Shelly Anzick,Barrel racer

Some horses feed off the adrenaline. My horse likes it quiet.

Hundreds come through Cody to compete in slack


The crowd in barrel rac-ing slack Friday morning created its own stampede.

There were 94 entrants for the Cody Stampede in this session alone, but one of them would have been more familiar to local rodeo fans than the other entries from Big Cabin, Okla., or St. Elmo, Ill.

This was hardly the first rodeo for Jennifer Lewis, 37, of Meeteetse, but it was the first Stampede, an ambition fulfilled.

A longtime competitor in Cody Nite Rodeo, who as a youth picked up the finer points of barrel racing with her dad by reading a how-to book, Lewis does not travel the rodeo circuit.

She competes – and wins – often in Cody Nite, but then has to get up early the next morning to work a full-time job in dermatol-ogy, a position she has held in Cody for 16 years.

“I’m going to enjoy it,” Lewis said before her ride. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

The competition is keen in slack, but the atmo-sphere is much more sub-dued than in the Stam-pede’s nightly main events.

Lewis races a top horse in Gator, a 5-year-old that always gets rave reviews at the Nite rodeo, and she believed Gator was mature enough to handle any kind of pressure – if she even sensed there was pressure.

“She’s older,” Lewis said. “She’s more solid.”

Although Lewis drew the last position in the field, which would have allowed her to sleep in, she want-ed to come out early and watch the other riders from around the country, so that meant getting up at 5 a.m.

“I want to take it all in,” Lewis said. “These are the toughest girls.”

Only a week before the Stampede Lewis ventured to an out-of-town rodeo for a rare appearance and cashed a third-place check in Thermopolis.

Gator threw a shoe a few days before the Stampede run, but all was well on the

morning of competition. The contestants ran

out lickety-split, one after the other, and it took only a couple of hours before Lewis was by herse l f behind the entry chute as the last rider waiting to go on.

“We’ll end the day with Jennifer Lewis,” was the announcer’s call.

Lewis sat straight up on Gator at the starting line and then hunched forward urging her horse on as it sped tightly around the three barrels.

Lewis and Gator took the left-handed barrel clean, the right-handed barrel clean, and circled the bar-rel at the other end of the grounds clean.

The final time of 17.92 seconds was solid, but not exceptional – Lewis has raced over the same terri-tory faster.

“She had a good run,” Lewis said of Gator as both she and the horse caught their breath. “It was just good.”

No prizes, just an experi-ence worth having.

Lewis fulfills dream of competing in Stampede

Jennifer Lewis of Meeteetse was the last of 94 competitors to go in the barrel racing slack Friday during the Cody Stampede. Lewis is also a regular at the Cody Nite Rodeo.

photo by RAYMOND HILLEGAS

“

”Jennifer Lewis,

Nite Rodeo regular

I want to take it all in. These are the toughest girls.

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Cody Enterprise - Thursday July 9, 2015 - C-5

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Hawaiian bull riders enjoying Nite Rodeo

By AMBER PEABODYNews editor

People come from near and far to spend the summer at the Cody Nite Rodeo.

Two who have traveled the farthest this summer are Kaulana Funes and Anthony Schifone – both hail from the Aloha State.

“It’s really good,” Schi-fone said of the rodeo. “I would never have this oppor-tunity at home.”

Funes, 19, grew up on a ranch and started learning to ride bulls when he was 12. He competed in the High School National Finals in Rock Springs three times.

“It made me want to rodeo more than ever and be the best I can be,” he said.

He was recruited to com-pete for North Platte Com-munity College in Nebraska and just finished his fresh-man year there.

“I’d been to the U.S. for a lot of rodeos, but it’s differ-ent being away from home and on your own,” he said. “You meet a lot of new peo-ple.”

Schifone took a different path, riding his first bull two years ago at a ranch rodeo in Maui. He was talking trash to a bullfighter and before he knew it he was on top of a bull.

“It was nerve-wracking but when I covered that first bull I was hooked,” he said.

He climbed on his second bull during a Fourth of July rodeo and covered again. It was then he decided to keep going in the sport. He moved to Colorado in March for a change of scenery and to con-tinue to improve his bull rid-ing skills.

“There isn’t many times

you can practice (in Hawaii),” he said. “Here you get to ride on quality bucking bulls.”

Both learned about the Nite Rodeo through a mutual friend and decided to move here for the summer.

“You can’t get on every night in college rodeo,” Funes said. “I’ve been work-ing on technique and my con-fidence. I know there’s noth-ing here I can’t ride.”

As of late June, Schifone had yet to cover a bull in the Nite Rodeo, but has pro-gressed a great deal.

“Since moving I have been on more bulls than in the last two years,” he said. “I’ve been on 30 bulls and in two years I rode 40 at most. Here I get more practice and can focus on what I’m doing wrong. There’s a lot I need to work on.”

Both say there’s things they miss about Hawaii, but are glad to have the opportu-nity to compete in Cody.

“There are some things I miss like surfing, but other things not really. The island is only 50 miles around and it takes about a day to drive it all.”

“It’s like a small town,” Funes added.

