North Platte – Ten of the 2016-17 North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball team were named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-Academic Team.

The first team is those students who have achieved a 4.0 Grade Point Average. Antonya Shaffert from Otis, Colo., Ashley Starr from Tryon, Jessica Lovitt from Mullen, MaKenna Ketter from Imperial, Megan Chintala from Fleming, Colo., Mikenna Curlee from Peetz, Colo., and Shelby Wolever from Brush, Colo.,were all named to the First Team. Lovitt also played for the Lady Knights basketball team.

On the second team, which is a GPA from 3.80 to 3.99, is Jessica Eckhout from Amherst.

The Third Team, which is a GPA from 3.60 to 3.79, includes Aly Camacho from Scottsbluff and Cheyenne Kuhlmann from Imperial.

The 2017 Grappling on the Gridiron event is set for Friday, July 7 at North Platte High School’s Memorial Stadium.

The tournament is open for ages 1st grade through 12th grade with a $16 fee per wrestler. Matches for first through sixth graders will be three one-minute periods and seventh through 12th graders will be three 1 1/2- minute periods. High school rules will apply for all age divisions.

To register go to trackwrestling.com under Grappling on the Gridiron 2017. Medals will be awarded to the top four places in each division.

Admission is $5 for adults and children 17 and under are free. Weigh-ins for wrestlers will be from 3-5 pm in the North Platte High School wrestling room. For more information contact North Platte Bulldogs wrestling coach Dale Hall at 308-760-3153 or email [email protected].

North Platte – Seven members of the 2017 Region IX Division II champion North Platte Community College Knights softball team were named to the All-Nebraska Two-Year College softball team.

Samantha Gill, catcher, Samantha Foster, pitcher, Shelby Belloni, outfielder, and Sarah Beaton were named to the first team, while Alyiah Franco, Shelly Heredia, and Erin Renwick were named Honorable mention.

The team was named by the Omaha World Herald and includes both Division I and Division II junior colleges in the state of Nebraska.

Lauren Oxford of Western Nebraska Community College was named honorary captain. The complete list can be found at www.omaha.com.

North Platte, Neb. (June 17, 2017) – Austin Foss knows he needs to persevere, and on a Saturday night in North Platte, that’s exactly what he did.

The bareback rider, on the last night of competition at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, turned in the highest score of the week, an 87.5, to win the 2017 title of champion bareback rider.

He gave kudos to Beutler and Son Rodeo’s bronc Pendleton Whisky’s Red Bandana, the horse he rode. “It’s a horse a guy is pretty happy to see his name next to,” the Terrebonne, Ore. man said. “He’s really strong right out of the chute, and he’s just honest. I was really blessed to have him.”

Foss, a three-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, has had last year to let his body heal a bit. He didn’t rodeo hard, choosing to go to only a few, and that was good. “I wanted a year for my body to recoup. There’s guys my age who have had hip surgeries and all kinds of things. I don’t like the knife, so I try to do everything I can to keep myself away from it.”

Foss, who is 25 years old, is ranked eighteenth in the PRCA’s world standings. His check for $2,639 from the Buffalo Bill Rodeo should vault him up a few steps. “I’m climbing,” he said, of the goal to be in the top fifteen in the standings, to qualify for the Wrangler NFR. “Slowly but steady.”

He knows it’s a marathon, not a sprint, to the end of the pro rodeo season, which finishes Sept. 30. “Just keep persevering and keep pushing forward all the way to the end, because you never know, anything could happen,” he said.

It was déjà vu all over again for a Kansas cowboy.

For the second time, Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan., claimed the title of tie-down roping average winner at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

He won the title in 2012 and did it again this year with his time of 19.7 seconds on two head.

The cowboy, who is 27 years old, is having the best year of his pro rodeo career. He’s ranked twelfth in the PRCA’s world standings.

The biggest difference for him this year, he says, is horsepower. He rode his own horse for his first run in North Platte, but has ridden his traveling partner Ace Slone’s horse, Ripple, for most of the year and for his second run in North Platte, 8.4 seconds, which won him first place in the second round.

A good horse makes all the difference, Quaney said, and Ripple is good. The twelve-year-old sorrel “can really run and has pretty good timing.” Ripple is owned by the Justin Martin family from Evanston, Wyo.; Slone leases the horse. “It all starts with the horse,” Quaney said. “You have to be on the right horse to give yourself a chance.” And if the calf isn’t a good one, “the horse can make the majority of the calves in the pen better than they are.”

