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2021 Press Releases




CHAMPS IN ST. PAUL

Lluke Branquinho, Steer Wrestling Champ
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Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
For the St. Paul Rodeo
319-321-2152

CHAMPS IN ST. PAUL

Detached tendon doesn’t stop California cowboy from steer wrestling title; sellout crowds fill stands for 85th anniversary

St. Paul, Ore. (July 4, 2021) – Luke Branquinho may have detached his hamstring tendon from the bone, but that didn’t stop him from winning the 2021 St. Paul Rodeo.

The Los Alamos, Calif. cowboy, a five-time world champion, made two solid steer wrestling runs, 4.2 seconds in each of two rounds, to win the average in St. Paul with a time of 8.4 seconds on two head.

He had suffered the hamstring tendon injury at a rodeo in Weatherford, Texas in June and took off about three weeks to rehab it. But there’s no time for surgery, with Branquinho ranked in the top twenty in PRCA world standings, so he’s rehabbing and stretching it, hoping to put off surgery until after the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December, in hopes of competing at the pinnacle of the pro rodeo world for the fifteenth time in his career.

“As of right now, we’ll keep rolling and see how things go,” he said. It isn’t causing any pain, and he wraps it tight before competing.

For Branquinho, in part because of the hamstring tendon detachment, he’s rodeoed less this Cowboy Christmas than any of the last 21 years of his career.

“This is probably the least number of rodeos I’ve gone to” over the lucrative Cowboy Christmas, the days preceding and following Independence Day, he said. He and his traveling partners competed at Livingston, Mont. on July 1, in Cody, Wyo. and Red Lodge, Mont. on July 2, in St. Paul on July 3, then in Eugene, Ore. on July 4.

He was aboard one of the best steer wrestling horses in pro rodeo.

Baby, an American Quarter Horse whose registered name is Babysgonecountry, is owned by Sam Dixon of Lockesburg, Arkansas. Four cowboys are riding the mount this year: Branquino, Jacob Talley, Justin Shaffer and Tucker Allen, all four traveling partners. In part because of the horse’s exceptional ability, Talley finished as reserve champion in St. Paul and is ranked first in the PRCA world standings.

This is the third St. Paul Rodeo buckle for Branquinho; he also won the rodeo in 2006 and 2015. He also won second place at the Livingston, Mont. rodeo on July 4.

In the saddle bronc riding, another world champion took home the gold from St. Paul.

Zeke Thurston, the two-time PRCA world champion saddle bronc rider, won St. Paul with 88 points on the Flying Five Rodeo Co. horse Broken Camp.

He knew the horse would be a challenge but he was ready for it. “That horse really bucks,” he said. “She’s bucked some guys off, but they won lots on her. I was just lucky to draw her, and lucky to make a good ride on her.”

The Big Valley, Alberta cowboy has only won money once at St. Paul, “so to win it would be amazing.

“This is an iconic, prestigious rodeo. It has some of the best horses and some of the best cowboys at it. It’s very unique, with trees in the arena. The crowd is amazing. I’m tickled to death to win it.”

The rodeo saw four sell-out performances and record crowds. Its opening day, June 30, coincided with the first day that Governor Kate Brown lifted all Covid restrictions in the state.

Other 2021 St. Paul Rodeo champions include bareback rider Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. (87.5 points); 2019 world champion tie-down roper Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. (15.9 seconds on two head); bull rider JC Mortensen, Paulden, Ariz. (87 points); team ropers Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil (10.4); and barrel racer Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas (17.37).

The 86th St. Paul Rodeo will take place June 30-July 4, 2022. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

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Results from the 85th St. Paul Rodeo, June 30-July 4, 2021.

All-around champion: Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah

Bareback riding champion: Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Oregon

1. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 87.5 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Cougar Country; 2. Jess Pope, Waverly, Kan. 86; 3. (tie) Jacob Lees, Caldwell, Idaho and Lane McGehee, Victoria, Texas 84 each; 5. Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev. 83; 6. (tie) RC Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif. and Cooper Cooke, Victor, Idaho 82.5 each; 8. (tie) Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif. and Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn. 82 each.

Steer wrestling champion: Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, California

1st round

1. Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore. 3.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif., and JD Struxness, Alva, Okla. 4.2; 5. Dakota Eldridge, Reedley, Calif. 4.3; 6. (tie) Justin Shaffer, Hallville, Texas, Will Lummus, Byahlia, Miss., Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore. and Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 4.4 each.

2nd round

1. Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. 3.8 seconds; 2. Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho 3.9; 3. (tie) Winsten McGraw, Gill, Colo., Joe Nelson, Watford City, N.D. and Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii., 4.0 each; 6. (tie) Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. and Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 4.2 each; 8. (tie) Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alb. and Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 4.4.

Average on two head

1. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. 8.4 seconds on two head; 2. Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 8.8; 3. Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore. 8.9; 4. Payden McIntyre, Douglas, Wyo. 9.0; 5. (tie) Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore. and Will Lummus, Byhalia, Miss. 9.1 each; 7. Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas 9.2; 8. Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho 9.3.

Bull riding champion: JC Mortensen

1. JC Mortensen, Paulden, Ariz. 87 points on Corey and Lange Rodeo’s Highway to Hell; 2. Jordan Spears, Redding, Calif. 86.5; 3. Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah 86; 4. (tie) Tristen Hutchings, Inkom, Idaho and Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas 84 each; 6. (tie) Sage Kimzey, Salado, Texas and JB Mauney, Stephenville, Texas 83.5 each; 8. Laramie Mosley, Palestine, Texas 82.5.

Tie-down roping champion: Haven Meged, Miles City, Montana

1st round

1. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 7.8 seconds; 2. (tie) John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. and Michael Otero, Weatherford, Texas 8.1 each; 5. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 8.3; 6. (tie) Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La., Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La. and Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas 8.7 each.

2nd round

1. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 7.5; 2. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 7.6; 3. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho 7.8; 4. (tie) Colton Farquer, Oakdale, Calif. and Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas 8.2 each; 6. (tie) Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Idaho, Brushton Minton, Witter Springs, Calif. and Reid Zapalac, Smithville, Texas 8.5 each.

Average on two head

1. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 15.9 seconds on two head; 2. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 16.5; 3. John Douch, Huntsville, Texas 16.9; 4. Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas 17.7; 5. Michael Otero, Weatherford, Texas 17.8; 6. (tie) Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas and Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 17.9 each; 8. (tie) Reid Zapalac, Smithville, Texas and Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa 18.2 each.

Saddle bronc riding champion: Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta

1. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. 88 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Broken Camp; 2. (tie)

Ben Andersen, Rocky Mountain, Alb.; Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah and Jack Bentz, Crane, Ore. 86.5 each; 5. Ryder Wright, Beaver, Utah 85.5; 6. Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho 84.5; 7. Dawson Hay, Wildwood, Alb. 84; 8. Sam Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev. 83.5.

Team roping Champions: Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Georgia and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil

1st round

1. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas/Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo. 4.6 seconds; 2. Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore./Andy Carlson, Hermiston, Ore. 4.8; 3. Derrick Begay, Winslow, Ariz./Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz. 4.9; 4. (tie) Brenten Hall, Stephenville, Texas/Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont. and Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas 5.0 each; 6. (tie) Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas and Clay Smith, Bowie, Texas/Jade Corkill, Stephenville, Texas 5.4 each; 8. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. 5.5.

