Spring is here and that means the winter rodeos are over and the spring run starts with many of the pro contestants heading to the West Coast to make the run at the many rodeos plus the jackpots. April will kick off out here with Oakdale and some open ropings and then off to Red Bluff. This year the Broc Cresta Memorial Roping will be at the Four Star Ranch, 18411 Gas Point Rd., Cottonwood, Calif., on Tuesday, April 17. The day will include the Pro Am plus the Open Roping which will be a 5 for $400 go twice. See the ad in this issue on page 23. This year on Monday there will be an Open Pre-Roping, go twice for $150. For more information contact Justin Davis at (530) 949-9389. There will also be a Junior NFR Qualifier on Monday, April 16. For more info contact Brandon Beers at (541) 460-3460. Many other things will be taking place as usual at this great event in memory of Broc Cresta.
This year the Wrangler BFI Week will include the Hooey BFI Junior Championship on June 20. It will be limited to the first 50 teams and will have a huge payout plus many prizes. BFI Week will also include an NFR Junior Qualifier on Friday, June 22, which will include team roping, tie down, and breakaway roping. These events will all be part of BFI Week which will start the roping action with the BFI on Monday, June 18. Check out the ads on pages 24- 25 of this issue.
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Last month was the Timed Event Championships at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK and Jordan Ketscher from Squaw Valley, Calif., was the champion after turning in the best time on 25 head over a three-day competition. Jordan displayed some great talent during the course of the competition which includes 20 top contestants. California cowboys did great this year in the field of 20. Lane Karney took home some big money as did Kyle Lockett. Daniel Green didn’t have his best week this year at an event he has won in the past. In the junior TEC Championship, Oakdale’s Wyatt Hansen displayed a lot of talent the whole three days until his final steer wrestling run, when his steer cut to the left and took a lot of time off his huge lead coming into the finals. He had a great event going up to this point. The champion was Myles Neighbors from Arkansas, who also had a great three days. This has always been one of my favorite events of the year and still is.This year saw Clay Smith knocked out in the steer wrestling after sustaining a broken leg. He was one of the favorites to win the event this year and was setting good when he got injured. He was leading the world in the PRCA standings coming into the event and has continued to compete by taping and bracing his leg and continues on in the first place standings along with his partner Paul Eaves who is leading the heeling division. Hopefully he doesn’t do too much damage to it and he will be okay for the remaining part of the season.
The other major injury at this year’s TEC happened to Erich Rogers, who also was injured in steer wrestling when he sustained major damage to his knee. He will be out for sometime. Hopefully Erich will be back strong and in the winners circle soon.
I am always saddened when any contestant gets injured and has to not only drop out of the TEC competition but is laid up afterwards and not able to compete in the spring rodeos.
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The other biggest win during March had to be when Matt Sherwood and Walt Woodard captured the team Roping title at RodeoHouston and set an arena record doing it. These are two great team roping veterans who continue to prove that they are still able to compete with the youth of today. It was great to see them do so well at this outstanding rodeo. Congratulations to both of them and their families.
Check out Lane Karney’s article on page 1 about these two great ropers.
I would like to commend the RodeoHouston Committee for producing a great rodeo and livestock event. It was one of the best produced finals and TV productions I have seen for awhile and my tip of the Resistol to them. It is too bad that RodeoHouston and the PRCA cannot come to some kind of agreement to have that great rodeo be part of the PRCA. It displays some great quality and the hospitality that they show the contestants is admired by all. Thanks RodeoHouston for a great event.
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Have a great spring and travel safe. Make your plans now to attend the BFI and the Reno Rodeo during June this year. See ya there.