Quaney sat out about half of last year, after an ankle injury caused from a pickup game of basketball. He never went to the doctor to see if it was broken. “I probably should have (visited the doctor), looking back, but I did not.” He tried to rodeo with the injury, but it wasn’t 100 percenT. It may not be back to 100 percent now, “but I don’t notice it.”

He realizes that there are so many factors in rodeo that can dictate success, but he’s prepared to handle them. “It’s a roller coaster, and it’s going to be good, and it’s going to be bad, and you can’t worry about the bad.”

In the bull riding, Sulphur, Oklahoma’s Trevor Kastner topped the boards with an 87 point ride to win the 2017 title. The 29 year old cowboy rode the Beutler and Son Rodeo bull No. 124 for the win.

It’s a bit slower year than normal for the three-time Wrangler National Finals qualifier. He broke ribs at the Extreme Bulls competition in Rapid City in January, and took off a few weeks for them to heal. Then, while riding a colt on his Oklahoma ranch, he tore a meniscus. Surgery was March 1, where the doctor removed the meniscus, and he was out a few more weeks.

After ten years in the PRCA, he’s rodeoing smarter this year, taking fewer long trips to rodeos and flying less, “trying to be more efficient,” he said. He has qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals, the regional championship rodeo for Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, three times.

The 2017 Trail Boss Award was awarded to Dr. Lawrence Schufeldt. Schufeldt, a chiropractor, has volunteered his expertise at the rodeo since the early 1990s, helping cowboy and cowgirl contestants stay in good physical shape, so they can compete. Schufeldt grew up on the family ranch south of Whitman; he is married to Jeannie and they have three grown daughters.

Other 2017 champions include steer wrestler Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D.(8.8 seconds on 2 head), saddle bronc rider Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. (86.5 points), team ropers Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla. and Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla. (4.8 seconds), and barrel racer Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas (17.17 seconds).

More NEBRASKAland Days activities take place from now until June 25. The U.S. Cellular Summer Jam Concert Series is Fri., June 23 with Alan Jackson and special guest Dwight Yoakam. The Sat., June 24 concert is Chris Stapleton, with special guest Brothers Osborne. For more information, visit www.NebraskaLandDays.com.

Results, North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo 2017

Bareback riding – 2017 champion: Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore.
1. Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore. 86.5 points on Pendleton Whisky’s Red Bandanna; 2. David Peebles, Redmond, Ore., 85.5; 3. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb. 84; 4. Orin Larsen, Ingles, Manitoba 83.5; 5. Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas 82.5; 6. Trey Moore III, Anniston, Alberta 82; 7. (tie) Evan Jayne, Marseille, France and Grant Denny, Minden, Nev. 81.5 each.

Steer wrestling – 2017 champion: Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D.
1st go-round
1. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. and Ryan Swayze, Freedom, Okla. 4.0 seconds each; 3. John Franzen, Riverton, Wyo. 4.1; 4. (tie) Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis. and Jake Johnson, Mound City, Kan. 4.3 each; 6. (tie) Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., Mitchell Gardner, Dover, Okla. and Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 4.4 each.

2nd go-round
1. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., Blair Jones, Colby, Kan. and Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah 4.1 each; 5. Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan. 4.3; 6. Cole Edge, Durant, Okla. 4.5.

Average
1. Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D. 8.8 seconds on 2 head; 2. Nick Guy, Sparta, Wisc. 9.0; 3. John Franzen, Riverton, Wyo. 9.1; 4. (tie) Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. and Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah 9.3 each; 6. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. and Kyle Whitaker, 9.5 each.

Tie-down roping – 2017 champion: Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan.
1st go-round
1. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 9.0 seconds; 2. Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas 10.0; 3. L.D. Meier, Texhoma, Texas 10.1; 4. Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 10.8; 5. Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa 11.1; 6. (tie) Paul David Tierney, Oral, S.D. and Tweety McBride, Brenham, Texas 11.2 each.

2nd go-round
1. Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. 8.4 seconds; 2. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla. 9.2; 3. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.4; 4. Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas 9.6; 5. (tie) Justin Scofield, Wessington Springs, S.D., Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas and Trevor Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D. 10.0 each.

Average
1. Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. 19.7 seconds on 2 head; 2. Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas 20.0; 3. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 21.3; 4. Paul David Tierney, Oral, S.D. 22.0; 5. Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 22.7; 6. LD Meier, Texhoma, Okla. 22.8.

Saddle bronc riding – 2017 champion: Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla.
1. Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. 86.5 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Painted Desert; 2. Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas 86; 3. Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo. 84.5; 4. Shorty Garrett, Eagle Butte, S.D. 84; 5. Dawson Jandreau, Kennebec, S.D. 79.5; 6. Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 79; 7. Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas 78.5; 8. Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D. 78.

