Bullnanza, Nashville Canceled

I just got official word that Bullnanza ,Nashville has been canceled for this year.The event was to have taken place on Sept. 8th and 9th at Municipal Auditorium.This will be the first year there will not be a major Nashville event since the Bullnanza events got started.I know a lot of fans had planned on coming here for the event.My suggestion is to go to the closest to Nashville major event  which will be the CBR at Jackson,MS on Nov.4th.There will be many of the same bulls and riders there as would have been here  plus you get to see Pam Minick ,Jeff Medders and of course Tuff Hedeman.

CBR News

CBR News

by Sheila Totten

CBR To Kick Off  South Dakota State Fair

Now that Lake Charles,LA. is in the record books the CBR is gearing up for their next event which will be the Red Wilk Construction CBR Bull Bash at the South Dakota State Fair  on August 30th & 31st. Forty World Champion bull riders will compete against a pen of some of the greatest bulls in the world assembled together by CBR President Tuff Hedeman.There will be rank bulls from CBR 2005 Stock Contractors of the Year Harlan Robertson and Henry Wilson, Berger Bucking Bulls and Jesse Hill.

 Top Barrel Man Rocket Ryan Litwin will be there along with that singing ,songwriting bullfighter Ray Clary and  his partner Matt Baldwin who is no stranger to this area.

Bring the whole family and come early so you can see a great act-the "Wild About Horses" Drill Team.The horses used are all Wild Mustangs ; and the precision shows just how smart and trainable these great horses are.Like the Buffalo and the Eagle the Mustang is a living National Treasure and we need to make sure  they will survive for generations to come.  Gates open at  5 pm The Drill team performs at 7:30 PM while the CBR event starts at 8:00 PM.For ticket information please call (866)605-FAIR or go to: www.sdstatefair.com.

 Annual Pepsi Cody Country Classic Pro Bull Ride

The CBR in conjunction with G-J Productions have announced that the  Third Annual Pepsi Cody Country Pro Bull Ride has been scheduled for Sept. 2nd at 7:30 PM at Stampede Park ; following right on the heels of the Huron , South Dakota  event.

As always so that fans and youngsters can enjoy themselves and meet their favorite personalities before the performances the gates open at 5 PM.The Pre-Show Event  featured at Cody is "The Young Guns Invitational Miniature Bull Riding" which starts  at 6:00 PM.This is not related to the Young Guns Tour where we have bucked our bulls in KY so  for KY and TN  fans I just want to clarify that issue. I do not know if Gary Richard is involved in this but he was the first one I knew of  who began to raise miniature bulls several years back to use for JR Bull riding. Gary was not only a top rider but  he is an innovator and a mentor to riders as James White.

There is always something special for the fans at these CBR events and Cody is no different.Fans can register to compete for the "2006 Night Rod"Motorcycle donated by Beartooth Harley Davidson/Buell-Billings,Red Lodge and Cody. Registration for the drawing is on the back of the event tickets. Six Contestants will have their names drawn and will compete in the "Roll The Harley Dice" to win the Motorcycle. I remember a really cute picture of Tuff Hedeman aboard a Harley taken at  the big Harley anniversary party several years back. Wonder if Hedeman will pose on this one!

Tickets are priced  so that fans can take the entire family as the CBR events are truly family geared. All seating for adults is $25 while ages 12-18 are $15/ticket. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free.You can buy your tickets now from the Cody Chamber of Commerce,Cody Stampede Ticket Office,Cody Red Eagle Stores,Sierra Trading Post,Ponderosa Campground(Sept 1st&2nd),and Buffalo Bill Village Gift Shop(Sept 1st & 2nd) .This is a great opportunity for a wonderful and exciting night of family fun.

The New Tuff Hedeman Signature Ball Caps Are Now Available

There are four styles of Tuff Hedeman Signature Series CBR Ball Caps and all are now on sale through the CBR.Tuff Hedeman has been ,is and probably will always be the most popular bull rider of the world of rodeo and stand alone bull riding.His great personality and the talent he showed when he rode has endeared him to many. These caps would be the perfect gift for any Tuff fan.

There are four styles of caps :"Brahma", "Bring It On"(can't you just hear Hedeman saying that?!!!), "Tuff Stuff"(not to be confused with the cleaner sold in automotive depts),and "Seeing Red".There are custom designs and embroidery in heavy brushed cotton completed withsturdy Velcro closures and brass side eyelets. I know I am going to order  one of each for the Tuff fans in my life. Get them now and put them away for Christmas. Be sure to check out all the items  at www.cbrbull.com.