2nd round

1. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 4.2 seconds; 2. Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas/Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas 4.3; 3. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn./Joseph Harrison, Marietta, Okla. 4.4; 4. Luke Brown, Morgan Mill, Texas/Hunter Koch, Vernon, Texas 4.9; 5. Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Lipan, Texas 5.0; 6. Jared Parke, Gooding, Idaho/Jaylen Eldridge, Nampa, Idaho 5.2; 7. (tie) Jake Graham, Lakeview, Ore./Calgary Smith, Adams, Ore.; Tate Kirchenschlager, Yuma, Colo./Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas; Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb.; Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla./Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan.; Tyler Waters, Stephenville, Texas/Richard Durham, Henrietta, Texas 5.5 each.

Average on two head

1. Kaleb Driggers, Stephenville, Texas/Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil 10.4 seconds on two head; 2. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas 10.6; 3. (tie) Brenten Hall, Stephenville, Texas/Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont; Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. and Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas/Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo. 11.0 each; 6. Tyler Waters, Stephenville, Texas/Richard Durham, Henrietta, Texas 11.1; 7. Britt Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla. 11.2; 8. Tate Kirchenschlager, Yuma, Colo./Cole Davison, Roosevelt, Utah 11.4.

Barrel racing champion: Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas

1. Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas 17.37 seconds; 2. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 17.51; 3. Shelley Holman, Brentwood, Calif. 17.57; 4. (tie) Emily Miller-Beisel, Weatherford, Okla. and Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho 17.62 each; 6. Jessi Fish, Washington, Texas 17.70; 7. Sue Smith, Blackfoot, Idaho 17.76; 8. Tanya Jones, Arlington, Ariz. 17.78; 9. (tie) Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz. and Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas 17.82 each; 11. Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Calif. 17.84; 12. Mary Shae Thomas, Hermiston, Ore. 17.85; 13. Paige Jones, Wayne, Okla. 17.89; 14. Bailey Cline, Roseburg, Ore. 17.91; 15. (tie) Katie Davis, Adrian, Ore. and Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.94. each.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

Cutlines:

For the third time, California cowboy Luke Branquinho wins the steer wrestling at the St. Paul Rodeo, this year, with a time of 8.4 seconds on two head. Photo by Hoot Creek.

Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, wins the 2021 St. Paul Rodeo saddle bronc riding title. The two-time world champion scored 88 points on Flying Five Rodeo’s Broken Camp. Photo by Hoot Creek.

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Austin Foss - St. Paul Rodeo 2021

Austin Foss - St. Paul Rodeo 2021

by Hoot Creek 
Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
For the St. Paul Rodeo
319-321-2152

HOMESTATE COWBOY
Oregon bareback rider takes lead at St. Paul Rodeo; fourth performance of the Nation’s Greatest 4th of July Rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (July 3, 2021) – An Oregon man is at the top of the leaderboard after the fourth performance of the St. Paul Rodeo.
Austin Foss, Terrebonne, rode the Flying 5 Rodeo’s horse Cougar Country for 87.5 points, to be three points over the number two man, Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho, who rode on Friday night.

Foss had seen the horse compete at different rodeos through the years, but had never drawn it, and when he saw his draw, he was happy. “I’ve seen that horse go for four or five years, and I never had a shot at it. This was definitely the right place to have it.”

Foss, who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where PRCA world champions are crowned, four times (2013-15, 2019), isn’t rodeoing hard this year and hasn’t traveled much over Cowboy Christmas, the busiest part of the rodeo season in the days before and after July 4.

The 29-year-old has been selective about where he is competing. Traveling mostly by himself, he’s not going to as many rodeos as he used to.
“I’ve been kind of picking and choosing (rodeos),” he said. “I’m not 21 (years old) anymore., and it takes $120 to fill the truck” with fuel.

His lead in St. Paul is good encouragement, he said. “This is a huge confidence booster,” Foss said. “If a guy does well and 87 (points) holds up for the win tomorrow, it’s a good check at St. Paul. It will pay $11,000 to win it, and that’s probably more than I’ve won this year, so that really helps.
“It’s a neat arena, a cool rodeo, and it’s even cooler when it’s this close to home and you do this well.”

Foss was the 2009-2010 Oregon High School Rodeo Association champion bareback rider and, in college, qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo twice (2011-2012).

Other high scores and fast times from slack and the fourth performance of the St. Paul Rodeo are saddle bronc rider (and two-time PRCA world champion) Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. (88 points); and barrel racer Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho (17.62). No bull riders made qualified rides.
In the steer wrestling, first round fast time is a tie between Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. and Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. (4.2 seconds); Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho was the fast time in the second round (3.9). Tie-down roper and reigning world champion Shad Mayfield was the fast time in the second round (8.1); Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas, has the fast time in the second round (8.2).

In the team roping, the team of Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore. and Andy Carlson, Hermiston, Ore., had the fast time in the first round (4.8) and Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla. and Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan. turned in the fast time for the second round (5.5).

The St. Paul Rodeo wraps up on July 4 with two performances: a 1:30 pm matinee and a 7:30 pm performance. The parade takes place at 10 am through downtown St. Paul.

Tickets are available online at www.StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. For more information, visit the website.

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Results from the slack and fourth evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 3, 2021

Bareback Riding
1. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 87.5 points on Flying Five’s Cougar Country; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling
1st round leaders:
1. (tie) Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif. and Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. 4.2 seconds; 3. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev. 4.3; 4. (tie) Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. and Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas 4.4.
2nd round leaders:
1. Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho 3.9 seconds; 2. Tucker Allen, Oak View, Calif. 4.2; 3. Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 4.4; 4. Payden McIntyre, Douglas, Wyo. 4.5.

Bull riding
No qualified rides.

Tie-down roping
1st round leaders:
1. Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. 8.1 seconds; 2. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 9.2; 3. Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas 9.5; 4. Pacen Marez Granger, Wash. 9.6.
2nd round leaders:
1. Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas 8.2 seconds; 2. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 8.7; 3. Roger Nonella, Redmond, Ore. 9.7; 4. Hunter Reaume, Meeteetse, Wyo. 12.0.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alb. 88 points on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Broken Camp; 2. Dawson Hay, Wildwood, Alb. 84; 3. Sam Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev. 83.5; 4. Jake Watson, Hudsons Hope, B.C. 83.

Team roping
1st round leaders
1. Steven Duby, Hereford, Ore./Andy Carlson, Hermiston, Ore. 4.8 seconds; 2. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas 5.0; 3. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Chris Young, Wittman, Ariz. 6.0; no other qualified runs.
2nd round leaders
1. Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla./Buddy Hawkins II, Columbus, Kan. 5.5 seconds; 2. Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla./Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas 5.6 seconds; 3. Jack Fischer, Ellensburg, Wash./Brent Falon, Yakima, Wash. 6.5; 4. Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho/Wyatt Hansen, Oakdale, Calif. 15.0.

Barrel racing
1. Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho 17.62 seconds; 2. Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.94; 3. Britni Carlson, Hermiston, Ore. 17.96; 4. Shayla Currin, Dayton, Wash. 17.97.