Team roping – 2017 champions: Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla. and Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla.
1. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla. 4.8 seconds; 2. Britt Ellerman, Ft Lupton, Colo./TJ Watts, Eads, Okla. 5.1; 3. Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Wyatt Cox, Arroyo Grande, Calif. 5.3; 4. Jay Tittel, Pueblo, Colo./Richard Durham, Henrietta, Texas 5.7; 5. Brett Christensen, Alva, Okla./Dawson McMaster, Madison, Kan. 5.8; 6. Logan Olson, Flandreau, S.D./Matt Kasner, Cody, Wyo. 6.1; 7.(tie) JB Lord, Sturgis, S.D./Levi Lord, Sturgis, S.D. and Cole Cooper, Sheridan, Wyo./Ryon Tittel, Pueblo, Colo. 6.8 each.

Barrel racing – 2017 champion: Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas
1. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 17.17 seconds; 2. Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark. 17.24; 3. Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Okla. 17.43; 4. Britta Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D. 17.52; 5. Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M. 17.59; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Victoria, Texas 17.61; 7. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas 17.63; 8. Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla.17.65; 9. Emily Miller, Weatherford, Okla. 17.72; 10. (tie) Kynder Starr, Catoosa, Okla. and Sidney Forrest, Lipan, Texas 17.79 each; 12. Taci Bettis, Round Top, Texas 17.81.

Bull riding – 2017 champion: Trevor Kastner, Sulphur, Okla.
1. Trevor Kastner, Sulphur, Okla. 87 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s No. 124; 2. Bart Miller, Oshkosh, Neb. 84; 3. Tanner Bothwell, Rapid City, S.D. 74; 4. Nate Perry, Elk City, Okla. 73; 5. Cullen Telfer, Thonotosassa, Fla. 65.5.

** All results are unofficial.

North Platte, Neb. (June 16, 2017) – The lead in the bareback riding at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte was set on Wednesday night, with Canadian cowboy Orin Larsen scoring 83.5 points.

But on Friday night, two cowboys, both ranked in the top ten in the PRCA’s world standings, moved into second and four place, after the third of four rodeo performances.

Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, is ranked fifth in the PRCA’s world standings and made an 82.5 point ride aboard Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Bell Star, a five-year-old mare. “She was really good,” he said of the horse. “She kicked good, and gave you some hang time to show your capability. I was really pleased” with the ride.

Tutor, who is 25 years old, has more incentive than usual for rodeo this year. He finished the 2016 season in sixteenth place, one hole and about $1,500 from qualifying for what would have been his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the super bowl of pro rodeo. Even though he didn’t make to the WNFR, being so close boosted his self-assurance. “I think, last year, coming so close gave me confidence, and that’s helped me a lot. Instead of showing up (at a rodeo) and hoping for the best, you show up, and you’re ready to win, you know you can win.”

Evan Jayne slipped into fourth place after an 81.5 point ride on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Nutrena’s Rage, and he had to hustle to do it. “That was tough,” he said of his ride. “That horse is so little, for a guy like me, it’ shard to get a hold of her. Right out of the gate, she got me set off a little bit, and I felt like I was chasing the ride the whole time. I didn’t ride 100 percent, but she made up for it. She was snappy.”

Jayne, who makes his home outside of Dallas, is ranked seventh in the world standings. He’s competed at the WNFR in 2015 and 2016.

His world was nearly upended in February when he and his wife’s four year old daughter had a brain aneurysm. Jayne was about to get on his bareback horse at the San Antonio, Texas rodeo when his wife Kristin called; their daughter was to have surgery in the morning. He packed up his belongings and made the four hour trip back to Dallas with his traveling partner doing the driving. “I couldn’t even drive, I was so upset.” His daughter, who he calls “a survivor”, will make a full recovery but it will take upwards of a year.

Jayne grew up knowing he wanted to be a cowboy, but he went about it in a non-traditional way. He grew up in a small town outside Marseilles, France, vowing he’d get to the U.S. to be a cowboy. He became a foreign exchange student, and got lucky enough to be chosen by a rodeo family in Texas. They made sure he got some rodeo experience, taking him to rodeo schools and high school rodeo. After that, Jayne got a student visa and attended Sam Houston State University on a rodeo scholarship. That was in nineteen years ago, and he’s won over half a million dollars throughout his rodeo career.

