NRA Rodeo Finals

BY PAT RYANof The Montana Standard

BOULDER — If things don’t work outwith rodeos or the family fencing business, there’s probably enough saddle leather in the Wrzesinski home tostart a tack shop.

So far, however, the two endeavorshave done pretty well for Ben Wrzesinskiand his family.

Wrzesinski, a bareback rider andsmall businessman, has earned a total ofsix championship saddles from his yearscompeting in the Northern RodeoAssociation Finals, and most of them are

proudly displayed in the family homenortheast of Boulder.

The reigning All-Around Cowboyfrom the 2010 NRA Finals makes hisrodeo bread and butter without the useof saddles, however, as he has earnedfour bareback titles in 2004, 2006, 2007and 2008.

Throw in some paychecks from teamroping, and Wrzesinski was able to layclaim to the title of NRA All-AroundCowboy in 2008 and 2010.

Gerald Eash won the All-Around saddle in 2009, and looks poised to dothis same this season, as he leads boththe NRA bull riding and saddle bronc

standings. Eash may win a rare triplecrown in the process this year.

The battle for Wrzesinski, this yearanyway, is centered in the barebackcompetition. John Salois of East Glacierleads the pack with $6,061.13 in win-nings, and Wrzesinski sits third in theevent standings, about $500 back.

In second place? Look out for CavanWrzesinski, Ben’s 17-year-old son, whohas taken his father’s signature eventand begun to make it his own.

The three cowboys will be vyingalong with seven others at the NRAFinals for the 2011 bareback title, as one good ride could change the

standings quickly.Ben and his son began riding

bareback at a young age — both wereright around 13 years old — thoughCavan had the benefit of his father’sinstruction.

“It’s a hard thing for some of theyounger guys to learn the tricks beforethey get hurt,” Ben said. “It’s an eventwhere you’ve got to be willing to take abeating before you get it figured out.”

Ben said he tried saddle bronc as wellin his younger days, but decided thenthat he liked the bareback.

“I team rope some, and I’ve done

2 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

BENWRZESINSKIrides DeltaMagnum to a78.5 in the bareback ridingat the NRARodeo on March 12, 2011. Wrzesinski andhis son, Cavan,are competing inthe barebackevent at the NRAFinals for the2011 title.

BOB ZELLAR / THE BILLINGS GAZETTE

Father, son vie for bareback title

See BAREBACK, Page 4

THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011 3

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some bulldogging, but I never wanted toride the bulls,” he said with a smile and ashake of the head.

Bareback riding is tough enough.Considered by many the toughest eventin the rodeo, numbers of bareback com-petitors have been dwindling in recentyears. Still, the Wrzesinskis have found aniche, and do well in the event.

It’s not the first trip to the NRAFinals for the father-son duo, as theyboth qualified in bareback last year.While Ben came away with the all-around title, Cavan was still learning theropes as a 16-year-old.

“Cavan really has a shot at it thistime,” Ben said. “He’s improved night-and-day from last year. Before too longwe might be moving some of my saddlesout of the house to make room for his.”

Cavan gets in plenty of practice. Thefamily has a bucking machine outsidethe house, and 15 head of bucking horsesthat see regular use in high school rodeo practices in Helena. There’s plenty ofopportunity to practice in the off sea-son, but during the summer the young-ster is riding three or four times a weekin rodeos.

And Ben, now 42, said he’s had morethan enough practice over the years.

“I don’t get on ’em for free any more,”he said with a laugh.

The elder Wrzesinski said he’d like torodeo for at least another year, partly sohe can ride in his 20th Montana circuitfinals, and also so he can compete in a

few PRCA events with his son, who willturn 18 this winter and then be eligibleto ride in the pro rodeos. “He’s beensaying ‘one more year’ for about fouryears now,” Cavan said.

While Ben’s rodeo career is in its twi-light, Cavan’s is just beginning. TheJefferson High senior hopes to earn arodeo scholarship to Montana State,where he’d like to study AgricultureBusiness.

“Well, that’s just Fencing 101,” saidBen, owner-operator of 4/W Fencing.

As his own boss, Ben Wrzesinski isable to travel to the rodeos he wants to,and does a pretty good job padding thefamily income with the winnings hebrings home.

“You can do pretty well rodeoing,” hesaid, “but I couldn’t do it without working. Being your own boss makes itso a guy can do it.”