Cutlines:

Bareback rider Austin Foss leads his event at the St. Paul Rodeo with a score of 87.5 points on Flying Five Rodeo’s Cougar Country. He is from Terrebonne, Oregon. Photo by Hoot Creek.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

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Sage Kimzey - St. Paul Rodeo 2021
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Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
For the St. Paul Rodeo
319-321-2152

ST PAUL RODEO ACTION CONTINUES
Rookie loves “special vibe,” world champ accepts no excuses

St. Paul, Ore. (July 2, 2021) – A rookie saddle bronc rider has taken the lead at the 85th St. Paul Rodeo.

Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho, scored 84.5 points on the Corey and Lange Rodeo horse Precious to top the scoreboard.

Before the twenty-year-old cowboy got to St. Paul, he sought out advice on the horse from Canada cowboy Zeke Thurston, a two-time world champion. “I talked to Zeke last week, and he she would be nice (to ride.) Zeke had ridden her twice, and had been quite a few points with her.”

Bruno leads the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings in his event; he didn’t do well over the winter, things have turned around. “I wasn’t drawing very good but I wasn’t riding very good either,” he said. “Things picked up in March, and the ball got rolling again. I got back on my feet.”

This is his first time to compete in St. Paul, with the unique arbor vitae in the arena, and Bruno noted that. “This rodeo has a lot of special vibes. I’ve always heard about the legendary trees, and it’s cool. The crowd (cheering) will stand the hair on your neck right up.”

While a rookie did well in St. Paul on July 2, a veteran also did well.

St. Paul saw the decorated six-time world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey compete during the third night of rodeo action on July 2.

Kimzey, who won the PRCA world title from 2014-2019, covered the Corey and Lange bull called Freaky Friday, for 83.5 points, to be sitting in third place so far.

The bull and the ride were everything the Salado, Texas cowboy wanted. “It was a pretty good ride, I’m not going to lie,” he said. The bull “had a lot of action, a lot of speed, and did everything you would want one to do. He had a direction change, he really bucked, and he was pretty hard to track. I kept my chin tucked and stayed with him.”

Last year, 2020, was the first year since 2014 that Kimzey didn’t win a world title, finishing second to Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah.

Even though Covid-19 caused half of the PRCA rodeos to be canceled, and Kimzey sustained an ankle injury, he didn’t blame his circumstances for not continuing his streak.

“Most people lose titles because somebody takes it away from them,” he said. “With Covid and my injury, I used it as a really good excuse to not be my best to defend my title. And I think that’s the part that hurts the worst about it, the fact that I wasn’t able to put my best foot forward.”

Currently Kimzey is ranked first in the world standings, more than $32,000 ahead of the number two man, Stetson Wright, who will compete in St Paul on the evening of July 4. Kimzey prefers to not know how much he’s leading by, but whatever it is, he’s not satisfied with it. “It’s not enough,” he said.

Finishing as reserve world champion instead of champion last year was the best lesson Kimzey could have. “I learned more from last year than I ever have from winning.”

Other high scores and fast times from slack and the third performance of the St. Paul Rodeo are bareback rider Cooper Cooke, Victor, Idaho (82.5) and Bailey Cline, Roseburg, Ore. (17.91).

In the timed events, first and second round leader are as follows: steer wrestlers Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas (first round, 4.5) and Joe Nelson, Watford City, N.D. and Winsten McGraw, Gill, Colo. (second round, 4.0 seconds each); tie-down ropers Michael Otero, Weatherford, Texas (first round, 8.1) and Brushton Minton, Witter Springs, Calif. (second round, 8.5); and team ropers Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Connell, Wash. (first round, 5.9) and TC Hammack, Chiloquin, Ore./Cully Stafford, Prineville, Ore. (second round, 15.4).

The St. Paul Rodeo continues on July 3 with an evening performance at 7:30 pm and two performances on July 4: a 1:30 pm matinee and a 7:30 pm performance.

Tickets are available online at www.StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. For more information, visit the website.

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Results from the slack and third evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 2, 2021

Bareback Riding
1. Cooper Cooke, Victor, Idaho 82.5 points; 2. Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn. 82; 3. (tie) Kirk St. Clair, Blodgett, Ore. and Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 76 each.

Steer wrestling
1st round leaders:
1. Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas 4.5 seconds; 2. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 4.6; 3. Dillon Hushour, Clovis, Calif. 4.7; 4. Reed Kraeger, Elwood, Neb. 4.8
2nd round leaders:
1. (tie) Joe Nelson, Watford City, N.D. and Winsten McGraw, Gill, Colo. 4.0 seconds each; 3. (tie) Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. and Dillon Hushour, Clovis, Calif. 5.1 each.

Bull riding
1. Sage Kimzey, Salado, Texas 83.5 points on Corey and Lange Rodeo’s Freaky Friday; 2. Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont. 80; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping
1st round leaders:
1. Michael Otero, Weatherford, Texas 8.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas and Seth Hopper, Stanfield, Ore. 9.4 each; 4. Wyatt Muggli, Lane, Okla. 10.1
2nd round leaders:
1. Brushton Minton, Witter Springs, Calif. 8.5 seconds; 2. Wyatt Muggli, Lane, Okla. 9.6; 3. Michael Otero, Weatherford, Texas 9.7; 4. Seth Hopper, Stanfield, Ore. 11.9.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho 84.5 points on the Corey and Lange Rodeo horse Precious; 2. Riggin Smith, Winterset, Iowa 81.5; 3. Jake Clark, Crane, Ore. 81; 4. Wyatt Casper, Miami, Texas 80.5.

Team roping
1st round leaders
1. Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Connell, Wash. 5.9 seconds; 2. Jhett Hale, Tenino, Wash./Casey Hale, Tenino, Wash. 11.2; 3. Bryor Minton, Witter Springs, Calif./Brusthon Minton, Witter Springs, Calif. 11.5; 4. Austin Stafford, Prineville, Ore./Dayton Stafford, Prineville, Ore. 15.9.
2nd round leaders
1. TC Hammack, Chiloquin, Ore./Cully Stafford, Prineville, Ore. 15.4 seconds; no other qualified runs.

Barrel racing
1. Bailey Cline, Roseburg, Ore. 17.91 seconds; 2. Amy Coelho, Echo, Ore. 18.05; 3. Randi Holliday, Chouteau, Okla. 18.22; 4. Cayla Small, Wilson, Okla. 18.32.

Cutlines:
Six-time world champion Sage Kimzey makes an 83.5 point ride at the 2021 St. Paul Rodeo. He currently sits in third place. Photo by Hoot Creek.
Rookie Kade Bruno, Challis, Idaho, leads the saddle bronc riding with a score of 84.5 points after the third night of action at the St. Paul Rodeo. Photo by Hoot Creek.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.
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Changing Leads

Shorty Garrett, Saddle Bronc Rider
St. Paul Rodeo
by Hoot Creek
 

Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
For the St. Paul Rodeo
319-321-2152

CHANGING LEADS
Texas, South Dakota cowboys, and others take over top spots on scoreboard in St Paul; four performances remain

St. Paul, Ore. (July 1, 2021) – It wasn’t how Marty Yates wanted it to go, but the seven- time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier made the St. Paul Rodeo work for him.