Other fast times and high scores from the Friday night performance are steer wrestler Brett Gumb, Burwell, Neb. (5.4 seconds), tie-down roper Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas (9.4 seconds), saddle bronc rider Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo. (84.5 points), team ropers Travis Warren, Mullen, Neb. and TW Wilson, Limon, Colo. (7.8 seconds) and barrel racer Britta Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D. (17.52 seconds). In the bull riding, three men made qualified rides: Trevor Kastner’s 87 point ride leads the pack, with Pleasanton, Neb.’s Bart Miller coming in second (84 points) and Nate Perry with 73.

The final night of rodeo in North Platte wraps up on Saturday, June 17 when champions will be crowned and custom engraved buckles awarded to winners. The big rodeo parade takes place on Saturday at 12 noon; it is the official parade for Nebraska’s sesquicentennial celebration and will be aired live on the Gray Television stations across Nebraska (KNEP-Scottsbluff, KNOP and KNPL-North Platte, KGIN-Grand Island, KSNB-Hastings, KOLN-Lincoln, WOWT-Omaha.)

For more information, visit www.NEBRASKAlandDays.com.

Results, 3rd Performance June 17, 2016
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback Riding
1. Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas 82.5 points on Bell Star; 2. Evan Jayne, Marseille, France, 81.5; 3. Chad Rutherford, Lake Charles, La. 80.5; 4. Wyatt Bloom, Bend, Ore. 77.

Steer Wrestling 2nd go round
1. Brett Gumb, Burwell, Neb. 5.4 seconds; 2. Coltin Hill, Blackfoot Ida. 6.8; 3. Riley Krassin, Lander, Wyo. 9.1; 4. Del Ray Kraupie, Bridgeport, Neb. 14.1.

Tie Down Roping 2nd go round
1. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.4 seconds; 2. Cody Nye, Alliance, Neb. 12.2; 3. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 12.3; 4. Braxton Laughlin, Westlake, La. 23.0.

Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo. 84.5 on Nutrena’s Little Angel; 2. Roper Kiesner, Ripley, Okla. 75.5; 3. Leon Fountain, Socorro, N.M. 74.5; 4. Triston Eklund, Valentine, Neb. 73.

Team Roping
1. Travis Warren, Mullen, Neb./TW Wilson, Limon, Colo. 7.8 seconds; 2. Peyton Holliday, Chouteau, Okla./Kingston Chang, Dodge City, Kan. 12.1; 3. Ty Daniel Haller, Decatur, Texas/Wesley Moss, Paradise, Texas 15.3; 4. Levi O’Keeffe, Mohall, N.D./Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D. 15.4.

Barrel Racing
1. Britta Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D. 17.52 seconds; 2. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas 17.63; 3. Carrie Sutton, Ashby, Neb. 17.94; 4. Carol Ruggieri, Pueblo, Colo. 18.13.

Bull Riding
1. Trevor Kastner, Sulphur, Okla. 87 points on No. 317; 2. Bart Miller, Pleasanton, Neb. 84; 3. Nate Perry, Elk City, Okla. 73; no other qualified rides.

** All results are unofficial.

North Platte, Neb. (June 15, 2017) – The 2017 Buffalo Bill Rodeo is half over, and the first rounds of the steer wrestling and tie-down roping are complete in North Platte, with the second rounds of those two events having begun.

Steer wrestlers Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., and Ryan Swayze, Freedom, Okla., tied to win the first round with a time of 4.0 seconds. In the tie-down roping, Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D., won the first round with his 9.0 second run.

The steer wrestler leading the second round is a young talented cowboy, Eli Lord. Lord, who is 23 and hails from Sturgis, S.D. turfed his steer in a time of 4.0 seconds to take the lead. He didn’t win a check in the first round, having broken the barrier, which added a ten second penalty to his time of 11 seconds.

Lord competes alongside family at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. His younger brother, Levi, age 21, and his dad, J.B., also competed in North Platte, all three in the team roping and Eli in the steer wrestling. J.B. is a veteran in the rodeo world, having qualified and competed at more than 25 Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeos and won the all-around, steer wrestling and team roping titles numerous times.

Eli Lord was humble about his four second run. “This is a great rodeo,” he said. “There’s ninety-some bulldoggers entered, and it’s always tough (competition) here. I was just fortunate enough to make a good run.”

Lord has one more semester of college at Eastern New Mexico State University in Portales and will graduate in December of this year with a degree in elementary education. But before he puts that to use, his ultimate goal is the same as for most every professional rodeo cowboy: be in the top fifteen in the PRCA world standings, in order to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. But he’s broken his goals into bite-sized chunks: first, he wants to win the Badlands Circuit, the regional designation for the pro rodeos in the Dakotas, in both the steer wrestling and the team roping. He’s qualified three times for the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo, and is ranked in the top ten so far, third in the steer wrestling and ninth in the team roping as a header.

