I hate to start out my column on a sad note, because I was shocked when I received word that my good friend David Stoecklein had passed away. David left us with so many memories through his many photos and books of the western way of life which he loved so much.
He had a way of expressing his love through his photo lens of things that are around everyday life on the ranches and terrain of the West. David’s family would like to thank everyone for their kind words, memories and well wishes this past month. The family will continue business as usual by having the photographic workshops that Dave loved so much. It was a time that he could pass on to students his expertise which had made him known worldwide. They will also continue to have the studio in Ketchum, Idaho which features all of the works of his, plus that of his sons Taylor and Drew and many more. His works can also be viewed online at stoeckleinphotogaphy.com. His work has been featured in the likes of the Western Horseman, Farm and Ranch Magazine, Cowboys and Indians, Working Ranch magazine plus many more. He and his work plus his giant smile will be missed by many but he will never be forgotten. RIP buddy.
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Well, here we are at that time of year that the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will once again decide the world champions. This year the race is very tight and with all the money that can be won at the NFR, I will not be making any predictions until about halfway through the 10 rounds of competition.
This year, many of you know that the 15th spot in the team roping was changing around regarding who the team was going to be. Originally the team of Tom Richards and Cesar de la Cruz were in that slot, and then they got bumped on a technicality and the team of Chad Masters and Kinney Harrel had the spot. Richards and de la Cruz had 10 days for an appeal and in the end they were awarded back the spot and Masters and Harrel were out, with the same appeal offered them and as of this writing that has not been ruled on yet. So the drama continues.
I had a few phone calls with people wanting me to give my opinion of who should be going. I had to deny any comment, mainly because I didn’t know all of the facts. Only the PRCA office would have all that information. Therefore, I felt they would handle it in the professional way by going to the rules that pertain to this matter. It was sad that it came about with all of the recordings and logged entries that we have today which are supposed to catch these errors prior to it all coming down.
As I stated in last month, it will be interesting watching this year’s races because most of the gold buckles are available to many if they have a good 10 days in Vegas. The only buckle that has been awarded for 2014 is that of the Steer Roping in which Trevor Brazile captured last month after putting on quite a show for the crowd in Kansas at this years NFSR. Trevor finished the year by winning the finals and finishing over $50,000 ahead of the second place man for the year, Chet Herren of Pawhuska, Okla.
Trevor is once again in the lead for the All-Around title with $303,119 won to date and will be going to WNFR in two events, tie-down roping and team roping, sitting third in each.
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The South Point will again be the place to be during the WNFR if you like team roping. It will be a great time to check out the Priefert Pavilion which is all new to the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center. The World Series Finals will again be going on and will be surrounded by many other events throughout the 10 days of the finals. As in past years, the shopping will be great with many booths to give you the opportunity to get all your Christmas shopping done while in Vegas.
Stop by and pick up a free copy of Ropers Sports News at the Steer Gear booth at the South Point, Ropes Galore over at the Sands, or NRS at the MGM.
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The Lucky 777 roping will be in Bullhead City, Arizona, at the Mojave Crossing Equestrian Event Center on December 5-6-7. Stop by on your way to Vegas and catch all of the action. Check out the details in the November issue of RSN.
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Good luck to all of the contestants at the WNFR and at the many other ropings going on this month. Win, lose or draw, may you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.