Buffalo Bill Rodeo – North Platte Post Archive

Lightning Strikes for Colorado Team Ropers

Posted on June 20, 2014

North Platte, Neb. (June 20, 2014) – As lightning bolts flickered across the sky, lightning hit a pair of team ropers at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

Ty Blasingame and J.W. Borrego turned in the fastest time of the night and took the lead with a 5.0 second run in the second go-round.

The Colorado duo placed second in the first go round (5.4 seconds) and are in the lead in the average, the fastest time in two runs.

They saw their steer run last night, and knew he wasn’t the best in the herd. “We had a steer that stopped last night, and he was kind of an eliminator, so we made a game plan,” Blasingame said. He waited a bit before roping him, letting the steer get a little farther out. “I just let him out there a little bit extra, and roped him, and J.W. did a great job of heeling him after he set up, so it was a good game plan.”

For Blasingame, his game plans in North Platte have served him well. The Sugar City, Colo. man won the team roping in 2010 with heeler Josh Fillmore and again last year with Matt Zancanella. It’s a good reason to love North Platte, he laughed. “I love this rodeo. The good set-up, the good hospitality, people are awesome here, and theyhave good fans.”

The two have roped together, off and on, since they were youngsters in Little Britches Rodeo and high school rodeo. They won the Ram National Circuit Finals earlier this year in Edmond, Okla. and, this year, are competing in the Mountain States Circuit (Colorado and Wyoming) and at bigger regional rodeos. “We go hard,” Blasingame said. “We’re going to go quite a bit over the Fourth (of July.)”

As youngsters, J.W. was the header and Ty was the heeler, but lately they’ve switched ends. “We thought that was a good way to go,” Blasingame said. “I couldn’t catch very many,” he laughed, “and he (J.W.) can’t handle one,” at the heeling end, he laughed.

Other leaders from the Friday night performance are bareback rider Seth Coursen, Casper, Wyo. (75), steer wrestler Brent Sutton, Onida, S.D. (5.0 seconds), tie-down roper Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla. (12.3), saddle bronc rider Chase Miller, Edmond, Okla. (78), and barrel racer Hope Delaware, Atwood, Colo. (17.78). No bull riders made the eight second buzzer.

A North Platte couple was awarded the 2014 Dale Studley Award. Todd and Anne Bissell have volunteered their time with NebraskalandDays for many years, withTodd serving as a Director and the couple cooking for countless NLD and rodeo functions.

The final night of rodeo in North Platte wraps up on Saturday, June 21 when champions will be crowned and custom engraved buckles awarded to winners. The big rodeo parade takes place on Saturday at 1 pm. For more information, visit www.NEBRASKAlandDays.com.

Travis Warren, Mullen, heads for Tucker White of Hershey at the Thursday night performance for the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. The fourth night of rodeo takes place June 21. Photo by George Hipple.

Results, 3^rd Performance June 20, 2014

North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback Riding

1 Seth Coursen, Casper, Wyo. 75 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s Molly Brown; 2 Wesley Cole, Goodwell, Okla. 70; no other qualified rides

Steer Wrestling 2nd go round

1 Brent Sutton, Onida, S.D. 5.0 seconds; 2. Jacob Edler, Marlow, Okla. 5.4; 3. Brett Gumb, Burwell, Neb. 6.5; 4. Weston Taylor, Perryton, Texas 7.8

Tie Down Roping 2^nd go round

1. Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla. 12.3 seconds; 2. Perry Dietz, Alva, Okla. 19.3; no other qualified runs

Saddle Bronc Riding

1. Chase Miller, Ogallala, Neb. 78 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo’s 239 Red Man; 2. Wade Sundell, Coleman, Okla. 76; 3. David Martin, Zwingle, Iowa 74; 4. Ty Atchison, Colony, Okla. 71

Team Roping 2^nd go-round

1. Ty Blasingame, Sugar City, Colo./JW Borrego, Weston, Colo. 5.0 seconds; 2. Brady Wakefield, O’Neill, Neb./Ty Talsma, Verdigre, Neb. 5.6; 3. Brandon Wyckoff, Bayard, Neb./Dustin Wyckoff, Broken Bow, Neb., 7.2; 4. Cole Dorenkamp, Lamar, Colo./Jesse Jolly, Agate, Colo. 7.6

Barrel Racing

1. Hope Delaware, Atwood, Colo., 17.78 seconds; 2. Jorry Lammers, Carpenter, Wyo. 17.96; 3. Kristi Steffes, Vale, S.D. 18.04; 4. Carrie Sutton, Laramie, Wyo. 18.32

Bull Riding

No qualified rides.

