CBR Updates

CBR President 4X World Champion Tuff Hedeman

Since I've been gone there have been many great changes at the CBR. If you have not been to their revamped site then please check it out.Their Intro is as my very British friend Angela would say"very smashing."I loved it.My only complaint is that the draws and results ar enot being kept current as they were for each event on their old site.

The change that has me excited is that for the very first time the CBR will have an event right here in Nashville,TN on June 10th.When I saw Tuff Hedeman and Wes Bruce at the CMA Music Fest this past summer I had a hint that in 2009 we would see more than a mechanical bull challenge at the Music Fest.This is great.The fans are going to love this.

I have to admit it was great to see Tuff,Wes,Cicily and some of the riders at the Music Fest.I sure miss all of them when I can't get to events.They were here as part of the Nashville based RFD-TV program at the Musicfest.

The CBR has a new show which airs on RFD-TV Sunday March 1st at 7:30PM EST called"CBR:Behind The Chutes".This also can be seenWednesdays at 5PM EST and Thursdays at 3AM EST.The show will highlight everyone involved from the cowboys through the stock contractors to the bullfighters while giving the fans an in depth view of what goes into bringing the CBR to network TV. I can't wait for the first show.

Several other changes have come up .As of March 3rd GAC (Great American Country)will exclusively air the actual event broadcasts on Tuesday nights at 9 PM EST ;Wednesday Mornings at 1 AM EST and Saturdays at 7 AM EST. This means that the CBR will be available to 36 million households on RFD-TV and over 55 million on GAC.

One of my favorite NFR commentators,Jeff Medders is the CBR's Broadcast Producer and part of the broadast team which now includes one of my all time favorites ,the great 8 X World Champion Bull Rider Don Gay.I just love his colorful comments. 4X World Champion Bull Rider and CBR President Tuff hedeman will be back doing what he loves. He will be very visible on the broadcasts as the Chute Boss on the arena floor and he will do his rider VS bull match-ups plus give additional commentary.

Also added to the broadcast crew is Hadley Barrett's co-host from RFD-TV's Beyond Rodeo, Susie Dobbs.Mahindra Tractors remains the official tractor of the CBR and will be the "Presenting" Sponsor of the 2009 tour.Ironically that happens to be a brand of tractor that we have been looking at for our little ranch.

In other news the CBR has announced some new bonus programs for riders and stock contractors. They are also bringing the CBR Cup back which has been on display at Billy Bob's for several years.Starting with the 2008 Finals the CBR World Champion will once again have his name placed on the CBR Cup.

Along with the cup,starting in the 2009 season riders will earn points based on their scores for a chance at winning a cash bonus and also win their place on The CBR Cup. The way it is explained is that a 91 point ride equals 91 points except during the World Finals when all points are doubled. With this new system the rider with the most points at the end of the year will be the next CBR World Champion and he will receive $100,000 as a bonus. The additional 14 top riders of the top 15 in the final Crown Royal Standings after World Championship will also earn bonus money starting at $55,000 for second place down to $1000 for 15Th place.

The CBR will also give a cash bonus of $5000 to the winner of Stock Contractor of The Year along with the usual Hy-O Silver Buckle; and do the same for Bucking Bull of the year.

The CBR is steadily growing and its going in the right direction.The riders,the bullfighters,barrel men and contract personnel,the bulls and the stock contractors are what its all about.Its the bull riding association with lots of heart and soul where riders want to come and ride and are not obligated to be at any number of events.

The 2009 Season began with The Beau Rivage Tuff Hedeman Mississippi Shootout in Biloxi ,MS and I am thrilled to say that Cody Whitney won that event. Cody rode King Clyde in the long go for 89 points and made a great ride in the short go aboard Hammertime for 95 to win the event with184.

The CBR has added a lot of events this year and presently has 18 scheduled. Their next event is The Casa Ford Tuff Hedeman West Texas Shootout in El Paso.Every year I intend to make it there and thought I would as it is my birthday but my riders ,my partners in our little arena are riding at the NABA Finals in South Haven MS and we have to be there for them.Four of us are celebrating our birthdays which are just a few days apart together down there.Maybe next year all of us will be at El Paso with the guys riding there.