Matt Austin Wins The Tuff Hedeman L'auberge du Lac Louisiana Shootout

Matt Austin Wins The Tuff Hedeman L'auberge du Lac Louisiana Shootout

by

Sheila Totten

 

 

I was not able to make it to the Tuff Hedeman L'auberge du Lac Louisiana Shootout  this weekend but from what I have been told it was a great event  that held the crowd on the edges of their seats all the way to the very last ride. With top riders  from both the CBR and PRCA  and even the PBR and top bulls from contractors as CBR's 2005 Stock Contractor of The Year Harlan Robertson/Henry Wilson, Jerry Nelson,Wes Bruce,Kevin Loudamy ,Vernon Guidry,Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo,Lyndal Hurst and Alan Murphy the excitement grew in momentum from ride to ride. And the crowd had an extra treat with 8X World Champion Donnie Gay along  side of the Outdoor Channel Broadcast  team of CBR President Tuff Hedeman, ESPN TV Analyst Jeff Medders,and the lovely and talented Pam Minick. This should make for a great TV broadcast in a few weeks. Donnie always livens things up with his remarks.

In the first section of the long go there were four  qualified rides .McKennon Wimberley is riding great this season and I can just picture the big grin on daddy Joe's face. McKennon topped a hard bull to ride in Robinson/Wilson's Mercury Rising to score 88.5 and take an early lead. Its good to see Robey Condra riding CBR. I used to watch him on the Mesquite Rodeo  broadcasts. Robey scored 84 aboard another R/W bull I really like - El Paso. Montigo Bay unseated Clint Craig while Travis Sellers scored 86 on Tin Man. Cooper Kanngiesser  took the lead with a great 89 point ride on Harlan Robertson's Rafter Jack.

There was only one qualified ride in the second section  as bulls from R/W,Vernon Guidry,Lyndal Hurst, and Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo blanked all but Chad Castillo who rode Guidry's great Western Hauler Dip for 84.LRR's Torque sent Ednei Caminhas down early while Lyndal Hurst's Crooked Eddie beat Brian Frost; and the man who is second in the CBR standings,Ronnie Kitchens ,fell victim to R/W's Tombstone.

Section three had one qualified ride as Pistol Robinson rode Wes Bruce's Bandolero for 87.5. Derald Riche  lost the match to the Bruce /Goodall little bull El Lobo.LRR's Spanky had his usual trip as he sent Cain Patterson down.

Matt Austin led off the fourth section aboard Frontier Rodeo's(Jerry Nelson) Woodstock to take the lead with 89.5 on a typical Austin ride. Kenny Westrope rode Jerry's Society 's Child for 87.5 while the rest of Jerry's bulls blanked the rest of the riders in the section.

In the last section only Jake Littlefield  qualified with 87.5 aboard Kevin Loudamy's Cha Ching.

Because there were only nine qualified rides in the long go  six riders were called back for the Championship Round.  Salty Cat beat Bryan Richardson while R/W's Vertical Limit got the best of Ednei Caminhas.Big City won the match against Clint Craig but Danell Tipton scored 89.5 on R/W's Priefert Texas to tie with Matt Austin's long go score. Guidry's Dippin XS Energy beat Cole Echoles while Wes Bruce's Cowboy Cut won the match against Mickey Stevens.One of my favorite bulls,Guidry's Hot Damn bucked off Robey Condra and Mean Machine(R/W) blanked Chad Castillo. Travis Sellers lost his match with Kevin Loudamy's Uncle Charlie while Jake Littlefield became the first rider to top two head and jumped into the lead with his great ride aboard Jerry Nelson's Flash for 90.5.R/W's Spiderman unseated Kenny Westrope to make it bulls nine and cowboys two. Pistol Robinson tied Littlefield's short go score with his equally great looking ride aboard R/W's CBR 2005 World Champion bull Biloxi Blues. Robinson edged ahead of Littlefield by a half point.

Guidry's One Night Stand ended McKennon Wimberley's hopes for a win while one of my very favorite bulls,LRR's Zorro, blanked Cooper Kanngiesser.And then came Matt Austin. Would he ride his bull and would it be enough to win. I waited on baited breath for my final result hoping for a positive outcome and jumped out of my seat when I got the score! Matt  might have had to play catch up with White Diamond but he rode the Robertson/Wilson  bull for 91 points and won the event with 180.5 on two head.His earning of $5,754 increased his lead over second place Ronnie Kitchens. Matt Austin, Pistol Robinson and Jake Littlefield were each awarded an American War Heroes $500 bonus for scoring 90 or above rides. Riders can thank the team of Bruce/Goodall for this program which honors our veterans and the riders.

The CBR heads out to Huron,S.D. on August 30-31 for their next event. I hope that many of my Lakota/Dakota/Nakota brethren will attend this event .

 

 

Aye Chihuahua

By Sheila Totten

After writing this I may become persona non gratis with the PBR's higher echelon but  that does not matter to me.What matters is the safety of the riders,personel and the bulls and I have to speak out against their upcoming BFTS event in Chihuahua ,Mexico.

Aye Chihuahua!