The tie-down roper from Stephenville, Texas didn’t have a qualified time in his first round of competition during slack at the St. Paul Rodeo on July 1, but on his second round roped his calf in a time of 7.4 seconds to take the lead.
It’s a positive turn of events that will benefit him, he said.

“It’s been going a little rough here at the start of the Fourth” of July, he said, of the busiest time of the rodeo season, often called Cowboy Christmas.
After having not placed at rodeos in Greeley, Colo., Prescott, Ariz. and Oakley City, Utah, so far, a lead in St. Paul will help.
“I’m just happy to make a good run and get some money.”

The 27-year-old cowboy was on a borrowed horse, having competed in Oakley City, Utah on June 30, then catching a 6 am flight from Salt Lake City to Portland on July 1.

The horse is owned by tie-down ropers John Douch and Joe Beaver, and it was the first time Yates had ridden it, although he’d seen the horse compete multiple times.

“I’ve watched him a lot,” he said. “We fly a lot and get on lots of different horses, so you become accustomed to it. It’s not a big deal, especially when you’ve watched a horse a lot and you know what he does.”

After Yates competed in St. Paul on Thursday, he heads to rodeos in Cody, Wyo. and Red Lodge, Mont., on July 2, then Mandan and Killdeer, N.D. from there.

Yates won the tie-down roping at the St. Paul Rodeo in 2014.

“I’ve always done good at St. Paul,” he said. “It would sure be nice to get some money out of there.”

South Dakota saddle bronc rider Shorty Garrett jumped to the lead in his event on the second night of the rodeo.

The Eagle Butte, South Dakota man who made his first trip to the Wrangler NFR last year rode the Corey and Lange horse Pine Ridge for 83 points.
The mare is nearly as old as its rider; she’s twenty-plus, said stock contractor Mike Corey, while Garrett is 28 years old.

And she hasn’t been to a rodeo since 2019, so she was ready, Garrett said.

“She was really fresh.”

Garrett is ranked thirteenth in the world standings.

Bull rider JB Mauney, well-known for bull riding in the PBR, scored 83.5 points for third place so far. The Cotulla, Texas cowboy has earned $7 million through his PBR career but is making his first foray into PRCA competition this year and is sixth in the world standings.

Other high scores and fast times from slack and the second performance of the St. Paul Rodeo are bareback rider Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev. (83); and barrel racer Tanya Jones, Arlington, Ariz. (17.78 seconds).

In the tie-down roping, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, leads the first round (8.1) with Yates, Stephenville, Texas winning the second round (7.5). Team ropers Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. lead the first round (5.5) and Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C. and Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas lead the second round (4.2). Steer wrestler Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., is at the top for the first round (4.4); Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore., leads the second round (5.5).

The third performance of the St. Paul Rodeo takes place July 2 at 7:30 pm and is followed with a fireworks display. The rodeo continues July 3-4 with evening performances at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 matinee on July 4.

Tickets are available online at www.StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. For more information, visit the website.

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Results from the slack and evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 1, 2021

Bareback Riding
1. Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev. 83 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Hay Wagon; 2. Seth Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyo. 81.5; 3. Kody Lamb, Sherwood Park, Alb. 75.5; 4. Anthony Thomas, Houston, Texas 69.

Steer wrestling
1st round leaders:
1. Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore. 4.4 seconds; 2. Justin Kimsey, Kennewick, Wash.; 3. Tristan Martin, Sulphur, La. 5.1; Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. 5.5.
2nd round leaders:
1. Dalton Massey, Hermiston, Ore. 3.8 seconds; 2. Cody Cabral, Hilo, Hawaii 4.0 3. Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore. 4.5; 4. (tie) Bear Pasco, Morro Bay, Calif., Jason Thomas, Benton, Ark. and Ryan Bothum, Hermiston, Ore. 5.3 each.

Bull riding
1. JB Mauney, Cotulla, Texas 83.5 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Catfish Clinger; 2. Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas 78; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping
1st round leaders:
1. John Douch, Huntsville, Texas 8.1; 2. Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La. 8.7; 3. Jordan Tye, Canby, Ore. 8.8; 4. Jeff Coelho, Echo, Ore. 9.1.
2nd round leaders:
1. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas 7.5; 2. John Douch, Huntsville, Texas 8.8; 3. Logan Bird, Nanton, Alb. 9.0; 4. Jason Minor, Ellensburg, Wash. 9.2.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Shorty Garrett, Eagle Butte, S.D. 83 points on Corey and Lange’s Pine Ridge; 2. Toby Collins, Stephenville, Texas 81; 3. Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas 77; Kobyn Williams, 69.5.

Team roping
1st round leaders
1. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. 5.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Tate Kirchenschlager, Yuma, Colo./Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas and Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla./Taylor Duby, Nampa, Idaho 5.9 each; 4. Jared Parke, Gooding, Idaho/Javlen Eldridge, Nampa, Idaho 9.4.
2nd round leaders
1. Cory Kidd V, Statesville, N.C./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 4.2 seconds; 2. Jared Parke, Gooding, Idaho/Jaylen Eldridge, Nampa, Idaho 5.2; 3. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. 5.5; Cody Barney, Klamath Falls, Ore./Dan Holland, Brooke, Calif. 6.2.

Barrel racing
1. Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas 17.37 seconds; 2. Shelley Holman, Brentwood, Calif. 17.57; 3. Tanya Jones, Arlington, Ariz. 17.78; 4. Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas 17.82.

Cutline: Shorty Garrett, Eagle Butte, S.D., rides Corey and Lange Rodeo’s horse Pine Ridge for 83 points and the lead at the St. Paul Rodeo. The rodeo continues through July 4. Photo by Hoot Creek.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.
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jc mortensen at St. Paul Rodeo 2021
photo by hoot creek
 


Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
For the St. Paul Rodeo
319-321-2152

PLAYING COWBOY
Arizona bull rider plays out childhood game by taking the lead at St. Paul

St. Paul, Ore. (June 30, 2021) – When JC Mortensen was a kid, he and his younger brother would play rodeo in the living room of their Arizona home, pretending they were roping and riding bulls at the St. Paul, Oregon rodeo.

And now, after the first night of the rodeo, he’s leading the bull riding at the famed rodeo.

The twenty-year-old cowboy rode the Corey and Lange Rodeo Co. bull Highway to Hell for 87 points to lead by three points over the number two bull rider, Tristen Hutchings, Inkom, Idaho.

The bull performed as Mortensen expected. The bull “really bucked and came around to the left. To (take the lead) here, it’s a great feeling. It’s a great rodeo, and I couldn’t be more excited right now.”

Mortensen has rodeo running through his genes. His granddad, JC Trujillo, is a PRCA world champion bareback rider and a ProRodeo Hall of Fame member, and his dad, Judd Mortensen, competed at multiple PBR Finals.

Mortensen’s younger brother Jackson is also a bull rider, finishing second in the Youth Bull Riding World Finals last year When he turns eighteen next year, he’ll be in the truck with JC, ready to compete professionally.