Then he’d like to finish the rodeo season in the top 35 in both events, which would qualify him to compete in the big winter rodeos. The closest he’s been is finishing the 2015 year in the top fifty in the team roping, but horse troubles slowed his rodeo and he’s never been ranked that high since.

Lord usually travels with his brother and dad, but that’s coming to an end, as he competes in two events, which requires three horses: a heading horse for the team roping, a steer wrestling horse, and a hazing horse. Three of his horses, plus at least two more for his brother and dad make the trailer too crowded. Being together so much has its benefits and its disadvantages, Lord said. “It’s like any other family. There’s a lot of arguing that goes on, but it’s great overall. It’s great to do a sport where you can compete against your dad and your brother, as well as rodeo with them. That’s been great.”

He’s following in his dad’s footsteps, but would like to walk out of them. His dad, JB, “has done a lot of the sport, and now I’m trying to not only do as well as him, but surpass him.”

Eli team roped with heeler Tucker White, Hershey, in North Platte. The duo did not make a qualified run. JB and Levi team roped together tonight; their time of 6.8 seconds has them in sixth place so far.

Other leaders from Thursday’s slack and performance are bareback rider Blake Smith, Zap, N.D. (75 points); tie-down roper Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. (8.4 seconds), and team ropers Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla. and Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla. (4.8 seconds). Saddle bronc rider Shorty Garrett, Eagle Butte, S.D., had the high score for the night; his 84 points sits second overall. Barrel racer Jessica Leach, Rockville, Neb. was a 17.85 to be the fast time for the night. There were no qualified rides in the bull riding.

Night number three of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place on Friday, June 16 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Tickets are available online at www.NebraskaLandDays.com, at the NLD office or at the gate.

High scores and fast times from the second performance and slack, June 15, 2017
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback riding
1. Blake Smith, Zap, N.D. 75 points on Nutrena’s Pebbles; 2. Joel Schlegel, Burns, Colo. 73.5; 3. Jordan Pelton, Halliday, N.D. 72; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling
1st go-round (completed after slack today)
1. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. and Ryan Swayze, Freedom, Okla. 4.0 seconds each; 3. John Franzen, Riverton, Wyo. 4.1; 4. (tie) Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis. and Jake Johnson, Mound City, Kan. 4.3 each; 6. (tie) Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., Mitchell Gardner, Dover, Okla. and Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas 4.4 each.

2nd go-round
1. Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D. 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, Taz Olson, Prairie City, S.D., and Blair Jones, Colby, Kan. 4.1 each; 4. Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan. 4.3.

Tie-down roping
2nd go-round
1. Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. 8.4 seconds; 2. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla. 9.2; 3. Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas 9.6; 4. (tie) Trevor Thiel, Greeley, Colo. and Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas 10.0 each.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Shorty Garrett, Eagle Butte, S.D. 84 points on Black Gold; 2. Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alb. 72; 3. Tyler Turco, Franktown, Colo. 69; 4. Landon Mecham, Tropic, Utah, 61.5

Team Roping
1. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla. 4.8 seconds; 2. Brit Ellerman, Ft Lupton, Colo./TJ Watts, Ft Lupton, Colo. 5.1; 3. Logan Olson, Flandreau, S.D./Matt Kasner, Cody, Neb. 5.3; 4. Brett Christensen, Alva, Okla./Dawson McMaster, Madison, Kan. 5.8.

Barrel Racing
1.Jessica Leach, Rockville, Neb. 17.85 seconds; 2. Cheryl Wallace, Broken Bow Neb. 17.87; 3. Holly Wright, Gruver, Texas 17.94; 4. Chandler Markel, Morrill Neb. 17.99.

Bull riding
No qualified rides.

** All results are unofficial.

North Platte, Neb. (June 14, 2017) – Hardy Braden didn’t have to call home tonight to let his parents know how he did at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte.

Butch and Tammy Braden were on hand to see their son take the lead in the saddle bronc riding after the first night of competition.

The Welch, Okla. cowboy rode the Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. horse Painted Desert for 86.5 points to take the lead.

It was a bit of revenge for the 28-year-old cowboy. He’d rode the horse, a twelve-year-old gelding, in Burwell, Neb., three years ago. “Last time I got on her, she kind of made me look stupid, actually. She got me behind (in spurring) and I couldn’t catch up, and she just made me look like a stepchild out there,” Braden said.