They’ve enjoyed the scen-ery around Cody and have had some exciting encoun-ters.

“Working at the Hoodoo Ranch we ran into grizzlies,” Schifone said. “We’ve never seen grizzlies. We don’t have antelope or elk either.”

Currently in the Nite Rodeo standings, Funes is second and Schifone eighth.

“I’m definitely trying to get into the finals and have a shot to go to The American,” Funes said.

Funes (left) and Schifone (above) ride at the Nite Rodeo on June 28.

Kaulana Funes (left) and Anthony Schifone are spending the summer at the Cody Nite Rodeo. photos by RAYMOND HILLEGAS

Duo hope to make finals in August

Hold on tight

Richmond Champion competes in bareback riding during the Stampede last week.

photo by BOB KENNEDY

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Rodeo

High flying action

Professional Rodeo Cowboy Associat ion standings as of July 7.

Bareback riding1. Bobby Mote, Stephen-

ville, Texas, $62,4972 . T i m O ’ C o n n e l l ,

Zwingle, Iowa, $59,2493. Austin Foss, Terre-

bonne, Ore., $56,9494. Evan Jayne Rockwall,

Texas, $56,0675. Seth Hardwick, Lara-

mie, $47,8106. Ryan Gray, Cheney,

Wash., $46,6967. Luke Creasy, Loving-

ton, N.M., $46,6778. Winn Ratliff, Lees-

ville, La., $44,5539. R.C. Landingham,

Pendleton, Ore., $43,16010. Steven Peebles, Red-

mond, Ore., $41,81311. David Peebles, Red-

mond, Ore., $41,4961 2 . C a l e b B e n n e t t ,

Tremonton, Utah, $41,10513. Will Lowe, Canyon,

Texas, $39,6861 4 . C l i n t C a n n o n ,

Waller, Texas, $38,25615. Jake Brown, Hills-

boro, Texas, $37,476

Steer Wrestling1. Hunter Cure, Holli-

day, Texas, $51,7022. Ty Erickson, Helena,

Mont., $48,9793 . S e t h B r o c k m a n ,

Wheatland, $48,0174. Luke Branquinho,

Los Alamos, Calif., $45,2105. Clayton Hass, Terrell,

Texas, $42,939.6. Olin Hannum, Malad,

Idaho $42,723.7. Casey Martin, Sul-

phur, La., $34,5578. Kyle Irwin, Roberts-

dale, Ala., $34,2739 . T a n n e r M i l a n ,

Cochrane, Alberta, $32,65010. Beau Clark, Bel-

grade, Mont., $31,9441 1 . C l a y t o n M o o r e ,

Po u c e C o u p e , B r i t i s h Colombia, $31,508

12. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., $31,191

13. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., $30,718

14. Tyler Pearson, Lou-isville, Miss., $30,656

15. Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis., $28,657

Team Roping (Headers)1. Clay Tryan, Billings,

$74,2492. Derrick Begay, Seba

Dalkai, Ariz., $58,3963. Erich Rogers, Round

Rock, Ariz., $49,6364 . Aaron Ts in ig ine ,

Tuba City, Ariz., $49,5815. Trevor Brazile, Deca-

tur, Texas, $47,9996. Jake Barnes, Scotts-

dale, Ariz., $43,1327. Colby Lovell, Madi-

sonville, Texas, $40,0678. Chad Masters, Cedar

Hill, Tenn., $39,7879 . Bubba Bucka loo ,

Caddo, Okla., $38,860

1 0 . J o e l B a c h , S a n Augustine, Texas, $37,728

11. Jake Cooper, Monu-ment, N.M., $36,717

12. Nick Sartain, Dover, Okla., $36,123

13. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., $33,121

1 4 . J o J o L e M o n d , Andrews, Texas, $30,231

15. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas, $29,909

Team Roping (Heelers)1. Jade Corkill, Fallon,

Nev., $74,2492. Clay O’Brien Coo-

per, Gardnerville, Nev., $63,836

3. Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz., $49,636

4. Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas., $47,999

5 . Junior Nogue ira , Scottsdale, Ariz., $42,555

6. Ryan Motes, Weather-ford, Texas, $42,315

7 . T r a v i s Wo o d a r d , Stockton, Calif., $40,626

8. Russell Cardoza, Ter-rebonne, Ore., $38,042

9. Kory Koontz, Ste-phenville, Texas, $37,944

10. Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., $36,747

11. Rich Skelton, Llano, Texas, $36,123

12. Jake Long, Cof-feyville, Kan., $33,121

13. Dugan Kelly, Paso Robles, Calif., $28,737

14. Jim Ross Cooper, Monument, N.M., $28,198

15. Tyler McKnight ,

Wells, Texas, $28,079

Saddle Bronc Riding 1. Taos Muncy, Corona,