Ben and Cavan aren’t the onlyWrzesinskis who will be competing inthe NRA Finals this year. Little sister

Lauren, 15, will be competing in the junior breakaway this year, and has previously made the finals in junior barrel racing.

“This is Lauren’s last year as a junior,” Ben said. “After this,she’ll have to step up and compete

against the ladies.”Rounding out the Wrzesinski family

is Ben’s wife Kirsten.Though she doesn’t compete in the

rodeos, she’s fully involved with herfamily and helps hold the whole thingtogether, Ben said.


Ted Odle &Blake Nuffer, Owners100 Cattle DriveRamsay, MT 59748406-782-1884

Bareback ...Continued from Page 2


GERALD EASH rides Preacherman to a 74.5 in the saddle bronc riding at the NRARodeo in March. Eash is also competing in the bareback event with the Wrzesinskis.

BEN, LEFT, AND SON CAVAN WRZESINSKI will be competing in the bareback ridingcompetition at the NRA Finals Rodeo in Butte.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28Afternoon: Contractors and stock arrive5 p.m. — Stock Contractor meeting, Metals Sports Bar8 p.m. — Cowboy Poker tournament

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS


DUSTAN BIRRER rides Double Stud in the saddle bronc riding at the NRA Rodeo in March.



It’s a good thing hunting season doesn’t go all year long.Otherwise brothers Cory and Bryson Murray would never have any time to practice team roping.The pair from Ramsay qualified for the 36th annual Northern Rodeo Association

Finals slated for the Butte Civic Center Sept. 29-Oct. 1, but they’d rather be huntingthat just about anything else.

“We practice (roping) just about every day,” said Bryson, 21. “Well, every daywe’re not rodeoing and every day we’re not hunting. We never seem to get muchpractice during hunting season.”

The work they have done on their craft has paid off, as the brothers have earned atotal of more than $5,000 on the NRA circuit alone this season. Not bad for 15rodeos in an event where, more often than not team ropers come away with no time.Of the 15, they received a no-time in only five.

The brothers will be looking to move up in the standings, but they are more than$5,000 behind the leaders, the father-son team of Shane and Shawn Bessette ofVaughn.

Team roping involves a “header,” in this case Cory, who is first out of the gates onhis horse in chasing down a steer. After he ropes the animal’s head, the “heeler,” orBryson, throws another lasso from his horse in an attempt to loop the animal’s hindlegs.

“There are so many variables,” Cory, 24, said, pointing to the header, his horse,the heeler, his horse, and a steer that may or may not move in a straight line. “Thedraw affects you big-time, and you can’t win on every (steer). Some run harder, andsome don’t handle as well for the heeler.”

The brothers got the desire to rodeo from their father.

“He rodeoed when we were just kids,” Cory said. “I guess he got us into thiswhole deal.”

Cory began roping when he was about 7 years old, heeling behind his dad, andBryson picked it up later on as well.

Now the team is traveling across Montana, hitting as many rodeos as the brothers’ jobs will allow. Cory works for H&H Contracting, while Bryson is a welderfor Afco Foundry and Fabrication. Four 10-hour shifts allows Bryson some flexibility, while Corey said he told his boss before he was hired that rodeo was a bigpart of his life. “They’re real good to work for,” Cory said.

Bryson said he was happy to be able to work full-time and still be competitiveamong top-level ropers, but stopped short of taking too much credit.

“About three quarters of this event is the horse,” he noted.“The horse is the athlete,” Cory agreed.Cory raised “Lucky” and Bryson has had “Charlie” since he was three.The brothers agreed that the people they meet on the rodeo circuit was one of the

best things about the whole experience.“The best part about rodeo is the competitive, but friendly atmosphere,” Cory

said. “Everyone wants to win, but everyone helps each other out with info on thedraw or the move on the cattle.”

“Winning is great,” Bryson said, “but I think I’d rather place at 10 rodeos thanwin two.”

The Murrays said they don’t spend much time on the night life that accompaniesrodeos, but the atmosphere is fun to be around.

“Every time you go to a rodeo, it’s usually during a big celebration for whatevertown it’s in,” Cory said. “It’s always fun.”

But don’t look for the Murrays at the celebration after the rodeo. More than likelythey’re getting their gear ready for an early start on a hunting trip.