Braden, who has been competing since he was 18 years old, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s sitting fourth in the PRCA world standings, the highest he’s ever been. “It’s unbelievable, actually,” he said. “It hasn’t really sunk in. It’s been like a dream, almost.” He’s competed at about 28 rodeos so far, well under the 100 that saddle bronc riders are allowed to count for the world standings, to be in the top fifteen to qualify for the elusive world championship, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.

He doesn’t keep track of where he is in the standings; his mom does that. “I try not to look,” he said. “No sense in it. I’m just going to go out there and do the best I can, and let the cards fall where they may.”

He’s had some pretty big wins so far this year, winning first in Red Bluff, Calif. in April, Claremore, Okla. last month, and getting checks in Santa Maria and Redding, Calif., and Strong City, Kan.

Drawing good horses is part of his successful year. “I’m just drawing good,” he said. “I may be riding a tick better, but the last three or four years, I feel like I’ve been riding the same. I’ve been drawing decent the whole year, and that’s a big plus.” A successful year would result in his qualifying for his first ever Wrangler NFR, where the best fifteen cowboys in each event battle for the world championship.

His dad Butch is on hand to work as a pickup man at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo, and his mom, while helping with the pickup horses, cheered as her son rode. Braden loves the support. “My family, they’re pretty awesome. My dad’s picking up here, so it’s kind of a family affair. It always makes it awesome for me, especially when I ride decent.”

The busiest part of the rodeo season is about to kick off, and Braden will head to Pleasant Grove, Utah on Saturday, then go on to Reno, Nev., Lehi, Utah, and then Greeley, Colo. for the Fourth of July.

He’s not changing his strategy for the rest of the year. “I’ll do what I always do, hit the same rodeos as I always have,” he said.

And hopefully he’ll end up in Las Vegas for the Wrangler NFR in December.

After the morning’s slack and the evening competition, other leaders are bareback rider Orin Larsen, Ingles, Manitoba (83.5 points), steer wrestlers Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. and Ryan Swayze, Freedom, Okla. (4.0 seconds each), tie-down roper Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. (9.0 seconds), team ropers Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo. and Wyatt Cox, Arroyo Grande, Calif. (5.3 seconds), barrel racer Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas (17.17 seconds) and bull rider Tanner Bothwell, Rapid City, S.D. (74 points).

The 2018 Miss Rodeo Nebraska was crowned, with the title going to Kristin Kohmetscher of Lawrence, Neb. The 24 year old cowgirl is a student at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the daughter of Duane and the late Laurie Kohmetscher.

The second of four nights of rodeo takes place Thursday, June 15 at 8 pm. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to show awareness of breast cancer, and proceeds will be donated to the Callahan Cancer Center in North Platte. Tickets are available at www.NebraskalandDays.com and at the gate.

Results, 1st Performance and slack, June 14, 2017
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback riding
1. Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba 83.5 points on 202 Stardust; 2. Trey Moore, III, Anniston, Alberta 82; 3. Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 79.5; Seth Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyo. 71.

Steer wrestling
First go-round results
1. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala. and Ryan Swazye, Freedom, Okla. 4.0 seconds each; 3. (tie) Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis. And Jake Johnson, Mound City, Kan. 4.3 each.

Tie-down roping
First go-round results
1. Dane Kissack, Spearfish, S.D. 9.0 seconds; 2. Ace Slone, Cuero, Texas 10.0; 3. L.D. Meier, Texhoma, Texas 10.1; 4. Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 10.8; 5. Cody Huber, Albia, Iowa 11.1; 6. (tie) Paul David Tierney, Oral, S.D. and Tweety McBride, Brenham, Texas 11.2 each.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla. 86.5 points on Painted Desert; 2. Dawson Jandreau, Kennebec, S.D. 79.5; 3. Shade Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 79; 4. Tom Knight, Gunnedah, Australia 75.

Team roping
1. Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Colo./Wyatt Cox, Arroyo Grande, Calif. 5.3 seconds; 2. Cale Markham, Vinita, Okla./Austin Rogers, Crescent, Okla. 11.2; 3. Zac Parrington, Hoyt, Kan./Rodney Melton, Wilburton, Okla. 11.8; 4. Nelson Wyatt, Clanton, Ala./Trace Porter, Leesville, La. 12.4.

Barrel racing
1. Stevi Hillman, Weatherford, Texas 17.17 seconds; 2. Ari-Anna Flynn, Charleston, Ark. 17.24; 3. Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Oka. 17.43; 4. Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M. 17.59.