The CBR will be all over the country this year with added events in Reno,NV;Nashville,TN;Lakeland ,FL;Fort Myers,FL;Hankinson,ND and a special event in May that is yet to be announced.

Ryan Dirteater Tops The Field In Dallas

I am proud to announce that the Cherokee Nation's Ryan Dirteater won the PBR's Dickie's Invitational in Dallas,Texas this past weekend catapaulting him to number three in the BFTS Standings.Ryan rode Cat Man Do in round one for 89 points and a tie for first and second in the round.He looked great aboard that bull and kept correcting his position with every jump. Round two and the short go will not be televised until tonight but Ryan came in third in round two with 87.75 points aboard Stiffler and he rode The Geetus in the short go for 83 points and seventh place. I take it the bull didn't have his normal trip as he only scored 41 while Kasey Hayes scored 90 in the short go aboard California Dreaming who had a bull score of 44.25. When the dust settled Ryan had scored259.75 aboard three bulls,earning 774.75 points and a whopping $49,244.oo in cash.

I interviewed Ryan when the PBR came to Nashville lastAugust and I was very impressed not only with his riding ability but his attitude and character. He was second to Justin Mcbride in the event and the nineteen year old was thrilled.This is a young gun who has a good chance at making World Champion soon;and I hope this win will win him some sponsors from among the Tribes along with business sponsorships. He is living his dream.

J.B.Mauney was second in the average with 256 points on three head ; which put him in first place in the BFTS standings.

I'm Back with some news tidbits

Our new additions at CWR Buckin' Bulls:#1 is a son of Dennis Morris' really rank bull#769;picture two is a two year old used in Junior Rodeo that Trey named Amos Moses who likes to kick high and twist .With him to the back is a rank heifer named Pebbles who is now out with the herd. The last picture is our 2+ rank bull Mo who resembles Mossy Oak Mudslinger.He got too rank for Junior Rodeo.

Eversince moving my Blog I have been so busy with our bulls at CWR Buckin' Bulls that I have not had a chance to write anything.I want to congratulate Guilherme Marchi on his victory at the PBR World finals .It was great seeing him win the World Championship.At the same time it was sad seeing the great World Champion Adriano Moraes retire.We all will miss him.Also retiring was two time World Champion Justin McBride who mlike his idol Ty Murray just decided to retire young.Like Ty Justin has had many injuries and I wish him the best. Ednei Caminhas was also set to retire but the former World Champion changed his mind and is competing this year.

Our Redneck Practice Pen is actually still going on during the winter though its weather permitting. We had planned to buck today but the ground is frozen so we cancelled. Steven Hagewood,one of our junior riders has come a long way and has the potential to become a star.He is the most improved junior rider here of 2008. Rusty Shattuck is our most improved Pro rider. We hope to find a place in one of the neighboring towns to move our operation to as Dickson County Codes will not allow anyone zoned Agricultural to even hold a regular weekly or monthly event unless they are rezoned commercial;and they won't rezone us because we are not on a major highway. What that means is that we cannot charge admission,sell concessions or have a jackpot.We are only allowed 4 events per year with the purchase of a permit and the rigamarole you go through to get a permit is ridiculous.You no longer can even have a hay ride without a permit detailing your route. Because we have a great group of riders and bullfighters who come here we will not quit.It means running at a total loss everytime but this is a great group and we won't let them down.Codes cannot interfer if we are in an incorporated town so we hope to move this.Once we do we will have at least monthly jackpot bull ridings if not more.And of course we will run our weekly practice pen.Till then the practice pen will continue right here at Cherokee Wolf Ranch in Cumberland Furnace.

Watch for my partners Tye and Trey Allen in the NABA Finals in SouthHaven,MS Febraury 7&8.They are really good riders and hopefully we will see them branch out and make it to some CBR events this year.Trey and Tye built and designed our small arena ; and run the practice pen.For Christmas my husband and I gave them 20% of our bull we raised Minnie Minerva's TN Twister and 20% of a new prospect we bought that is out of 4X World Champion Dennis Morris' big rank bucker #769.Since then we have partnered on two more bulls and a heifer with them that we just bought.Can't wait until the weather warms a little so we can try these bulls out.