** All results are unofficial.

Gering Cowboy Wins First Round of Steer Wrestling – Buffalo Bill Rodeo Results

Posted on June 19, 2014June 19, 2014

North Platte, Neb. (June 19, 2014) – A home-state cowboy did well at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo today.

Two time world champion steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch turned in a time of 3.3 seconds during the morning slack to win the first go-round.

The Gering man drew a good steer, and took advantage of it. “I knew he was supposed to be good. I got a great start, and he was good,” he said.

North Platte was his first rodeo back after suffering a torn elbow ligament. The injury happened during practice, and Gorsuch hasn’t competed since he was at the Challenge of Champions in Spanish Forks, Utah last month. The elbow “feels good to bulldog,” he said, “but it hurts to do normal things.” He plans on having Tommy John surgery after the rodeo season ends, and after he has competed at the National finals Rodeo, he hopes. He knows he has to qualify for the NFR first. “I gotta make it there first, but we keep trying.” He’s currently ranked eighth in the world.

He competed on his second go-round steer during slack but didn’t fare as well. “My second one, I should have done a lot better. I was going to make another fast run, and I should have just slowed down.” His time was 11.1 seconds, too slow to place in the second go-round and in the average.

Gorsuch and his traveling partners, Rhett Kennedy, who is currently leading the second go-round with a time of 3.5 seconds, Gary Gilbert, Josh Peek, and Aaron Vosler, will leave for a rodeo in Pleasant Grove, Utah on Friday, then make their way to Reno, Nev., Greeley, Colo., and then Cowboy Christmas, the Fourth of July run, the busiest part of the pro rodeo season. Sometimes his sons Taydon (nine), Trell (five) and Teagan (14 months) travel with him, but not on this trip. They’ll stay home with mom Bekah, play baseball, and wait for dad to come home.

North Platte is a special rodeo for him, and as close to a hometown rodeo as he can have. “I feel like this is my hometown rodeo. You get to see family and friends, and I love it. My grandpa ranched north of Mullen and neighbored with (fellow NFR qualifier and bareback rider) Steven Dent. I love this rodeo.”

Other leaders from the Thursday night performance are bareback rider Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont., (78 points), steer wrestler Denard Butler, Warner, Okla. (4.5 seconds), Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. (9.2), team ropers Chace Thompson, Munday, Texas and Jett Hillman, Purcell, Okla. (5.1), and barrel racers Cindy Gillespie, Ransom, Kan., and Amy Prather, Goddard, Kan., both with times of 17.66 seconds. In the saddle bronc riding and bull riding, the horses and bulls won; there were no qualified rides in either event.

Tonight was Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at the rodeo, and three cancer survivors: Kandi Franklin, Brule, Amberlee Martin, Stapleton, and Terry Martin, North Platte, were honored. All three women went through the Callahan Cancer Center at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

Night number three of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place on Friday, June 20 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Tickets are available online atwww.NebraskaLandDays.com, at the NLD office or at the gate.

Preston Kafka, Wagner, S.D. gets bucked off the Beutler and Son Rodeo saddle bronc Fist Full of Dinero at the 2014 Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte. Photo by George Hipple.