Murray brothers team up for roping event


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The Northern Rodeo Association Finals rodeo was,to put it plainly, an institution in Billings.

In fact, the NRA Finals was the first event ever heldat MetraPark Arena following its construction nearlyfour decades ago.

After 36 years at Metra, the Finals will be held at theButte Civic Center. Butte promoter Bill Fisher, alongwith Doug Clark and Tim Matich — officials of TrainWreck Productions — had tried to get the event oncebefore, but without success.

“We talked with them a couple of years ago, andthey wanted to know if we would promote the event inBillings at Metra,” Fisher said. “That wasn’t what wewere trying to do.”

After two more years in Billings, Fisher’s group gaveit another shot.

“We looked at what Billings did that was strong andwhat Butte could do better,” he said. “I think what soldthe committee on Butte was Butte. In Billings it’s justanother event. We told them that they would be welcomed with broad arms here.”

Theresa Walker, executive secretary of the NRA,said her organization liked what it heard.

“The Butte committee came to our board of direc-tors and they really brought in some new and refresh-ing ideas,” Walker said. “The board was looking for apositive change, and that’s what they brought.”

One of the biggest selling points for the move wasthe time of year the event would be held. For 36 years ithad been a February event, but Butte proposed a falldate.

Part of that is due to the size of the Civic Center,which dictates that some of the event staging needs tobe done outside behind the facility, and winter is a badtime for that in Butte.

“We were looking to get it in 2012,” Fisher said.“The committee knew the Civic Center would havechallenges due to size constraints, but we gave ’em theButte promise. Later they told us we get it in 2012, and2011 too.”

So, after a firestorm of organization, Train WreckProductions has the works in place to put on a top-notch professional rodeo.

Walker said her office is very mobile, and the physical move for the NRA to Butte for the Finals wasn’t a problem.

“We have a lot of rodeos in Billings,” Walker said,noting some of the bigger ones that include the PBR,

Billings Fair and the NILE. “Here, it’s just an event.Coming to Butte, we feel we’re more of an attraction.”

NRA Finals not just another event


JAMIE CLARK ropes her calf in the breakaway roping atthe NRA in Billings in March.


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Rodeo on March 12, 2011. BOB ZELLAR PHOTO /

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BAREBACK Bareback riding, developed in the rodeo arena many years ago,

consistently produces some of the wildest action in the sport.A bareback rider begins his ride with his feet placed above the

break of the horse’s shoulder. If the cowboy’s feet are not in thecorrect position when the horse hits the ground on its first jumpout of the chute, the cowboy has failed to “mark out” the horseproperly and is disqualified.

Throughout the eight-second ride, the cowboy must grasp the rigging (a hand-hold made of leather and rawhide) with only one hand.

Optimum spurring action begins with the rider in control, his heels at the horse’sneck. He then pulls his feet, toes turned outward, to the horse’s withers until thecowboy’s feet are nearly touching the bareback rigging.

A rider is disqualified if he touches his equipment, himself or the animal with hisfree hand. The rider is judged on his control during the ride and on his spurringtechnique. The score also is based on the rider’s “exposure” to the strength of thehorse. In addition, the horse’s performance accounts for half the potential score.

Four-time World Champion Bareback Rider Marvin Garrett holdsthe record for most money earned by a bareback rider in a single

year. In 1995, Garrett won $156,733 en route to the world title.

SADDLE BRONC Rodeo’s “classic” event, saddle bronc riding, has roots that

run deep in the history of the Old West. Ranch hands wouldoften gather and compete among themselves to see who coulddisplay the best style while riding unbroke horses. It was from

this early competition that today’s event was born.Each rider must begin his ride with his feet over the bronc’s shoulders to give the

horse the advantage. A rider who synchronizes his spurring action with the animal’sbucking efforts will receive a high score. Other factors considered in the scoring arethe cowboy’s control throughout the ride, the length of his spurring stroke and howhard the horse bucks.

Model spurring action begins with the rider’s feet far forward on the bronc’spoint of shoulder, sweeping to the back of the saddle, or “cantle,” as the horse bucks.The rider then snaps his feet back to the horse’s neck a split second before the ani-mal’s front feet hit the ground.

Disqualification results if, prior to the buzzer which sounds after eight seconds,the rider touches the animal, himself or his equipment with his free hand, if eitherfoot slips out of a stirrup, if he drops the bronc rein, or if he fails to have his feet inthe proper “mark out” position at the beginning of the ride.