 The PBR is heading to Chihuahua ,Mexico next week  for a BFTS event under  a heavy blanket of controversy.Fans are speaking out against this event along with top stock contractors as Jerry Nelson who happens to own the PBR 2005 World Champion Bull Big Bucks. Writer Josh Peters has put his own negative spin on the event calling for comments on his blog.

Why is the PBR going to the most crime ridden area of Mexico? Why even endanger the riders and bulls at a time that relations with this country are strained to nearly the breaking point thanks to our President's offensive remarks which has raised the ire of the Mexican President? Why now as Mexico is in a high state of political unrest since their recent elections? The answer lies in Randy Bernard's response on Josh's site: "There's no secret the Hispanic market is the fastest-growing  market in the United States,'' Bernard said. "And corporations
want  to capitalize it as does the PBR.'' According to Josh  , Bernard also said : "The event is part of a larger strategy to expand the PBR's  Hispanic fan base, Bernard said, adding that the group makes up about 16 percent of the PBR's fans."

Fine and dandy but that does not give a good enough reason to put animals and people in jeopardy. I watched two thriving businesses here in TN go down the tubes because they went this route. Both store chains began to carry much more in the way of Hispanic goods to attract the Hispanic crowd and managed to lose their non-Hispanic customers who made up the lion's share of their  business.What is the point?Chihuahua is not a wealthy area. Mexico's government is in financial trouble. Where is the profit margin? And is it worth the dangers that may befall riders and bulls?

For all the naysayers who put down  Tuff Hedeman when he  left the PBR over issues when Bernard and others were placing "Big Business'  above riders' welfare I ask :How do you feel now?

What is more important than protecting riders and bulls? As to the convoy set-up to transport the bulls to Mexico Bernard was quoted as having said: "We've done our homework and research,'' 
"We literary traced the route, so it's going to be exact and precise…"It'll be the first time ever that so many bulls will cross
the  border and come back.'' Well,let's hope all return!

The PBR thinks because it has arranged a police escort from Santa Theresa,NM to Chihuahua(why they are not going straight down from El Paso is beyond me as that is a straight shot down route 45.) and because they have had USDA help to keep their bulls disease free(give me a break!) that they have done their homework?Hello! Anyone familiar with the goings on in Mexico knows better than that.And USDA-the same arm of the government that is trying to force NAIS on all of us while lying about the reasons for wanting it implemented.You can neither trust USDA officials nor the Mexican Police.If the Federales show up the police scram! And protection is bought down there at very high prices.If someone wants some of those bulls and tells the police  I will pay you so much more to bring the bulls to me its over and done!

I did my homework! I called various law enforcement  offices and courts in USA border towns to assess the climate down there ;and did searches online for the crime level. I spoke with truckers and trucking companies. I spoke with people who had worked there for various US businesses. All  agreed that  its not advisable to go to Chihuahua for an event. Crimes against women in the city of Chihuahua ,let alone the entire state  are way too high. Truckers have been shot at,hijacked and just like in Iraq kidnapped (by the police) and held for ransom. JB Hunt,Schneider's and Celedon have had drivers over the past eight months taken into custody with demands made for $10,000 per driver ransom.The companies refused to pay and I sure do not know if the drivers were ever returned.

Major  trucking companies no longer send their drivers to Mexico nor new trailers as the trailers ,if they come back have new tires and rims gone; replaced by nearly bald tires,etc. Instead many have Mexican drivers carry loads back and forth ;and unload and reload them at their border terminals.

Locally one of my favorite judges lost his Thoroughbred / racing Quarter Horse  ranch  he had built up in Mexico.They took all his high dollar horses,everything! Vendors who used to travel to Mexico for their wares now buy them on this side of the border or hire Mexicans to cross over and buy dolls,purses,etc for them. Federales in open jeeps with 50 mm machine guns patrol the streets just looking for a reason to shoot.This is the climate down there and quite frankly it scares me to think that people I care about might get into trouble down there just because  of what is going on politically. Down there if they bust you for getting rowdy it can mean years in a dirty jail cell. The late Billy Martin found out that even with his pull and help from the US Consulate he could not get his daughter out on bail nor out of jail period for a misdemeanor.

Current news from Chihuahua tells of the murder of a top journalist and editor who covered all the continually unsolved crimes in Chihuahua-a top crime beat reporter there for the past twenty years. Ten other journalists have been killed in a two year period there and the probability that the murders (along with those of hundreds of women from Chihuahua to Juarez)are linked to the many drug cartels there is very high . In June the state of Chihuahua's governor became a suspect in the petrol bombing of yet another journalist's home. This is the climate I have eluded to so with all these facts readily available  and easily found how did Randy Bernard do his homework?

Upcoming Website

I will have a new website coming up soon where I can report on rodeo /bull riding events/horse shows/and Pow Wows. The team designing it is top notch and doing a great job.Its going to be exciting.We chose Indians'n'Cowboys Rodeo Life for the name.That way we can feature more than just news items.Hope to have it done  soon.