Results, 2^nd Performance and slack, June 19, 2014

North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Bareback riding

1 tie Troy Vaira, Richey, Mont. 78 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s Roger Rabbit and Joe Gunderson, Agar, S.D. 78 points on Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.’s 423; 3. Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D. 76; 4. Craig Wisehart, Kersey, Colo. 74

Steer wrestling

1^st go-round (completed after slack)

1 Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb. 3.3; 2. Tyler Haugen, Sturgis, S.D. 3.9; 3. tie Stockton Graves, Alva, Okla. and Chad Van Campen, Granada, Colo. 4.1; 5. Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 4.2; 6. tie Brad Johnson, Reva, S.D. and Dru Melvin, Hebron, Neb. 4.3; 8. Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss. 4.4

2^nd go-round

1. Denard Butler, Warner, Okla. 4.5 seconds; 2. Cole McNamee, Pine Bluffs, Wyo. 4.6; 3. Benjamin Robinson, Colby, Kan. 5.2; 4. Dan Cathcart, Carpenter, Wyo. 5.6

Tie-down roping – 2^nd go-round

1. Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan. 9.2; 2. Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.4; 3. Ryan Watkins, Bluff Dale, Texas 9.7; 4. Jess Woodward, Dupree, S.D. 12.7

Saddle bronc riding

No qualified rides.

Team Roping

1^st go round (completed after performance)

1. Chace Thompson, Munday, Texas/Jett Hillman, Purcell, Okla. 5.1 seconds; 2. Ty Blasingame, Sugar City, Colo./JW Borrego, Weston, Colo. 5.4; 3. Brian Dunning, McClave, Colo./T.J. Watts, Eads, Colo. 5.5; 4. Joe Beaver, Huntsville, Texas/McCoy Profili, Anderson, Texas 6.3

Barrel racing

1. tie Cindy Gillespie, Ransom, Kan. 17.66 and Amy Prather, Goddard, Kan. 17.66; 3. Emily Holton, Tonganoxie, Kan. 17.80; 4. Bobbi Grann, Sheyenne, N.D. 17.96

Bull riding

No qualified rides.

** All results are unofficial.

Husker Cowboys Pepper Contestant List for Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Posted on June 16, 2014

Steer wrestler Brady Hageman, McCook, competes with the help of a fellow Nebraskan, Jeff Johnston, from Thedford. World champions and Huskers alike will be in North Platte for the Buffalo Bill Rodeo June 18-21.

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

Oklahoma Rodeo Clown to Entertain at Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Posted on June 9, 2014

Justin Rumford will clown at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21. The Ponca City, Okla. cowboy is a two-time PRCA Clown of the Year, and his newly born triplets are providing plenty of comic material.

North Platte, Neb. (June 9, 2014) – The only difference between a stand-up comedian and Justin Rumford, is that he does his “schtick” in the middle of a rodeo arena.

Rumford, who lives in Ponca City, Okla., will be the rodeo clown and barrelman for the 2014 Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21.

The 34 year old cowboy grew up in the rodeo business, the third generation of Rumfords in the family’s stock contracting company. He competed in junior high, high school, and college rodeo and became a full time steer wrestler. But after blowing out his knee, he had other ideas. He coached a college rodeo team and worked for Bennie Beutler, the stock contractor for North Platte, driving truck, and loading, sorting and feeding livestock.

He was a natural at making people laugh, but being a clown never occurred to him. It was only after he worked as clown at a couple of events that he changed his mind. “I worked a bull riding in Pretty Prairie (Kan.), and they gave me a thousand bucks. And I thought, why the heck am I working so hard for $800 a week, when I can make $1000 a weekend? So I jumped ship. I love rodeo,” he cracks, “but the one thing I love more than that is making money.”

And lucky for rodeo fans, Rumford became a full time rodeo clown.

Now he entertains at rodeos across the nation, from the East Coast to the West Coast, Texas to the Canada border. He’s even been selected –twice – as the Clown of the Year for the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association. The humble man was honored. “I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’m fortunate to accept it.”

Justin and his wife Ashley were blessed with triplet children, born in September of last year. Daughters Livi and Lola and son Bandy were born prematurely but are healthy and well now, and Justin already has plans for his kids in his clown acts. He’s planning on building a horse racing starting gate for three, and when the babies are three or four, they’ll ride into the arena on Shetland ponies, dressed in jockey outfits, and they’ll have a pony race.