Congratulations to Clayton Baethge on becoming the CBR's World Champion last night. Watch for the CBR now on GAC and RFD-TV.

Don't forget that the weekend of February 13th &14th is Milam and Parson's big event in Murray ,KY. You'll see bull riders and barrel racers from all over the country at this ;and some really top rank bulls as Brandon Gaspar's G-Unit and The Game unless they are scheduled at a PBR event.I am reallyhot about Brandon's bulls.He has some really great ones and if you are a rider try and make it to Milam and Parson's monthly buckle series in Buchanon,TN as you are certain to see some of Brandon's great pen of bulls up there with a lot of other rank bulls.

Looks like the PBR is changing many things this season.No longer will the fans see 45 top riders compete at every event.The PBR has trimmed its BFTS roster to 40 riders of whom the top 30 remain on tour with 5 coming up from the top of the Challenger Tour and five who are either under the Championship exemption of 5 weeks or returning from injuries with anywhere from 1-5 weeks left in their exemption.Look for some fan favorites as Colby Yates to be dropped down to the Challenger tour unless he makes a great ride today in Dallas .They also have been advancing whomever wins the San Antonio Discovery Tour event to the BFTS over and above riders on the CT top standings. They did the same last year with those who won at mesquite as an incentive to draw riders to that tour .I ,for one, feel this is totally unfair to the riders competing in the lower tiers who are winning events and in the top riders in the CT Standings. So far those they have brought up are way down in the standings.

Watch for an article on the CBR News.Their changes are really good news.Give you a hint.Fan favorite 8 X World Champion Bull rider Donnie Gay is now a regular member of their Broadcast crew.They have added a lot more events and a lot more activities for fans.

Congress Sides With The Cherokee Nation

 

I received a press release from the Cherokee Nation about  the struggle to maintain their rights to sovereignty which were being tested when California Congresswoman Diane Watson demanded that Congress punish the Cherokee for wanting to remove 300 non-Indians from their tribal rolls.Ms Watson ,who has never stood up for Indian rights in her own state of California where some tribes disenfranchised members who are Indian took this stand to try and force the Cherokee  to keep the 300 non-Indian  Black citizens  who were listed as Freedmen descendants as Cherokee citizens. MS Watson wanted Congress to cut of funding to The Cherokee Nation if they did not re-instate these 300 people. The Cherokee Nation has the rights of a sovereign nation and her actions  would be similar to demanding that Canada  make 300 people or keep 300 people they claim as non-citizens  as citizens. This is an issue for the Cherokee court system and not Congress.

I am glad that Congress has refused to honor MS Watson's demands.Several times in the past I tried to interview her but  she would not respond.She tried to have Congress stop federal funding for housing because of this but Congress voted to allow the funding to continue for the time being.Please read Principal Chief Chad Smith's statement outlining and explaining the issue.Thank you to all the members of Congress who have helped The Cherokee Nation.