The late Casey Tibbs, perhaps the most famous professional rodeo athlete of alltime, is best known for his saddle bronc riding prowess. The South Dakota cowboywon six saddle bronc riding titles, as well as two all-around titles and a barebackriding championship, between 1949-59. Tibbs is immortalizedby “The Champ,” a 20-foot bronze statue outside the ProRodeoHall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.

BULL RIDINGUnlike the other roughstock contestants, bull riders are not

required to spur. No wonder. It’s usually impressive enough just toremain seated for eight seconds on an animal that may weigh more

PRCA primer: Know your rodeo

See PRIMER, Page 12


than a ton and is as quick as he is big.Upper body control and strong legs are essential to

riding bulls. The rider tries to remain forward, or “overhis hand,” at all times. Leaning back could cause him tobe whipped forward when the bull bucks. Judges watchfor good body position and other factors, including useof the free arm and spurring action. Although notrequired, spurring will add points to a rider’s score.

As in all the riding events, half of the score in bullriding is determined by the contestant’s performanceand the other half is based on the animal’s efforts.

A bull rider will be disqualified for touching the animal, himself or his equipment with his free hand.

Bull riding was the subject of the feature film “EightSeconds.” The movie chronicled the life of 1987 worldchampion Lane Frost, who died as the result of a bullriding accident at the 1989 Cheyenne (Wyo.) FrontierDays Rodeo.

CALF ROPINGLike bronc riding, calf roping is an event born on the

ranches of the Old West. Sickcalves were roped and tied downfor medical treatment.

Today, success in calf ropingdepends largely on the team-

work between a cowboy and hishorse. The luck of the draw is also a

factor. A feisty calf that runs fast orkicks hard can foil a roper’s finest effort.

After the calf is given a head start, horse and ridergive chase. The contestant ropes the calf, then dis-mounts and runs to the animal. After catching andflanking the calf, the cowboy ties any three of the ani-mal’s legs together using a “pigging string” he carriesin his teeth until needed. If the calf is not standingwhen the contestant reaches it, the cowboy must allowthe animal to stand, then flank it.

When the cowboy completes his tie, he throws hishands in the air as a signal to the judge. He thenremounts his horse and allows the rope to becomeslack. The run is declared invalid if the calf kicks freewithin six seconds.

As with any timed event, a 10-second penalty isadded if the calf roper breaks the barrier at the begin-ning of the run.

Though calf roping involves the incorporation ofseveral distinct skills, the action is incredibly fast.At the 1997 National Finals Rodeo, Jeff Chapman ofAthens, Texas, roped and tied a calf in 6.8 seconds toset an arena record.

STEER WRESTLINGWrestling a steer requires more than brute strength.

The successful steer wrestler, or bulldogger, is strong,to be sure, but he also understands the principles ofleverage.

The steer wrestler on horseback starts behind a barrier, and begins his chase after the steer has beengiven a head start. If the bulldogger leaves too soon and

breaks the barrier, he receives a 10-second penalty.The steer wrestler is assisted by a hazer, another

cowboy on horseback tasked with keeping the steerrunning in a straight line.

When the bulldogger’s horse pulls even with thesteer, he eases down the right side of the horse andreaches for the steer’s horns. After grasping the horns,he digs his heels into the dirt. As the steer slows, thecowboy turns the animal, lifts up on its right horn andpushes down with his left hand in an effort to tip thesteer over.

After the catch, the steer wrestler must either bringthe steer to a stop or change the direction of the animal’s body before the throw or is disqualified. Theclock stops when the steer is on his side with all fourlegs pointing the same direction.

Steer wrestling is often known as the “big man’sevent” and with good reason; at the 1997 NationalFinals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the average steer wrestlerweighed in at 215 pounds.

TEAM ROPING(Heading)

If a team roping headerisn’t quick, you won’t findhim at the National FinalsRodeo. Headers need quick-ness like brain surgeons needmedical training.

The slowest round-winning teamroping time at the NFR in 1997 was 5 seconds. To winmoney at most professional rodeos, team roping headers must accomplish myriad duties in less time

than it takes the average person to yawn.First of all, headers must charge out of the box on

horseback (without breaking the barrier, mind you),chase down a fast-racing steer and rope him around hisprotected horns, neck or “half-head” — a partial horn-neck catch. Then the header must turn the steer to theleft, giving his partner, called a heeler, a chance to ropethe steer’s hind feet.