As kids, when they played “pretend rodeo” in the living room, they play acted they were team roping and riding bulls; their granddad insisted the kids be all-around hands, competing in multiple events. In high school, JC competed in the team roping, bareback riding and saddle bronc riding, as well as the bull riding. Bareback riding was his strong event, but then the bull riding started working out, and now that’s his only event.

Several world champions competed at St. Paul today, but only two took the lead in their respective events.

Four-time world champion Tuf Cooper leads the first round, taking a time of 7.8 seconds in the first round, held during morning slack, and the three-time and reigning world champion barrel racer, Hailey Kinsel, is at the top of the board with a 17.51 second run.

The 2019 world champion bareback rider Clayton Biglow scored 82 points; the 2018 world champion saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell got bucked off. Several team roping world champions also competed: Jade Corkill, Chad Masters and Clay Brown; none of the cowboys are at the top of the team roping scoreboard.

Other high scores and fast times from slack and the first night of rodeo at the St. Paul Rodeo are bareback rider Jacob Lees, Caldwell, Idaho (83.5); steer wrestler Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., in the first round (3.8) and Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alb., in the second round (4.4); tie-down roper Cooper, Decatur, Texas, in the first round (7.8) and Haven Meged, Miles City, Montana in the second round (7.6); team ropers Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo, in the first round (4.6) and Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas and Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. in the second round (4.3). Saddle bronc rider Logan Cook, Alto, Texas was 81.5 points to lead his event.

The second performance of the St. Paul Rodeo takes place July 1 at 7:30 pm. The rodeo continues through July 4 with performances at 7:30 pm each night and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4. Fireworks follow each night of rodeo.

Tickets are available online at www.StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. For more information, visit the website.

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Results from the slack and evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, June 30, 2021
Bareback Riding
1. Jacob Lees, Caldwell, Idaho 83.5 on Big Stone Rodeo’s Sassy Spurs; 2. RC Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif. 82.5; 3. Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif. 82; 4. Bodee Lammers, Stephenville, Texas 79.

Steer wrestling
1st round leaders:
1. Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore. 3.8 seconds; 2, JD Struxness, Milan, Minn. 4.2; 3, Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D. 4.6; 4, Kodie Jang, Townsville, Australia 4.7.
2nd round leaders:
1. Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alb. 4.4; 2, (tie) Walt Arnold, Coleman, Texas, Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas, and Zach Jongbloed, Iowa, La. 4.5 each.

Bull riding
1. JC Mortensen, Paulden, Ariz. 87 points on Corey and Lange’s Highway to Hell; 2. Tristen Hutchings, Inkom, Idaho 84; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping
1st round leaders:
1. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 7.8 seconds; 2. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 8.3; 3. (tie) Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas and Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La. 8.7 each;
2nd round leaders:
1. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont. 7.6 seconds; 2. Reid Zapalac, Smithville, Texas 8.5;
Tyler Prcin, Alvord, Texas 8.6; 4. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 8.7.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Logan Cook, Alto, Texas 81.5 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Rubels; 2. Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont. 81; 3. Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa 775; 4. Parker Fleet, Axtell, Texas 75.5.

Team roping
1st round leaders
1. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas/Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo. 4.6 seconds; 2, Derrick Begay, Seba Dalkai, Ariz./Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz. 4.9; 3. Brenten Hall, Jay, Okla./Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont. 5.0; 4. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 5.4.
2nd round leaders
1. Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas/Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 4.3 seconds; 2. Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn./Joseph Harrison, Marietta, Okla. 4.4; 3. Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga./Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil 5.0; 4. Jack Graham, Lakeview, Ore./Calgary Smith, Adams, Ore. 5.5.

Barrel racing
1. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas 17.51 seconds; 2. Emily Miller-Beisel, Weatherford, Okla. 17.62; 3. Sue Smith, Blackfoot, Idaho 17.76 seconds; 4. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz. 17.82.

Cutline:

JC Mortensen, Paulden, Ariz., rode Corey and Lange Rodeo Co.’s Highway to Hell for 87 points, to take the lead in the bull riding after the first night of the 85th St. Paul Rodeo. Photo by Hoot Creek.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

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TJ Gray, Jr bull rider
1 of 2


Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo
AMERICA’S SPORT
Cowboys, cowgirls to converge on St. Paul this week
for Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (June 28, 2021) – For the five days leading up to and including the Fourth of July, the little town of St. Paul, Oregon becomes rodeo central.

More than 600 rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from 26 states and three provinces will descend on St. Paul, to vie for more than $375,000 in prize money at “the Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July rodeo.”

Among those competitors is a barrel racing cowgirl from Lebanon, Ore.

Lexi Burgess doesn’t make her living with rodeo, but it’s a great way to spend time with her mom and de-stress with her horses.

Burgess, who is twenty-seven years old, spends her days in the marketing department at her family’s business, a horse trailer company, working alongside her mom.

When the work day is over, she heads home to her husband, Wil Burgess, their four-year-old son, and her horses. Horses “are my mom’s and my way to decompress in the evenings,” she said. Her mom, Jill Klampe, is a former barrel racer who helps Lexi by exercising her horses. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to barrel race.”

A high school rodeo competitor, Burgess also competed collegiately at Weatherford (Texas) College, graduating in 2014.

Because of her job, she chooses to rodeo closer to home, in the Columbia River Circuit, the pro rodeo designation for the rodeos in Washington and Oregon. She will compete in St. Paul on July 4; this will be the third year for her to make a barrel racing run there.

Four hours east of St. Paul is the town of Baker City, Ore., the home of the number four steer wrestler in the PRCA world standings.
Jesse Brown, of Baker City, is having the best year of his rodeo career.

Last year, the 28-year-old finished thirteenth in the PRCA world standings, having competed at his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the pinnacle of the pro rodeo world.

Brown never competed in rodeo until he was in college.

A football player at Washington State, he didn’t see much playing time and itched to compete in something.

So he quit football and began steer wrestling, learning from the Knowles family, a long-time Oregon family of steer wrestlers.

Last year, he squeaked into the Wrangler National Finals in fifteenth place, barely getting in on Sept. 30, the last day of the rodeo season.

Brown hopes to qualify for the National Finals in a much higher spot this year. The last days of the 2020 season “were pressure packed and it made things interesting. That being said, I’d rather make it sooner.”

This will be the third time the steer wrestler has competed at St. Paul; he finished in seventh place in 2018. He will make his steer wrestling run in St. Paul on June 30 during the 9 am slack.

Four hours south of St. Paul, in Dairy, lives bull rider TJ Gray.

The nineteen-year-old cowboy is in his rookie year of PRCA rodeo, after having competed in the California High School Rodeo Association and finishing his sophomore and senior years as California High School Rodeo bull riding champion.

Gray has already competed at St. Paul, but it was in the junior bull riding. From ages seven to ten, he was one of the junior bull riders who rode during the rodeo, and one year, when he was nine or ten, he got on five junior bulls at St. Paul and rode all five of them.

Gray and his brother Levi spent several months last winter in Texas, rodeoing, and his fellow bull riders are like family, he said. Between bull ridings, the brothers spent time at other riders’ houses, “which is cool.”

