North Platte, Neb. – June 16, 2014 – The contestant list has been set for the 2014 Buffalo Bill Rodeo, and 362 cowboys and cowgirls will make their way to town for thrills and spills for rodeo fans, and gold buckle dreams for the contestants.
The list is peppered with world champions and hometown cowboys alike. The reigning Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association Saddle Bronc champion Chad Ferley is entered, along with past champions like Will Lowe (bareback riding), Jeff Willert (saddle bronc riding), and Nebraska’s own two-time steer wrestling world champion Dean Gorsuch.
For Gorsuch, a Gering resident, the North Platte rodeo will be his first pro rodeo in several weeks. He tore an elbow ligament in practice and even though it doesn’t hurt while he’s steer wrestling, it hurts to do everyday things. “I tore it just practicing, and I didn’t know I’d tore it. It’s all braced up.” He will hit the rodeo road after North Platte, competing in Pleasant Grove, Utah and Reno, Nevada next week. Gorsuch will have Tommy John surgery in December, after he hopefully qualifies for his ninth National Finals Rodeo, pro rodeo’s world championship.
Dan Barner, Hershey, is another of the five dozen Huskers who will be at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. The steer wrestler has won money at the rodeo, but has never won it. “I’ve come in about every place but first,” he joked. “It’s my hometown rodeo, and it’s a hard one to win.”
Barner and Gorsuch both competed at the Wild West Arena for state high school finals rodeo in the late 1990’s, and now it’s Dan’s son Braxten’s turn. Braxten, the five year old son of Dan and his wife Kellie, will compete on the Sunday after the rodeo. “He was in his first junior rodeo there last year,” Barner said, “and we’ve got him entered again this year. He loves it, he really loves it. It’s fun to watch him get into something I’ve enjoyed so much.”
For Gorsuch, it’s enjoyable to compete close to home. “A lot of the Sandhills people I know are there, a lot of family and friends.” Dean and his wife Bekah have three sons, ages nine, five and 14 months, and they will be in North Platte, cheering him on.
Of the eight champions from last year’s rodeo, five are returning to compete again. Jesse Bail (saddle bronc riding), Ty Blasingame (team roping), Nick Guy and Reed Petersek (who tied for the steer wrestling title), and Brittany Pozzi (barrel racing) will all ride or run in North Platte.
The rodeo, which runs June 18-21, begins at 8 pm each night. Rodeo clown and barrelman Justin Rumford will entertain. Bullfighters Quirt Hunt, Hershey, and Andy Burelle, Ardmore, Okla., will work the bull riding, and Hadley Barrett and Randy Corley, the father-in-law/son-in-law duo, will announce. Barrett grew up in the North Platte area, and Corley lived there for about twenty years. Beutler and Son Rodeo Co., Elk City, Okla., will provide the bucking horses and bulls.
Slack, the extra competition that doesn’t fit into the performances, will be at 7:30 am on June 18 and 19 and is free to the public.
Tickets for the rodeo are $20 for reserved seating and $13 for adults and $7 for kids ages twelve and under in the upper grandstand. They can be purchased at the NebraskalandDays office, online at NebraskalandDays.com, and at the gate. For more information, visit the website or call the office at 308.532.7939.
Nebraska cowboys by event and day they will compete at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Note: Cowboys and cowgirls may not compete due to injury or other reasons, or they may compete in a different performance than listed.
(Subject to change.)
Bareback riding
Wednesday, June 18
Wyatt Gewinner, Weeping Water
Friday, June 20
Nate McFadden, Elsmere
Steer wrestling (2 go-rounds)
Slack Wednesday, June 18 and Performance Saturday, June 21
Logan McDonald, Alliance
Dillon Simonson, Purdum
Collin Chytka, Broken Bow
Jeff Richardson, Fullerton
Slack Wednesday, June 18 and Performance Friday, June 20
Jake Kraupie, Bridgeport
Brett Gumb, Burwell
Del Ray Kraupie, Bridgeport
Slack Wednesday, June 18 and slack Thursday, June 19
Richard Coats, Hastings
Brady Hageman, McCook
Carter Coble, Ogallala
Brady Wakefield, O’Neill
Kyle Sanderson, Chambers
Ty Talsma, Verdigre
Chad Johnson, Thedford
Trevor Haake, Grand Island
Jeff Johnston, Thedford
Kyle Whitaker, Chambers
Ty Melvin, Arthur
Mike Stephen, Springview
Dustin Dailey, Long Pine
Gabe Taylor, Valentine
Linn Churchill, Valentine
Dru Melvin, Hebron
Performance Wednesday, June 18 and slack Thursday, June 19
Dan Barner, Hershey
Miles Spickelmier, Henderson
Tyler Kester, York
Slack Thursday, June 19
Dean Gorsuch, Gering
Tie-down roping (2 go-rounds)
Slack Wednesday, June 18 and Performance Saturday, June 21
Troy Pruitt, Gering
Bridger Chytka, Curtis
Slack Wednesday, June 18 and Performance Friday, June 20
Kyle Whitaker, Chambers
Garrett Nokes, McCook
Brady Wakefield, O’Neill
Boe Brown, Valentine
Riley Pruitt, Gering
Slack Wednesday, June 18 and Slack Thursday, June 19
John Klooz, Purdum
Levi Fisher, Hershey
Saddle bronc riding
Wednesday, June 18
Bryce Miller, Nelson
Thursday, June 19
Tanner Olson, Bartlett
Callan Connelly, Ogallala
Friday, June 20
Ryan Bestol, Hyannis
Saturday, June 21
Travis Sheets, Hyannis
Team roping (2 go-rounds)
Performance Wednesday, June 18 and Performance Saturday, June 21
Terry Graff, Long Pine
Jeff Johnston, Thedford
Matt Kasner, Cody
Ken Kohl, Surprise
Dustin Harris, O’Neill
Brady Wakefield, O’Neill
Ty Talsma, Verdigre
Performance Thursday, June 19 and Performance Friday, June 20
Jeff Richardson, Fullerton
Todd Pinneo, Rising City
Brandon Wyckoff, Bayard
Dustin Wyckoff, Broken Bow
Trent Barrett, North Platte
Levi Tyan, Wallace
Travis Warren, Mullen
Tucker White, Hershey
Performance Thursday, June 19 and Performance Friday, June 20
Brent Reichmuth, Humphrey
Barrel racing
Slack Thursday, June 19
Brenna Kohle, Stuart
Ginalee Tierney, Broken Bow
Cheryl Wallace, Broken Bow
Becky Pearson, Broken Bow
Lindsey Salestrom, York
Bailey Lord, Potter
Robyn Neal, North Platte
Performance Thursday, June 19
Jimi Hurlbut, Overton
Gayle White, Dickens
Performance Saturday, June 21
Jessica Leach, Rockwell
June Holeman, Arcadia
Kori Conley, Roca
Annie Haselbalch, Bennet
Bull riding
Wednesday, June 18
Bart Miller, Oshkosh
Thursday, June 19
Cody Sierks, Brewster
Buck Moon, Sargent
Jordan McAllister, Gering
Trey Kerner, Sutherland