The run is completed when the steer is secured andthe team ropers’ horses are facing each other on opposite sides of the steer.

Team roping is, as its name implies, rodeo’s onlytrue team event. Beginning in 1995, however, the PRCAopted to recognize team roping headers and heelerswith separate world titles.

At the 1994 NFR, the Arizona team of header JakeBarnes and heeler Clay O’Brien Cooper, both seven-time world champions, notched perhaps the finestteam roping performance of all time. There, Barnes andCooper caught 10 steers in 59.1 seconds, including afive-second penalty assessed for Cooper catching onlyone hind leg in the first round.(Heeling)

In rodeo’s only true team event, two ropers, a“header” and a “heeler,” work together to catch a steer.

The header is the first cowboy out of the box. Hemay rope the steer around the head and one horn,around the neck or around both horns, which are spe-cially wrapped for the event. As with all timed events,if the header fails to give the animal its allotted headstart, a 10-second penalty is added to the total time.

After making his catch, the header rides to the left,taking the steer in tow. The heeler moves in and ropesboth hind legs. Catching only one hind leg results in afive-second penalty. If the heeler tosses his loop beforethe header has changed the direction of the steer andhas the animal moving forward, it’s called a “crossfire”and it results in disqualification. The clock is stoppedwhen the slack has been taken out of both ropes andthe contestants are facing each other.

In 1997, heeler Rich Skelton and header SpeedWilliams earned $112,243 and $114,700, respectively,breaking the heading and heeling earnings records.

BARREL RACINGAlthough barrel racing may look less

harrowing than some other rodeoevents, it certainly is not for thefaint-hearted. The horsemanshipskills and competitive drive inthis fast and furious event make ita crowd favorite.

In barrel racing, the contestantenters the arena at full speed on a sprint-ing American Quarter Horse. As they start the pattern,the horse and rider trigger an electronic eye that startsthe clock. Then the racer rides a cloverleaf patternaround three barrels positioned in the arena, andsprints back out of the arena, tripping the eye andstopping the clock as she leaves.

The contestant can touch or even move the barrels,but receives a five-second penalty for each barrel thatis overturned. With the margin of victory measured inhundredths of seconds, knocking over one barrel spellsdisaster for a barrel racing competitor.

NRA standingsRank Name Town Earnings

1 Gerald Eash Trego $14,363.60

2 Tyler Holland Bozeman 7,526.02

3 Sam Levine Wolf Creek 6,422.73

4 Nolan Conway Cut Bank 6,405.34

5 Brant Davis Sand Coulee 6,365.37

6 J.D. Harrell Roy 6,315.64

7 Dustin Bird Cut Bank 6,265.25

8 Duston Stephens Corvallis 5,316.53

9 Chris Witcher Roberts 5,004.20

10 Delon Parker Worden 4,837.43

11 Andrew Evjene Two Dot 4,370.22

12 Bridger Chambers Stevensville 2,758.03

13 Ryan Siemsen Worden 2,694.93

14 Ben Ayre Glendive 2,114.04

15 Monty Johnson Hamer 1,745.34

Primer ...Continued from Page 11


BU-20276154

Welcome

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of the NRARodeo Finals

in Butte

Butte boy becomes icon for rodeo way of lifeA world championship began in Butte

dirt back in the 1950s when a little cowboy from just outside Melroseentered the arena.

Benny Reynolds rode one calf andwas bucked off the other. He was 6 yearsold.

The next 50-some years sawReynolds ride a lot of animals, getbucked off a few, and build a career thatreached legendary status.

That Butte rodeo was his first. Thecareer culminated with several Hall ofFame memberships, including the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs,Colo., in which the true Montana cowboys was inducted in 1993.

At 15, Reynolds, then attending ButteHigh School, took a little more seriousbent toward his rodeoin’ and by age 20 he had gone pro, becme a signed-up member with the Rodeo CowboysAssociation. The national circuitcrowned him rookie of the year in 1958as he proved to be so durable andresilient as to compete in the four more

dangerous events — bull riding, bare-back, saddle bronc and steer wrestling.

Reynolds, now in his 70s, resides onhis ranch near Twin Bridges.