NAHASDA Funds Continue Last week was eventful in our defense of the Cherokee Nation.  We have been defending our sovereign right to self-determination, defending our citizenship laws which removed non-Indian eligibility.  We were standing up to Congresswoman Diane Watson from California and others who have tried to attach language to laws that would forbid Cherokee Nation from receiving federal funds.  Our main messages about this issues has been that we are a sovereign Nation that has the right to decide citizenship laws and that any conflicts with our laws can and should be decided in a court of law, not by the federal government. The United States Senate and House of Representatives passed measures last Thursday and Saturday preserving Cherokee Nation’s federal funding for housing services (Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act reauthorization, NAHASDA).  The language of the measure stipulated that Cherokee Nation would receive these funds as long as a court order allowing citizenship for non-Indian Freedmen descendants remains in place throughout the tribal court case that will determine their eligibility for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation. I see the language in the bill as a sign that Congress recognizes the sovereignty and authority of tribal courts to settle internal disputes, which should be considered a victory for not only the Cherokee Nation but all tribes. It is unfortunate that Congress voted to single out an Indian tribe over a disagreement about the tribe’s internal citizenship criteria, but I consider it a good sign that they have decided that this is a matter that should be decided by the courts and not by politics.  There are several elected officials who helped us defend our tribal sovereignty: Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Lisa Murkowski (D-Alaska), as well as Congressmen Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Melvin Watt (D-N.C.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) and Steve Pearce (R-N.M.).  I thank them for their leadership and for proposing a solution that is not punitive to Cherokee citizens who need housing assistance. Here is some background information on this issue:  Currently, more than 300 non-Indian descendants of Freedmen are suing the Cherokee Nation in tribal district court over a constitutional amendment passed by Cherokee voters in March 2007 that restricted citizenship to people who have an Indian ancestor listed on the Cherokee Nation’s base roll. That amendment effectively ended a one-year period in which non-Indians were allowed to register as citizens based on a 2006 tribal court ruling. Those non-Indian Freedmen whose citizenship is in question have full citizenship rights, including access to social services and the right to vote, because of a May 2007 tribal court order that continues citizenship while the case is pending.   If you would like to read about the facts of the citizenship issue of non-Indian Freedmen, you can look it up online atwww.cherokeenationfacts.org and www.meetthecherokee.org. Chad Smith Principal Chief

Tags: Indian News

Guilherme Marchi PBR Classic

On Sept.25th the Los Angeles County Fair will play host to The Guilherme Marchi Classic presented by Jeffrey Scott Fine Magnetics.This event  is part of the PBR's Enterprise  tour  and will feature both stars of their BFTS and up and coming  riders from their Touring Pro division.   Money earned here will apply to the PBR's Challenger standings and also to their Qualifier  standings.

As all of our bullriding fans know,Guilherme Marchi  is in first place in the PBR standings   with a significant lead as they head towards their finals.Will this be Guilherme's year to take home that very special World Championship  buckle? After being second several years in a row many of us are hoping that this year  when the dust has settled in Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack  it will be ,in fact, Guilherme Marchi who is triumphant. 

If you plan to be in the Los Angeles area  make sure you attend the Guilherme Marchi Classic at the Los Angeles County Fair.

For ticket information and more information about the Fair please go to:

http://www.lacountyfair.com/2008/

Tags: PBR

For The Best In Announcing-5 Time World Champion Bullfighter Rob Smets

Hall of Famer  Rob Smets has hit the Rodeo and Bullriding Announcer's trail in earnest and you cannot go wrong  if you hire this Icon of the industry.Not only is Rob a top announcer  with tons of knowledge about every facet of  Rodeo but he is a great draw.The fans love him and so will your  sponsors.  Contact him quickly to book dates because  the 2009 season is already filling up.

 

Tags: rodeo, bullriding

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Breaking News From The CBR

I have just received a press release from the CBR which states that The CBR has postponed the Tuff Hedeman Mississippi Shootout which was scheduled for this coming Friday,Sept.12th.in Biloxi,MS.The reason for this is the threat of Hurricane Ike hitting along the Gulf Coast. The event organizers vcurrently are working with the Mississippi Coast Coliseum  to reschedule the event.Like New Orleans,Biloxi is often hit bad when a Hurricane  approaches the area; and the CBR felt with the threat of Biloxi getting hit  tha tthere is no other decision then to postpone this event.I have kept a close eye on The Weather Channel about the storm and it might strengthen.Even if it doesn't the impact would be like Gustav and call for evacuation of Biloxi.

The CBR's next event will be the Budlight Bull Bash Tour 2008 in Longview ,TX on Sept. 20th.I went to that last year and it was a great event.A word to the wise-take a jacket along for although it might be 90 or more in the daytime by evening Longview seems to cool way down and this is an outdoor arena.

Don't forget to watch the CBR on RFD-TV on Wednesday nights.Check your local listings for the correct time in your own time zone. I'll have my DVR on recording it as we have our weekly practice pen every Wednesday and it has turned into  a 3 and a half hour event with about 200 spectators just for a practice pen. It cuts into my watching the CBR so I sure am grateful for my DVR.

Tags: CBR Bull Riding