Levi, who is two years older than his brother, planned on riding at St. Paul, but a groin tear will keep him at home. It’s an old injury that never fully healed, and at a rodeo in Texas a month ago, he tore the muscle three-quarters of the way. Doctors have told him to use crutches for two weeks, then do physical therapy for the next month, to rehab it.

TJ will ride in St. Paul on July 3. He’s currently ranked eighteenth in the world standings.

All of the 2020 PRCA world champions are scheduled to compete in St. Paul. They include all-around and bull riding champion Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah; bareback rider Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah; tie-down roper Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M.; saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright, Beaver, Utah; steer wrestler Jacob Edler, Alva, Okla.; team ropers Colby Lovell, Madisonville, Texas and Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas; and barrel racer Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas.

Seven of the nine champions from the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo are scheduled to compete. They are bareback rider Trenton Montero, Winnemucca, Nev.; tie-down roper Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash.; steer wrestler Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla.; team ropers Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz., and Paden Bray, Casa Grande, Ariz.; barrel racer Amberleigh Moore, Keizer, Ore., and bull rider Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas.

The St. Paul Rodeo takes place this week and weekend, June 30-July 4, with performances nightly at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4.
Tickets are available online at StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate. They range in price from $20 to $26.
For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.

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Cutlines:
Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., competes at the 2018 St. Paul Rodeo. The steer wrestler, who is ranked fourth in the nation in his event, will compete at this year’s rodeo, which is June 30-July 4. Photo by Hoot Creek.

When bull rider TJ Gray, Dairy, Ore., was a kid, he rode as a junior bull rider at the St. Paul Rodeo. Now he’s a pro cowboy and will compete in St. Paul. Photo by Bill Lawless.



Kool Toddy

Kool Toddy

Cort Scheer 2019 at St. Paul Rodeo by Hoot Creek 
Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo
EXCEPTIONAL HORSE
Washington bucking horse who helped set arena record to be at St. Paul Rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (June 21, 2021) – A bucking horse who helped break a St. Paul Rodeo record in 2019 is back for this year’s rodeo.

Kool Toddy, a 22-year-old brown mare owned by Flying Five Rodeo and Big Bend Rodeo Companies of Ritzville, Wash., carried saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer to an 89 point ride, a first place finish, and a new arena record at the 2019 rodeo.

The mare, who has paint markings on each side of her belly, is an exceptional horse, said Chad Hutsell, one of her owners and caretakers along with Sonny Riley.

She’s bucked at the biggest rodeos across the nation, he said. “She’s been to about every big rodeo there is on this side of the Mississippi River,” including Rodeo Houston, the Calgary Stampede, Cloverdale, British Columbia, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and even pro rodeo’s biggest stage, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where she’s been selected to work fifteen times.

For Scheer, a six-time Wrangler NFR qualifier, it wasn’t his first time aboard the horse.

“That horse has been amazing for years,” he told the Pro Rodeo Sports News after his ride in 2019. “I’ve been on that horse four or five times now, and she has been unbelievable every time.”

Hutsell said, if saddle bronc riders don’t make a mistake, she’ll carry them to a win. “But if they stub their toe, they won’t do well.” He hasn’t kept track of how much money has been won riding Kool Toddy, but it’s a lot. “I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars they’ve won on that mare, but if you think of all the big rodeos she’s been to, it’s a lot.”

Kool Toddy has been bucking since she was five years old, and because of the excellent care given to her, continues into her second decade. Hutsell will watch for signs from her before he retires her. “I let the horses tell me when they’re done (bucking),” he said. “And she’s not done. She still loves going and getting on the truck.”

Last year, with rodeos canceled due to the pandemic, bucking horses stayed home. But they missed being on the road, Hutsell said, and he could tell. One day, a semi and trailer drove by the Hutsell ranch, with the trailer rattling and getting their attention. “Half of the herd, their heads popped up like, do we get to go somewhere?”

Inside the rodeo arena, she’s a great ride for cowboys. Outside, she’s standoffish, Hutsell said.

“She is not a people-person horse at all. She’ll wrinkle her nose when people come around.”

His and wife Lindsay’s fifteen-year-old son, Bronc, can attest to that. Last winter, Kool Toddy and another bucking horse, Spring Planting, were stalled in the barn together. Every day, Bronc took treats out to the horses; Spring Planting would eat her treat out of his hand; Kool Toddy would not. He persisted, but she never changed her mind. “He’d set it down on the ground or on a fence post, and she’d walk over and get it,” Hutsell said.

Kool Toddy’s dam was Hot Toddy; her sire was Iron Mountain. When she retires, she will become a brood mare.

The mare, along with about 100 other head of bucking horses and bulls, will compete at the St. Paul Rodeo, held June 30-July 4. Performances begin nightly at 7:30 pm with a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4.

Tickets can be purchased online at StPaulRodeo.com; they range in price from $20-$26.

For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.
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Cutline: Cort Scheer rides Kool Toddy for 89 points at the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo, to break the arena record. The 22-year-old mare is owned by Flying Five/Big Bend Rodeo Co. and has bucked at the biggest rodeos in the nation. Photo by Hoot Creek.

ST PAUL AMBASSADOR

Justin McKee announces St. Paul Rodeo 
Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo
ST PAUL AMBASSADOR
Oklahoma cowboy announces the St. Paul Rodeo, is an advocate for the town

St. Paul, Ore. (June 14, 2021) – There’s an Okie native who loves Oregon nearly as much as he loves his home state.
Justin McKee has been in love with St. Paul and the St. Paul Rodeo for the nearly 20 years he’s come to town to announce the Nation’s Greatest 4th of July rodeo.

The 52-year-old rodeo announcer, a former TV announcer for the PBR and now host of a rodeo show on The Cowboy Channel, loves St. Paul because it reminds him of his hometown of Lenapah, Oklahoma, where he and his family lived until a year ago, when they moved to Texas.
But when he comes to the Northwest to help celebrate the St. Paul Rodeo, he’s an Oregonian and the biggest cheerleader St. Paul has.

McKee is well-known for his colorful commentary, what St. Paul Rodeo goers call “McKee-isms”: sayings like “as gritty as sand in your scrambled eggs”; “bucked off faster than the banker could tell me no”; “spinning like a weathervane in a hurricane”; and other comparisons.
He developed many of them while on TV as a PBR commentator. In rodeo, he had a different crowd every night, but on TV, it was often the same viewers every night. “When you’re on TV every week, you have to come up with new stuff,” McKee said. “That’s when I went stealing, creating, looking and always thinking” of new and different sayings.

He and his wife Jeannie are the parents of a 21-year-old daughter, Kassidy, who is the apple of her daddy’s eye. She’s a barrel racer, like her mother, and also served as the 2016 Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Teen.

McKee’s day job is as fulltime host for The Cowboy Channel, official network of the PRCA. He is producer of a show called ProRodeo Tonight, and it’s given him a platform to tell the stories of cowboys and cowgirls, to “paint pictures” in minds, he said.

During every performance of the rodeo, the St. Paul High School Booster Club delivers a serving of strawberry shortcake to the announcer’s stand, for McKee to eat while he’s announcing. “It’s a beautiful combination,” the Okie quipped. “The booster club wants to sell strawberry shortcake and I want to eat strawberry shortcake. It’s real simple.” He describes the deliciousness of the cake to the audience, and shortcake sales increase. “To repay my ability to drive business to their stand, they bring me strawberry shortcake. It’s a very fair trade.”