An attempt to contact him for thisarticle was unsuccessful.

He rode into the Hall of Fame, won aworld championship, landed a spot on aTV show and helped open the chutes forthe beginning of the Professional RodeoCowboys Association.

In a state and region proud of itscowboy heritage, Reynolds has stood outas an example, an icon for the way oflife.

His Wikipedia biography states thatReynolds practiced his rough stock riding on his father’s team of work-horses, using them for both barebackand saddle bronc.

His most successful year in pro rodeowas 1961 when he won the WorldChampion All Around Cowboy champi-onship, $31,309, a saddle, a silver buckle, silver spurs and a life-sizedfiberglass horse.

This year marks the 50th anniversaryof Reynolds’ world championship rides.

He went on to win the the 1966Linderman Award (named for anotherlegendary rodeo great from Montana),given to the contestant earning the mostmoney in a combination of three ormore rough stock and timed events.

His son, Rooster, won the NationalFinals Rodeo title in steer wrestling in1995. His daughter, Jenny Peterson,married into another noted southwestern Montana ranch and rodeofamily and presently serves as head volleyball coach at Beaverhead CountyHigh School in Dillon.

Rodeos were as intense as they werefun in the early days of the PRCA,Reynolds said in a Billings Gazette article written by Joe Kusek in 2008.

“I loved it,” Reynolds was quoted inthe story, which noted he had competedin National Finals Rodeos in Dallas, LosAngeles and Oklahoma City. “I wantedto get on 10 head in 10 days. You had a

See ICON, Page 15BENNY REYNOLDS in his rodeo days.


The contestantsBAREBACK RIDING

1, John Salois, E. Glacier, $6,061.132, Cavan Wrzesinski, Boulder,

5,774.713, Ben Wrzesinski, Boulder, 5,570.034, Justin King, Sagle, 3,556.745, Sylvan LaCross, Baker, 2,006.526, Ben Richmond, Havre, 911.617, Tucker Zingg, Dillon, 901.478, Calvin Ophus, Conrad, 719.109, Kyle Orr, Great Falls, 599.3210, Chase Redfield, Opheim, 552.59

BULL RIDING1, Gerald Eash, Trego, 7,506.372, J.D. Harrell, Roy, 6,156.073, Nevada Newman, Melstone,

4,299.004, Guy Nordahl, Helena, 3,600.655, James Warfield, Wolf Creek,

2,949.726, Andrew Smith, Shawmut, 2,709.107, Ryan Parsons, Boulder, 2,358.238, Andrew Evjene, Two Dot, 2,262.739, Chase Edward, Billings, 2,117.1210, Colten Jensen, Bozeman, 1,945.95

LADIES BARREL RACING1, Mandy Hamilton, Manhattan,

6,585.952, Robbi Nace, Roundup, 6,059.243, Deena Moeykens, Three Forks,

6,052.884, Jody Siderius, Dillon, 5,695.705, Stephanie Newman, Melstone,

5,090.786, Gayleen Malone, Pray, 4,627.427, Shelly Anzick, Livingston, 4,431.178, Shai McDonald, Gardiner, 4,149.129, Shelley Murphy, Helena, 3,412.3910, Darae Larson, Belt, 2,879.62

LADIES BREAKAWAY ROPING1, Cee Cee Tryan, Brodus, 5,768.022, Milee Malone, Livingston, 5,503.043, Cally Goyins, Helena, 3,073.234, Brooke Hirschy, Jackson, 3,041.135, Jamee Cameron, Townsend,

2,619.826, Katelin Loring, Cut Bank, 2,490.307, Mandy Hamilton, Manhattan,

2,323.058, Cassie Jumper, Kalispell, 2,241.20

9, JoBeth Askin, Belgrade, 2,232.6910, Bailee Stovall, Helena, 2,104.49

SADDLE BRONC RIDING1, Gerald Eash, Trego, 6,857.232, Cole Thoreson, Lovell, 6,800.153, Craig Miller, Miles City, 3,865.704, Brian Dawson, Wisdom, 3,516.075, LeRoy Eash, Fortine, 3,189.196, Beau Michael, Browning, 2,914.967, Justin Harrell, Roy, 2,882.018, Gus Thoreson, Lovell, 2,753.549, Clarence Gilham, Browning,