Bull riding
1. Tanner Bothwell, Rapid City, S.D. 74 points on Tokyo Massage; 2. Cullen Telfer, Thonotosassa, Fla. 65.5; no other qualified rides.

All results are unofficial

North Platte, Neb. – June 12, 2017 – There’s some pretty fine talent that will ride, wrestle, rope and race in the Buffalo Bill Rodeo this week.

Some of that talent is in the form of champion cowboys and cowgirls, and some of it is from the weekend warriors, the rodeo athletes who have career and family obligations and can’t rodeo full time.

Either way, fans at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo at the Wild West Arena on the north side of North Platte will see some of the best cowboys and cowgirls going down the road.

One of the champions fans will see is a home-state cowboy. Riley Pruitt, a tie-down roper from Gering, won the average (the fastest combined time on ten runs) at the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR). Pruitt, who is 25 years old, won the 2015 Buffalo Bill Rodeo with a time of 17.0 seconds on two head.

His ride is a seventeen-year-old dun named Chip, who carried him to his win in North Platte two years ago, and at the WNFR last year. Chip makes Pruitt’s job easy. “I know exactly what he’s going to do every time, which makes my job so much easier. He’s going to score, run, stop, give me three steps back, and if I draw a good one, I know I can win on him.” Chip has had some time off, to rest before the busiest part of the rodeo season starts, and Pruitt has a good idea what he might do when he’s rested. “He’s a funny horse. When he’s fresh he’ll try to buck me off.”

As soon as North Platte is over Pruitt and his traveling partner, tie-down roper Chase Williams from Stephenville, Texas, will hit the road, competing at Reno, Nev., Prescott, Arizona, Livingston and Red Lodge, Mont., Cody, Wyo., St. Paul, Ore., and Greeley, Colo. That’s the schedule through July fourth. Even though he makes his living in rodeo, he’s a homebody, and when things aren’t going smoothly, he loves to be home. “When things are struggling, when I go two or three weeks and draw bad or rope bad, I come home.” His wife, Jenna, also helps. “She keeps me a little bit sane.”

Another Husker contestant at the rodeo is Valentine’s Trula Churchill. Raised in Stonewall, Okla., the barrel racer moved to Nebraska in 2000 when she married former steer wrestler Linn Churchill.

A three-time WNFR qualifier, she will ride her horse Worm, whose registered name is A Streak of Rita. Worm, who was raised by Churchill, is twelve years old and has carried the cowgirl to her three trips to the WNFR, three trips to the Canadian National Finals Rodeo, and countless wins.

A teacher for twenty years, Churchill, who taught at a two-room school south of Valentine, quit her teaching job in 2011 when she realized Worm was an exceptional barrel racing horse and she could rodeo full time on him.

He has a unique personality, Churchill said. “He loves his job, and he tries to win every time. He’s special to me because he has let me not have a real job.” She and Worm compete every spring in California, coming home in the summer and returning to California for their circuit finals in the fall.

Worm is picky about where he competes, and Churchill knows his favorite arenas and his not-so-favorites. If he doesn’t like an arena, he won’t run well. If he does, he runs his heart out. “There are some places that he really likes, and there are some he doesn’t like at all. I’ve figured out which places he doesn’t do well at, and we don’t go to those.” Churchill hasn’t competed in North Platte since 2000, before Worm was around, so she doesn’t know how he’ll react to the arena, but she thinks he’ll like the rodeo. “I have a gut feeling,” she said.

Mullen’s Steven Dent will kick off the biggest part of his rodeo season at North Platte.

The bareback rider figures he’s competed at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo nine of the last 12 years, tying for the saddle bronc riding title in 2011 (with Luke Rush, Clay Center, Kan.). He’s been to the WNFR seven times, and hopes to qualify again this year. He hasn’t rodeoed much so far, but will ride in Lexington, Kentucky on June 16 then ride in North Platte the next night. After North Platte, he’s on the rodeo road for a month and a half, competing in Reno, Nev., Springdale, Ark., Prescott, Ariz., Oakley, Utah, Greeley, Colo., St. Paul, Ore., Livingston, Mont., Cody, Wyo., and Killdeer, N.D., all by July fourth.

The North Platte rodeo is the closest pro rodeo for Dent, and it’s like his hometown show. “It’s pretty much where everybody in Mullen goes to, if they go to town, and there’s always a bunch of people there that I know. Almost the whole community of Mullen goes to the rodeo. It’s nice when the crowd gets excited when you ride.”