McKee loves rodeo but he especially loves St. Paul. “There’s an atmosphere of love of country and community that are important in St. Paul. There’s a great spirit, and maybe it’s the rodeo and the tradition. It’s a fun spirit.” “It’s magical.”

This year’s St. Paul Rodeo, which is the 85th edition, kicks off June 30 and runs through July 4 with nightly performances at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4.

Tickets range in price from $20 to $26 and can be purchased online at StPaulRodeo.com. For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.
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Cutline:
Oklahoma native Justin McKee leans out of the announcer’s stand as he calls the action at the St. Paul Rodeo. McKee, who has announced the rodeo for about two decades, loves the little town and all it and the rodeo stand for. Photo by Hoot Creek.





2021 St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees

Dan Ackley

Dan Ackley

Ivan Blosser

Ivan Blosser

Bob Hockett

Bob Hockett

Walt Miller

Walt Miller

Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo
CONTRIBUTING TO RODEO
Members, cowboys, artists, all make contributions to St. Paul Rodeo,
inducted into the Hall of Fame

St. Paul, Ore. (June 9, 2021) – The St. Paul Rodeo will induct four people in its 2021 Hall of Fame.
Those people are: Dan Ackley, in the timed event category; Ivan Blosser, in the St. Paul Rodeo membership category, Bob Hockett, notable, and Walt Miller, as a St. Paul Rodeo director/officer.

Dan Ackley, who passed away in 2018, was a resident of Prineville, Ore. before he and his late wife Judy moved to Rainier, Washington. He won the steer wrestling at the 1984 St. Paul Rodeo. He worked the timed event chutes at various PRCA rodeos across the Northwest and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo three times in the steer wrestling (1977-79). He also competed in the tie-down and team roping.

An accomplished wood and metal artist, he made beautiful hand-crafted furniture to sell at the Wild West Art Show, where his nickname was “The Mayor.” Dan’s late wife, Judy, who passed away last year, was a St. Paul Rodeo arena secretary and was inducted into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2004.

Ivan Blosser, St. Paul, was an active St. Paul Rodeo member for nearly three decades, from the 1950s through the 1970s. He co-chaired the dance hall committee when the St. Paul Rodeo activities included a dance at the open-air pavilion, where the Bull Pen now stands. As a drummer in area bands, including a stint with the Woody Hite band, he played in bands for rodeo social parties.

During the rodeo, his primary job was working the gates as a ticket taker. He was a faithful volunteer with general work parties, and served on the queen and court committee, chaperoning St. Paul Rodeo royalty to various events around the state with his wife, Oma.
Blosser farmed, and the rodeo comes at a busy time for farmers. But he helped anyway. Volunteering was what community people did, said his daughter, Mary Jane Krier. Her parents “did whatever assignment they were given, as did so many other people in the community.”
Mary Jane and her husband Dr. David Krier chair the Wild West Art show; Ivan and Oma’s son Jon Blosser has been a volunteer with the Wild West Art Show for several years.

Blosser passed away in 1975.

Bob Hockett, an inductee in the notable category, was born in 1938 in Mt. Angel and, as an adult, moved to St. Paul to begin farming. In 1976, he and four other farmers formed Marion Ag Service. Two years later, he bought out the partners and continues to oversee its daily operations, even at the age of 82!

Hockett has contributed to St. Paul in a variety of quiet, understated ways. He has donated time and resources to St. Paul Elementary, the St. Paul Booster Club, the St. Paul Parochial School, and local 4-H and FFA chapters. He has, in the name of the Marion Ag Service, purchased fair animals, allowing the 4-H students to carry feed and expenses on interest-free credit at the store, paying their bills after the auction. He has been a very generous rodeo sponsor through the years.

He is humble, unassuming and quiet (unless he was at the microphone as the voice of the St. Paul Football team!) and does not enjoy the spotlight. However, his countless contributions have made the St. Paul community stronger.

His wife, Judy, passed away in 2010; he is married to Kathleen, a long-time rodeo member. They make their home in Woodburn.

Walter Miller was a St. Paul Rodeo officer from 1988-2000.

As a rodeo director, Miller was in charge of parking and security. A carpenter by trade, he worked on the facility and the grounds alongside his cousin, Bill Miller.

He was passionate about the rodeo and loved the social part of it, his son Matt Miller said. “He loved the people and being involved in the community. He loved rodeo in general.”

Matt grew up at the rodeo grounds and remembers the workdays scheduled for Father’s Day. While Matt helped paint the arena walls and chutes, Walt was helping with other things.

Jennifer Schurter, Walt’s daughter, remembers the St. Paul Rodeo as their vacation every summer. They would camp out in a borrowed motorhome across from the Tack Room, so Walt could be close to his “policing” duties. After the rodeo, he would make a lap around the arena, checking on the beer stations. It would take a long time for him to make a lap, Schurter said. He’d find people he knew “and he might spend ten minutes, or an hour, visiting with people.”

Miller is remembered as a happy-go-lucky guy, “the first guy with a big smile on his face when you’d see him,” said Sam McKillip, St. Paul Rodeo Association member. “We all liked Walt. He was easy to be around. He was fully invested in the St. Paul Rodeo.”

The Hall of Fame Barbecue honoring the Class of 2021 will be held June 29 at the St. Paul Rodeo arena. It begins at 5 pm. A meal will be served, with live and silent auctions. Auction proceeds benefit the St. Paul Rodeo Foundation.

Tickets for the Barbecue are $35 and are not available at the door; they must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased online at StPaulRodeo.com


This year’s rodeo is June 30-July 4, with performances each evening at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4.
For more information, visit the website or call the rodeo office at 800.237.5920.

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Cutlines:
Dan Ackley, a 2021 inductee into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame, was a contestant, official and artist at the St. Paul Rodeo. His nickname in the Wild West Art tent was “The Mayor.”

Long-time St. Paul Rodeo member Ivan Blosser worked for nearly three decades on the rodeo, from the dance and queen committees to ticket taking. His son Jon and daughter and son-in-law Mary Jane and Dr. Krier continue his tradition.

Bob Hockett, a quiet and unassuming man, was instrumental behind the scenes at the St. Paul Rodeo and throughout the community.
Walter Miller was a St. Paul Rodeo director who used his talents as a carpenter to maintain and improve the grounds. He loved the social aspect of the rodeo and its people.

Walter Miller’s children enjoy a light moment with their dad in the Tack Room Saloon. Miller, a St. Paul Rodeo director, is a 2021 inductee into the rodeo’s Hall of Fame.



ST PAUL RODEO GRANTS ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Alexandra Hernandez

Alexandra Hernandez

Olivia Veeman

Olivia Veeman

Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo

ST PAUL RODEO GRANTS ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS
Newberg, St Paul residents headed to dentistry school with the help of the rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (June 7, 2021) – Two young people have been awarded scholarships by the St. Paul Rodeo Foundation.