And they’re providing him material for writing a book for expectant fathers of multiple children. When he and Ashley were waiting for their babies to be born, Justin read up on having multiples. “I went on Amazon and bought all these books, and they’re a bunch of lies,” he joked. “I’m writing a book: The Truth About Triplets – A Rodeo Clown’s Confession. I’m writing about everything from four years of infertility treatments to bed rest, to me rodeoing when Ashley was in the hospital. I think it’ll be a great book, and I hope it helps fathers of multiples. I put real life experiences about what it’s like, and I didn’t sugar coat anything. I guarantee, I didn’t sleep the whole month of December,” (when the babies came home from the neonatal ICU.)

And he’s planning on bringing the babies to North Platte with him. His wife and kids were with him for rodeos in March and April, and he misses them when he’s gone and they’re at home. “I have a 44 foot (travel) trailer, and I can bring the whole family with me. I’d rather be miserable on the road (with them) than happy by myself.”

Justin will entertain with his comedy and acts during each night of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo June 18-21. General admission tickets are $7 for children and $13 for adults. Reserved seats are $20. For more information, visit NebraskaLandDays.com or call the NebraskalandDays office at 308.532.7939.

North Platte Man Loves Rodeo, Volunteers Time

Posted on June 2, 2014

North Platte resident Larry Gosnell was awarded the Trail Boss Award at last year’s Buffalo Bill Rodeo. He has volunteered with the rodeo for 26 years.

North Platte, Neb. (June 2, 2014) – Larry Gosnell never thought he’d be involved in rodeo.

The North Platte man always came to watch the Buffalo Bill Rodeo when he was a kid, but he never thought he’d be behind the chutes.

It was in 1988 when Melvin Hill, another North Platte resident, stopped by his business, Larry’s Glass, on West Fifth Street. He asked Larry to go for a ride with him. They stopped for coffee and a donut, and Melvin asked if Larry would want to be on the Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee. Melvin said the committee was made up of cowboys and businessmen, and they were looking for more businessmen. “I said, I don’t know anything about rodeo,” Larry remembers, and Melvin told him he didn’t need to know anything about rodeo, he needed to know business. “I said, ‘you’ve got to be kidding.’ I thought it was a joke, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be voted in.”

A few weeks later, after the rodeo board election, Melvin called Larry. You were a unanimous decision, he told him, and again Larry said, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he laughs.

Larry joined the committee and right away was put to work. His jobs were sponsorships and organizing the meals served to cowboys, cowgirls, contract personnel, and special guests after each rodeo. He’s continued in those jobs, and now also does the daysheets, the listing of the contestants for each performance.

And 26 years later, he’s still at it and enjoying it. He loves meeting the people, seeing them through the growing up years of their kids, their lives throughout the years. Stock contractor Bennie Beutler has been bringing bulls and horses and his family to North Platte for years. “Bennie’s family grew up with my family,” Larry said. He’s made friends with cowboys and contract personnel from across the nation. “Knowing all the cowboys who came to town” has been a thrill. “Ty Murray, Tom Reeves, Dan Mortensen, the Etbauers (saddle bronc riding brothers), the Suhns (steer wrestling brothers), so many of them.” He’s enjoyed their friendship, and how they will literally give you the coat off their back. He remembers when the rodeo committee was to receive commemorative coats from Copenhagen-Skoal, and the sponsor was short one coat. “Big old Randy Vaughn (who worked for Copenhagen-Skoal) took off his coat and gave it to me.”

He’s seen a lot of the rodeo entertainers come through town, too. Bullfighters Ted Kimzey and Leon Coffee, barrelman Butch Lehmkuhler, rodeo clown Keith Isley, and specialty acts The One Arm Bandit and Max Reynolds are all among his friends. And bullfighter Greg Rumohr, who worked the North Platte rodeo for 24 years before retiring in 2011, got his start the same year Larry began.

His daughter has continued with an interest in rodeo. Susie Dobbs, who lives in Nashville, was part of the Beyond Rodeo television show on RFD-TV for five years and has sung the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo. “That’s pretty special,” he says.

Last year, Larry was honored with the Buffalo Bill Rodeo’s Trail Boss Award, given annually to a volunteer who goes above and beyond with their support of the North Platte rodeo. He was caught off-guard. “I had no idea,” he says. His daughter Susie awarded it to him, and he didn’t realize he was the recipient till her presentation was nearly done. “That’s when I lost it,” he said. “And then I couldn’t talk at all.”