Dent and his wife Kay have three children: son Cylas, who is four, and daughters Emri, two, and Dailie, three months. They ranch near Mullen. Dent is ranked 24th in the pro rodeo world standings.

Four-hundred sixty-four contestants will compete in North Platte this week. The tie-down roping, team roping and steer wrestling is two head, meaning each contestant gets two runs. The other events: bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, and barrel racing, are one head.

The rodeo begins at 8 pm each night. Rodeo clown and barrelman Cody Sosebee will entertain, and trick roper Loop Rawlins, a semi-finalist on the 2014 season of America’s Got Talent, will perform. Bullfighters Quirt Hunt, Gordon, and Wacey Munsell, Ulysses, Kan., will work the bull riding, and Randy Corley, who will be inducted into the 2017 Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, will announce. 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 8 am on June 14 and 15 and is free to the public.

Tickets for the rodeo 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 and cowgirls by event who are entered at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo Note: Cowboys and cowgirls may not compete due to personal or horse injury or other reasons.

Bareback Riding
Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman
Nate McFadden, Elsmere
Logan Glendy, Oconto
Steven Dent, Mullen

Steer Wrestling
Justen Nokes, Juniata
Dan Barner, Hershey
Trevor Haake, Grand Island
Jeff Johnston, Thedford
Brett Gumb, Burwell
Del Ray Kraupie, Bridgeport
Jake Kraupie, Bridgeport
Scott Schaefer, Beatrice
Collin Chytka, Broken Bow
Weston Winkers, Nelson
Tyler Kester, York
Jeff Richardson, Kearney
Logan McDonald, Hemingford
Mike Stephen, Springview
Ty Melvin, Arthur
Gabe Taylor, Valentine
Kyle Whitaker, Chambers
Richard Coats, Hastings
Dru Melvin, Hebron

Tie-down Roping
Cody Nye, Alliance
Miles Garwood, Atkinson
Patrick Martin, Callaway
Riley Pruitt, Gering
Levi Fisher, Hershey
J.T. Adamson, Cody
Todd Flinn, Newman Grove

Saddle Bronc Riding
Triston Eklund, Valentine
Jeff Cover, Ashby

Team Roping
Jeff Johnston, Thedford
Todd Hollenbeck, Long Pine
Reece Weber, Valentine
Slade Thorpe, Valentine
Dustin Harris, O’Neill
Matt Kasner, Cody
Riley Pruitt, Gering
Tucker White, Hershey
Travis Warren, Mullen
Levi Tyan, Wallace
Blaine Finney, Ainsworth
Brady Graff, Ainsworth
Trent Barrett, North Platte
Jake Pelton, North Platte
Brent Reichmuth, Humphrey
Cooper Brott, Gothenburg

Barrel Racing
Lindsey Evers, Plattsmouth
Mika Drews, Thedford
June Holeman, Arcadia
Mary Cameron-Dugan, Greeley
Bailey Lord, Potter
Jordan Swan, York
Lindsey Kester, York
Jamie Chaffin, Burwell
Morgan Peterson, Arthur
Cheryl Wallace, Broken Bow
Jessica Leach, Rockville
Chandler Markel, Morrill
Becky Pearson, Broken Bow
Deb Cox, Mullen
Diane Axmann, Loup City
Carrie Sutton, Ashby
Trula Churchill, Valentine
Carla Jensen, Kearney
Jimi Hurlbut, Maywood
Kelli Reichmuth, Humphrey

Bull Riding
Tyler Viers, Comstock
Ethan Lesiak, Clarks
Lane Gambill, Johnstown
Bart Miller, Pleasanton

North Platte – North Platte Community College Knights softball player Samantha Gill continues to garner postseason awards as she was named to the 2017 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NJCAA Division II Midwest All-Region team.

There are three different regions in the NFCA, the East, the Midwest, and the South.

Knights Head Coach Janelle Higgins said, “Sami is the first player that we have had to make the NFCA All-Region team.”

Gill, a sophomore this past season, from LaSalle, Colo., was one of three catchers named to the team. The other two are Maddie Hansen from Kirkwood (IA) Community College, and Miranda Aguilar from Spoon River (IL) Community College.

Gill, primarily played catcher for the Knights during her two years and a few games at first and second bases. During the 2017 season, Gill had a .466 batting average, a .661 slugging percentage with 13 doubles and eight home runs.

Defensively, Gill had a fielding percentage of .970. She had 234 total chances, 205 put outs, and 22 assists.

Gill helped lead the Knights to the Region 9 Division II championship this past season and has signed with Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D.