Alexandra Hernandez, St. Paul, and Olivia Veeman, Newberg, have each won $4,000 towards their higher education.
Hernandez, a 2021 graduate of St. Paul High School, played volleyball, basketball, and ran track throughout her high school career. She was part of her school’s FFA chapter, National Honor Society, DECA, Key Club, Health Occupation Club, and was editor in chief for her school’s yearbook.

Veeman, a 2021 graduate of Veritas School in Newberg, was part of the drama club, ran track and field for two of her high school years, and was part of the concert choir and yearbook club.

Both women were active as volunteers.

Hernandez helped with the St. Paul Blood Drive, was an altar server for the St. Mary Catholic Church, and was one of the managers for the St. Paul High School football team.

Veeman helped with Samaritan’s Purse Christmas shoeboxes, decorated Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital, and helped with Monday Meals, feeding the homeless.

Hernandez, who won the scholarship given to a St. Paul High School student, volunteered at the rodeo as part of the school’s booster club, parking cars and helping with set-up. She loves watching the barrel racing and the fireworks.

Veeman’s father, Dr. Richard Veeman, is the official veterinarian for the St. Paul Rodeo, and she and her brother have tagged along with their dad as he cared for animals at the rodeo.

Both women plan on going into the field of dentistry.

Hernandez will attend Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., to work towards her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. After that, she hopes to apply to dental school and become an orthodontist.

Hernandez has seen firsthand what a quality education is. Her cousins, who live in Mexico, “wish to go to school every day, and want a better education,” she said. “They have schools but the schools don’t have good education programs. That’s why college is so important to me. I have a lot of family that isn’t able to do things that we here in America are able to do.”

Veeman will attend Corban University in Salem, Ore. and eventually work towards a Doctor of Dental Medicine or Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Her interest lies towards dentistry, because, “it is important for people to eat, and a beautiful smile is always wonderful.”

Hernandez is the daughter of Jose and Rosa Hernandez; Veeman’s parents are Richard and Samara Veeman.

This year’s St. Paul Rodeo is June 30-July 4, with performances nightly at 7:30 pm and a matinee on July 4 at 1:30 pm. Tickets are on sale online at StPaulRodeo.com

For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.

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Alexandra Hernandez, St. Paul, has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship from the St. Paul Rodeo Foundation. The 2021 St. Paul High School will be a student at Pacific University this fall.

Olivia Veeman, Newberg, is the recipient of a St. Paul Rodeo Foundation scholarship in the amount of $4,000. A 2021 graduate of Veritas School, she will attend Corban University this fall.



TICKETS ON SALE FOR GREATEST FOURTH OF JULY RODEO

by_hoot_creek

Boudreaux_Campbell - 2019 - St. Paul Rodeo

Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo
TICKETS ON SALE FOR
NATION’S GREATEST FOURTH OF JULY RODEO
St. Paul Rodeo set to break out of the chutes June 30-July 4

St. Paul, Ore. (June 3, 2021) – The fun is about to break out of the chutes at the St. Paul Rodeo!

For the 85th year, the Nation’s Greatest Rodeo will take place June 30-July 4, and tickets are on sale now!

The rodeo is the biggest event in the small town of St. Paul, and one of the top twenty largest rodeos in the nation.

Fans know it best for the fun it provides. Rodeo clown JJ Harrison will be on hand to provide the laughs, and the Full Throttle trick riders will entertain in flashy sequined costumes, while they do gymnastic stunts on the backs of galloping horses!

And the food! The St. Paul Rodeo is known for its homemade strawberry shortcake, complete with locally grown berries and a big dollop of whipped cream on top! Plus, there’s barbecue chicken, cotton candy, popcorn, and more!

It’s good to be able to rodeo and invite fans to return, said Cindy Schonholtz, general manager of the St. Paul Rodeo, who has an informal “theme” for this year’s rodeo: “More fun in ’21.”

“We are proud to be a family celebration where moms and dads, kids and grandkids, grandmas and granddads can get together, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate Independence Day.”

Tickets range in price from $16 to $26, not including a convenience fee, and can be purchased online at StPaulRodeo.com

“Come and celebrate with us at the St. Paul Rodeo,” Schonholtz said.

Rodeo performances are at 7:30 pm nightly, June 30-July 4, with a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4.

For more information, visit the rodeo’s website or call 800.237.5920. Covid guidelines will be in place during the rodeo. Tickets purchased earlier in the year will be honored.

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Bull rider Boudreaux Campbell competes at the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo. This year’s rodeo is scheduled for June 30-July 4. As Covid restrictions are lifted, more tickets will be released for sale. Photo by Hoot Creek.



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Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo

ANNUAL TRAIL RIDE TO TAKE PLACE
St. Paul Rodeo kicks off with first event; tickets limited due to restrictions

St. Paul, Ore. (May 24, 2021) – The St. Paul Rodeo is pleased to announce that its annual Trail Ride will take place this year.

On June 6, trail riders can gather to ride their horses through the three-hour trip, starting in St. Paul, winding through farmland and along hop fields to the Willamette River, then back to town.

It’s a trip that Dave Smith has helped prepare for years.

The St. Paul native got “volun-told,” as he likes to say, to take down low branches and mow the route each year.

That was 35 years ago, and he’s still helping prepare the route, “checking for low limbs, making sure there are no holes for a horse to step in, putting out trash cans,” he said.

Being one of the Smith family (two of his great-uncles were founders of the rodeo when it began in 1936) and a long-time resident of St. Paul means Dave has been a life-long volunteer with the rodeo. “It’s kind of a curse,” he joked. But he loves it.

The trail ride is one of his favorites. “It’s seeing the same faces every year. You build relationships with the people on the ride and you see a lot of different personalities on the ride. It’s fun.”

The rodeo will be held this year, June 30-July 4, and for that, Smith is glad. “Everybody was let down last year. It just wasn’t summer without having a rodeo over the Fourth of July. It was quiet.”

Because of Covid restrictions, the trail ride will have a limited number of riders. The ride is free but participants must sign up online and check in at the contestant entry office for a number, to be allowed to ride.

A hearty breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and locally grown strawberries will be served from 7 am to 10:30 am. The breakfast will be held in the rodeo arena; the public is asked to enter through the Tack Room Saloon. Seating for the breakfast will be outdoors; please dress accordingly. Seatings will be at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am and 10 am; tickets must be purchased online to guarantee seating. Takeout breakfasts will be unlimited; purchase a ticket online to guarantee availability. Pickup for takeout will be by the Tack Room Saloon.

Check-in for the trail ride begins at 8 am; the trail ride starts at 10 am.

To sign up for the trail ride and for the breakfast, visit the rodeo’s website at www.StPaulRodeo.com. Cost of the breakfast is $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and under.

Ticket sales for the rodeo have been paused until the state offers more direction regarding Covid restrictions. If rodeo tickets have been purchased already, they will be honored.

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Cutlines:
St. Paul Rodeo royalty leads the trail riders on the annual Trail Ride. This year’s ride is June 6. The ride is free but riders must sign up online. Photo courtesy Hoot Creek.

Trail riders enjoy the sunshine and scenery as they make their way on the annual St. Paul Rodeo trail ride. Photo courtesy Hoot Creek.
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