He’s looking to retire from the rodeo committee, but his fellow committeemen aren’t willing to let him go yet. “They say they need me for my wisdom,” he jokes.

And this June, he’ll be back at the arena, ready for more rodeo. “If it hadn’t been for Melvin, I would be there. I have to thank him, even though he’s gone, because I’ve had 26 of the most fun times of my life.”

The Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place each evening at 8 pm June 18-21 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. Tickets range in price from $7 to $20 and can be purchased online at NebraskalandDays.com, at the gate, and through the NebraskalandDays office (509 East 4^th Street in North Platte.) For more information, visit NebraskaLandDays.com or call the NebraskalandDays office at 308.532.7939.

Hershey Cowboy’s Rodeo Dreams Come True

Posted on May 27, 2014

Quirt Hunt has been a bullfighter since his high school days in Custer County. The Hershey, Neb. cowboy will work fighting bulls at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21.

North Platte, Neb. (May 27, 2014) – Quirt Hunt has carved out his niche in the world, doing what he loves, making a living at it, and supporting his family.

The Hershey, Neb. man is a bullfighter – one of two men at a rodeo who wear the clown makeup but have a serious mission: protect the bull rider after the buzzer sounds, so the rider doesn’t get mowed down by the bull, and can go on to compete at the next rodeo.

It’s a fun job, a dangerous job, and one that requires some dedication. It’s not a huge money-maker, but Quirt has diversified with his second passion: horses and ranching – to provide for his family.

As a youngster growing up in Custer County on the family ranch, he dreamed of rodeo but his dad never encouraged it. “We worked. We didn’t rodeo. We went and watched in Burwell (at Nebraska’s Big Rodeo) and that’s as close as I got.” His dad and granddad had work to do: rodeo was secondary. His dad’s thinking was: if Quirt wants it bad enough, he’ll do it. “If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to do it. He didn’t do it that way because he hated it or didn’t love me, but he said, if you want something bad enough in life, you’ll work hard to get there.”

He competed in high school rodeo his senior year, riding barebacks and bulls, but it was the bullfighting that compelled him. He rode bulls in the amateur ranks for a few years, but “I would only find myself wanting to get jobs fighting bulls rather than riding bulls. I decided I wasn’t going to do them both, so I stuck with one.”

After that, Quirt had the chance to do something that was instrumental in his rodeo and ranching career. “The greatest thing I did was work high school rodeos,” he said. He fought bulls at about sixteen Nebraska high school rodeos a year, building relationships and getting to know people. “I got to know all the parents, from the timed event parents to the roughstock parents. I knew all those kids growing up, (two time world champion steer wrestler) Dean Gorsuch is my age, I watched (six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifying bareback rider) Steven Dent’s career. It’s cool. The relationships you make.” And as he met more people, he found work during the week, between rodeos. “I got a lot of jobs when I wasn’t fighting bulls. In the fall (rodeo) would slow down, and I’d ride colts, do fall (ranch) work. I stayed real busy.”

In 2003, he got his Pro Rodeo Cowboys Hall of Fame card, and his PBR membership. Being single, rodeo was his life. He traveled across the nation and was gone all summer and part of the winter, working big rodeos like North Platte, Burwell, Austin, Texas, Tucson, Ariz., Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Denver, Prescott, Ariz., and the little ones, too: Idaho Falls, Idaho, Tonganoxie, Kan., Northfield, Minn., Oneida, S.D.

He fought bulls at the PBR World Cup in Mexico and Brazil, and worked the PRCA Tour Finale in Omaha three times.

There wasn’t much down time between rodeos, but when there was, he started colts for people, including steer wrestling champion Frank Thompson, and Hall of Fame rodeo announcer Hadley Barrett, who ranched in North Platte.

And he dreamed of ranching.