2,575.3710, Andrew Evjene, Two Dot,

2,107.49

STEER WRESTLING1, Duston Stephens, Corvallis,

4,276.422, Tyler Holland, Bozeman, 3,812.973, Jordan Holland, Bozeman,

3,434.074, Shannon Blixt, Helena, 3,141.72

5, Michael Gollaher, Cascade,3,017.53

6, Jason Armstrong, Helena, 2,804.147, Nolan Conway, Cut Bank, 2,778.748, Garrett Hanson, Helena, 2,515.009, Bridger Chambers, Stevensville,

2,347.8410, Jaren Whitman, Belgrade, 2,207.12

TEAM ROPING HEADER1, Shawn Bessette, Vaughn, 5,070.052, Chaz Kananen, Roy, 4,281.183, Brant Davis, Sand Coulee, 4,022.274, Chris Witcher, Roberts, 3,379.855, Delon Parker, Worden, 2,958.846, Clay Robertson, Augusta, 2,794.757, Tate Dempewolf, Wordon, 2,687.538, Cory Murray, Ramsay, 2,586.929, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, 2,364.9010, Ryan Counts, Pray, 2,204.64

TEAM ROPING HEELER1, Shane Bessette, Vaughn, 5,070.05

2, Sam Levine, Wolf Creek, 4,022.273, Matt Robertson, Augusta, 3,655.034, Sid Sporer, Cody, 2,958.845, Jeff Robertson, Augusta, 2,794.756, Taner Sorge, Billings, 2,687.537, Bryson Murray, Ramsay, 2,586.928, Ryle Whitford, Browning, 2,581.109, Brent Damuth, Three Forks,

2,204.6410, Billy Bannon, Livingston, 2,141.60

TIE DOWN ROPING1, Tyler Holland, Bozeman, 3,713.052, Nolan Conway, Cut Bank, 3,626.603, Dustin Bird, Cut Bank, 3,414.984, Donnie Benson, Ronan, 2,767.175, Brett Heggie, Roundup, 2,695.566, Kevin Peterson, Kilgore, 2,674.247, Ty Hedrick, Frenchtown, 2,424.598, Sam Levine, Wolf Creek, 2,400.469, Brant Davis, Sand Coulee, 2,343.1010, Delon Parker, Worden, 1,878.59


JOHN SALOIS, above, rides Cidiene’s Cash in the bareback riding at the NRA Saturday March 12.


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chance to win money for 10 days and youcould stay in place for the whole thing.”

Rodeo travel has always been brutal. Thesport itself is plenty tough, too. The moneycontestants earned then, in the 1950s andearly 1960s, didn’t nearly measure up to what the Las Vegas star-studded extravaganza pays now at itsDecember finals.

Reynolds doesn’t begrudge today’shands.

“There are two ways to look at it,” hesaid in the Gazette interview. “You could bejealous and wish we had the chance. Or youcould be proud of what we did. The moneywasn’t the same, but it was good for backthen.

“Gasoline was just 25 cents a gallon andother costs were cheaper. It was still goodmoney in those days.”

Reynolds was in on the ground floor ofthe start of the PRCA, which was started byanother legendary contestant, Casey Tibbs,and endorsed by yet another, Shoulders,Kusek’s piece said.

Reynolds told him the idea was intro-duced to the pro cowboys at the 1958

Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo.Deb Copenhaver and Oklahoman Clark

McEntire were others considering the possibility at the time, the Gazette storysaid.

McEntire, father of country singing starReba McEntire, was one of those who votedagainst the start of the circuit, the articlesaid, quoting Copenhaver.

It’s rodeo. Sometimes, you guess wrong.Overall though, the body reckoned right.Reynolds worked the gates for many

years after his days were over qualifying forthe NFR.

“We didn’t think about what we hadstarted then,” he told Kusek of theGazette. “We just thought about ridingour best and having a beer afterwards. It’s(the NFR) a great event for rodeo.”

Many of Montana’s past, recent andcurrent rodeo greats are expected to beseen strolling through the Civic Centerduring the Northern Rodeo Finals,Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

The Montana Standard was unable toconfirm as of Thursday if Reynolds wouldbe returning to the scene, at least the town,where his rodeo career was spurred.

He will be a welcome sight if he does,however.

— Bruce Sayler, The Montana Standard

Icon ...Continued from Page 13

CLIPPINGS from The MontanaStandard showsome of Reynolds’coverage.


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