N.M., $69,9762. Codly DeMoss, Heflin,

La., $65,0123. Spencer Wright, Mil-

ford, Utah, $59,0994. Rusty Wright, Mil-

ford, Utah, $49,8955. Chuck Schmidt, Kel-

dron, S.D., $48,2696. Isaac Diaz, Desdemo-

na, Texas, $48,2247. Jake Wright, Milford,

Utah, $46,2498. Jacobs Crawley, Ste-

phenville, Texas, $45,1269. Heith DeMoss, Heflin,

La., $40,26110. Cort Scheer, Els-

mere, Nev., $39,70411. Zeke Thurston, Big

Valley, Alberta, $39,47312. Clay Elliott, Nanton

Alberta, $36,74613. Wade Sundell, Col-

man, Okla., $36,10414. Tyrel Larsen, Mani-

toba, Canada, $34,68715. Bradley Harter, Lor-

anger, La., $33,151

Tie-Down Roping 1. Cory Solomon, Prairie

View, Texas, $57,6682. Monty Lewis, Her-

eford, Texas, $56,6283 . T i m b e r M o o r e ,

Aubrey, Texas, $55,2054. Tuf Cooper, Decatur,

Texas, $55,0375 . H u n t e r H e r r i n ,

Apache, Okla., $45,6856. Cade Swor, Winnie,

Texas, $44,0537. Marty Yates, Stephen-

ville, Texas, $41,5748. Marcos Costa, Chil-

dress, Texas, $41,2739 . M i c h a e l O t e r o ,

L o w n d e s b o r o , A l a . , $39,972

10 . C l int R ob inson , S p a n i s h Fo r k , U t a h , $37,549

1 1 . T r e v o r B r a z i l e , Decatur, Texas, $37,290

12. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., $36,536

13. Caleb Smidt, Bell-ville, Texas, $36,362

14. Adam Gray, Sey-mour, Texas, $33,863

15. J.C. Malone, Hooper, Utah, $33,827

Steer Roping 1 . V i n F i s h e r, J r. ,

Andrews, Texas, $44,9522. Mike Chase, McAles-

ter, Okla., $38,9533. Jess Tierney, Hermo-

sa, S.D., $36,7694. Neal Wood, Needville,

Texas, $36,0715 . R ocky Patterson ,

Pratt, Kan., $35,5016. Trevor Brazile, Deca-

tur, Texas, $35,0127. Cody Lee, Gatesville,

Texas, $30,7028. Scott Snedecor, Fred-

ericksburg, Texas, $27,0079. J.P. Wickett, Sallisaw,

Okla., $23,8341 0 . C h e t H e r r e n ,

Pawhuska, Okla., $22,20611. Bryce Davis, Ovalo,

Texas, $21,5341 2 . J o J o L e M o n d ,

Andrews, Texas, $20,53213. Brodie Poppino, Big

Cabin, Okla., $19,92514. Troy Tillard, Doug-

las, $19,73015. Shay Good, Midland,

Texas, $19,192

Bull Riding 1. Sage Kimzey, Strong

City, Okla., $77,8892. Wesley Silcox, Santa-

quin, Utah, $66,5353. Brennon Eldred, Sul-

phur, Okla., $60,7084 . Pa r k e r B r e d i n g ,

Edgar, Mont., $52,0315. Chandler Bownds,

Lubbock, Texas, $46,6026 .Tanner Learmont ,

Cleburne, Texas, $44,7777. Cody Teel, Kountze,

Texas, $42,0158. Reid Barker, Comfort,

Texas, $41,2949. Ty Wallace, Collbran,

Colo., $38,864.3610. Brett Stall, Detroit

Lakes, Minn., $38,34911. Trevor Kastner, Ard-

more, Okla., $38,2011 2 . C a l e b S a n d e r -

son, Hallettsville, Texas, $37,056

13. Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., $35,815

14. Kody DeShon, Hel-ena, Mont., $35,787.57

15. Joe Frost, Randlett, Utah, $33,117

PRCA StAndingS

Womens Profession-al Rodeo Association standings as of July 7.

1 . Ca l l i e Duper i e r, Boerne, Texas, $78,525.

2. Sarah Rose McDon-a l d , B r u n s w i c k , G a . , $77,116.

3. Lisa Lockhart, Oel-richs, S.D., $63,402.

4 . N a n c y H u n t e r, Neola, Utah, $62,431.

5. Sherry Cervi, Mara-na, Ariz., $57,789.

6. Fallon Taylor, Col-linsville, Texas, $55,832.

7. Taylor Jacob, Car-

mine, Texas, $48,155.8. Cassidy Kruse, Gil-

lette, $45,510.9 . Michele McLeod,

W h i t e s b o r o , T e x a s , $43,886.

10. Jill Welsh, Parker, Ariz., $43,254.

11. Alexa Lake, Rich-

mond, Texas, $42,573.1 2 . M a r y Wa l k e r,

Ennis, Texas, $40,190.13. Carley Richardson,

Pampa, Texas, $40,139.14. Meghan Johnson,

Deming, N.M., $39,789.15. Layna Kight, Ocala,

Fla., $39,093.

WPRA StAndingS

Jeremy Ray Melcancon competes in saddle bronc riding during the Stampede Rodeo.

Xtreme cowboys

Bull riders line up at the beginning of the Cody/Yellowstone Extreme Bulls competition last week.photo by RAYMOND HILLEGAS

photo by BOB KENNEDY

cody is rodeo section

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