When some grass came up for lease northwest of Hershey, he took it. He got married, and ranch work picked up. He and his wife Amber run cattle on leased grass, he builds a little fence (“I don’t like that to get out,” he joked), and he makes horses for his kids. Daughters Raylynn, six, and Racquel, four, love being on horseback, and Raylynn is junior rodeoing. She does well at horseback riding. “She’s a good hand for no older than she is,” Quirt said. “She sits a horse naturally.” Raylynn has won the all-around title at a couple of junior rodeos, and she loves to go to brandings. Quirt takes pride in the horses he makes for his daughters. “I put a lot of time in on my horses. Most of the horses I have, the kids can ride and get along good with them.”

It’s harder to be on the rodeo trail now. He works as many rodeos as he used to, but isn’t gone for long stretches of time, as he was in the past. “Now that I have two kids and I’m married, my priorities are different. I still try to go (on the road) as much as I can. I’d be gone every weekend if I could, but it’s hard to be gone for a month and a half and never come home.”

His closest rodeo is the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte next month. It’s his third year to fight bulls in North Platte, and he’s grateful to North Platte and to his fellow Nebraskans. “I’m pretty thankful for Nebraska. They’ve supported me. There’s a lot of people in this state who have supported me, whether it was with a job or encouragement.”

When he started in rodeo, Quirt knew his career wasn’t guaranteed. There are a lot of bullfighters who don’t last long, who don’t get hired for the big shows. “I always knew, deep down inside, that not everybody makes it to the top. So you have to have something going all the time. I don’t have any complaints. Trying to find the right balance in everything, that’s my biggest problem.”

And rodeo has been good to him. “I wanted to rodeo my whole life. I love every part of it. Everybody can make a living doing something, but the relationships and the friends, bonding with people, has been the best.”

The Buffalo Bill Rodeo is June 18-21 at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. It begins at 8 pm each night. Tickets are available online at NebraskalandDAys.com, at the NebraskalandDays office (509 East 4^th Street in North Platte), and at the gate. Tickets range in price from $7 to $20. For more information, visit the website or call the NebraskalandDays office at 308.532.7939.

Buffalo Bill’s Tradition Continues

Posted on May 19, 2014May 12, 2014

D.V. Fennell, Porum, Okla., rides at the 2013 Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

North Platte, Neb. (May 19, 2014) – North Platte is the home of the original Western Showman, Buffalo Bill Cody, and his entertainment.

And June 18-21, the tradition continues.

Several hundred cowboys and cowgirls, horses, bulls, calves, steers, and trucks and trailers will converge on North Platte for the annual rodeo named after the showman, to compete for prize money and gold buckles.

For cowboys, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo is the unofficial kick-off to the Fourth of July run, the most lucrative time of the year for pro rodeo cowboys and cowgirls. With North Platte’s central location, cowboys compete and often go on to the Reno, Nev. rodeo.

For the fans, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee hires some of the best personnel in the business and several with local ties. Announcers Hadley Barrett and Randy Corley call the action. Barrett was born and raised in the North Platte area and Corley lived there part of his adult life. Bullfighters Andy Burelle, Ardmore, Okla., and Quirt Hunt, Hershey, will work to protect bull riders each night. Beutler and Son Rodeo Co., Elk City, Okla., will bring their bucking bulls and horses to North Platte. They’ve provided their award-winning livestock to the Buffalo Bill Rodeo since 1949.

New to this year’s rodeo is barrelman and clown Justin Rumford. The Ponca City, Okla. man, who is a two-time Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association Clown of the Year, will bring his brand of comedy to entertain fans.

The committee works hard to make it good entertainment for fans. “It’s a top-notch rodeo,” said Shelli Arensdorf, co-chair of the committee and a resident of Hershey. “Good personnel translates to a good rodeo for fans. (Personnel) really involve the fans, keep them entertained, involved and informed, and that two hours of rodeo flies by.”

And the aura from the old showman, Buffalo Bill, doesn’t hurt, either. “It’s where Buffalo Bill got his start. He had one of the first rodeos in North Platte,” Arensdorf said. The Wild West Arena is within view of Buffalo Bill’s home, which he built in 1886. “We’re across the parking lot from his home and the barn” where the shingles proclaim “Scout’s Rest Ranch.

The Buffalo Bill Rodeo takes place at 8 pm each night, June 18-21. Tickets 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.