CBR Pre-Event Festivities

 

Last year I had a great time at the CBR World Championship Finals in Jackson,MS; and I sure wish I could have made the trip to Las Vegas for this year's exciting Finals. As we drive to events  the weather kept us from getting out there.Snow  through the mountains just didn't seem like  the driving conditions  we wanted to attempt.

This year's pre-event festivities began nearly a week ago with autograph sessions and continued on Thursday night with the Findlay Toyota CBR Championship pre-event Calcutta to benefit the Freedom Fighters.With Cowboy Hall of Fame  announcer Bob Tallman acting as MC and J. D. Pass and stock contractor David Bailey doing the auctioneering,the 45 CBR riders  along with their first round draws were auctioned off to the crowd of fans,insiders and celebrities.Semen packages from some of the top bucking bulls in the business were coupled with  the riders and draws.

During the festive evening filled with good food and fun the total sales figure went over the $146,000 mark.The American War Heroes Organization which provides relief to the brave men and women of the military whooften pay the ultimate price for our freedom while suffering life  altering changes from injuries and hardships was the recipient of $50,000. Too many times these brave men and women seemed to get brushed aside.Now they have the American War heroes Organization there for them.Please support it  and never forget those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom-the men and women who gave their lives in service of our country.

One of the celebrities who bought up five lots was retired major league pitcher Mitch "Wild Thing"Williams. Seems he was the inspiration for the movie Major League-and here I thought retired catcher Duke Sims  might have been  the inspiration.Okay,so I am off when it comes to baseball.

Jarrod Craig and his draw of Harlan Robertson's Mercury Rising coupled with 10 straws from Terry Williams Y2 Millenium was the high seller of the night at $7800. The high volume buyer of the Calcutta was none other than Wes Bruce Bucking Bulls who paid over $27,000 for match-ups coupled with semen straws.

When the Calcutta ended the action shifted to the Black Jack Tournament in a roped off area of the South Point Casino floor.Ten tables were reserved for teams of bull riders and other players who raised $10,000 for the Bishop Gorman High School Development Fund.First place went to the team of Sam Smith,Tye Odden,Josh Carter,Zandy Cames and Clay Robertson who won a four day,three night trip and condo rental in Keystone,CO.Second place went to Justin Herman,Chuck Griffin,Danny McDowell,Marcus Michaelis and Dusty Higgins who won a Hog and Turkey Hunt donated by Wes Bruce.The last place(third) was won by Mary Pack,Steve Woolsey, Chuck Voght,Wesley Silcox and Shawn Frey who won 20X  Resistol hats and Championship Bull Riding Jackets.

 

Cowtown Spectacular

by Sheila Totten

The results are in for the Cowtown Spectacular which was held on New Year's Eve at the Cowtown Coliseum in Ft.Worth,Texas.I want to thank Amber Schmutz for sending the results to me and for filling  me  on the details of the event.If the name sounds familiar its because Amber used to do sound for the PBR and her husband is Randy Schmutz. , the in house announcer for the PBR. They have looksWEST Productions in Stephenville,TX.

The event had  60 3 year olds entered ,all ABBI registered; and because this was a futurity derby for the bulls it was a bring your own rider event. There were six judges and the average of the scores determined the ten winners.The $10,000 first prize went to # 363 Woodruff/XS Ranch(Chris Woodruff of Granville,TX. and Randy Schmutz,Stephenville,TX)Redchester, a son of  the great bull ,Winchester out of the Kish breeding program.Redchester scored 91.5 and rider Dave Samsel earned $1000 bonus for being on the winning bull although he bucked off.

Travis Briscoe was the top rider, scoring 87.5 on Devil's Deal while earning $2000. Travis faced the great Smokeless Wardance who was there as a Bounty Bull.Wardance won the match have to admit he has been one of my favorite bulls for the past few years.

I want to thank Lynda Hurst for taking Jerry Scott's bull to the event. Jerry who lives in KY has spent the past 21 years in a wheelchair after nearly losing his life  in a bucking chute in Houston when the bull reared up and went over backwards,crushing Jerry.Even after all this time Jerry still  never gives up;and three years ago even got on a mechanical bull.He's quite the person.

Jerry bought the bull he called Red Dobber from Lyndal a year ago August and sent him to Lyndal last summer for training.Lyndal changed the bull's name to Kentucky Headhunter  ; and has him coming along nicely.Thank you ,Lyndal for helping Jerry's dreams come true.

Kentucky Headhunter made a respectable finish in the derby at 25th place.He earned an averaged bull score of 83.His rider,Koben Puckett ,though ,came in second as he scored 86.5 and earned $1500.Cody Byars was third with 84 points on Spearfish and earned $1000 while Chad Castillo rode Black Jack for 83 points and $500. The irony- all the winning rides were on bulls who didn't make the top ten.

The order of finish for the bulls follows:

COWTOWN SPECTACULAR PAY OFF
PLACING	PAY OUT		SCORE	BULL #	BULL OWNER
1	$10,000		91.5	363	WOODRUFF/XS Ranch	REDCHESTER
					(Chris Woodruff & Randy Schmutz)
					Granbury/Stephenville, TX
2	$6,500		91	3R3	5GFarms/C ROTENBERGER	ROWDY YOU WHO
					West Plains, MO
3	$5,200		90	323	MIKE GODFREY	AVATAR
					Dublin, TX
4	$3,400		89.5	1391	KENNY JACK/JERRY HARGIS	EL PRESIDENTE
					Atoka, Ok - Colgate, OK
5	$2,800		88.5	X1	LARRY MC FARLIN/SHANE DAVIS	STETSON'S GIN & JUICE
					Bonham, TX
6 & 7	$2,200		87.5	35	WES BRUCE	TURBO
					Fort Worth, TX
6 & 7	$2,200		87.5	305	JAY HICKS	NICKEL BACK
					Belton, SC
8	$1,500		87	33	BRENT COFFEY	REESES PIECES
					Garvin, OK
9	$1,200		86.5	13	ROB PARKER	MR INCREDIBLE
					Marlin, TX
10	$500		86	32	MARLIN  DIBBETT	DEVILS DEAL
					Sioux City, IA
10	500		86	316	JAY HICKS	SPIDER MONKEY
					Belton, SC

According to Amber they have two more events coming up.Hamilton,TX will be a futurity and Classic(ABBI) and then there is the Stephenville Spring Spectacular. Hopefully by then we may have relocated there and I will be able to go to the event . Congratulations to all the bull owners on their great young bulls.

Happy New Year Everybody

Happy New Year Everybody.I hope 2007 brings forth good fortune,good health and happiness for all.My resolution-keep my blogs up to date along with the new web site.

Good Luck to the members of the CBR who are already in Vegas for their pre World Championship Finals  events. May the Finals be exciting as always with no injuries to anyone.Get well soon Matt!

To lower fuel prices in 2007 and a play-off slot for our Tennesseee Titans this time next December!They had a great end of season run and congrats to Vince Young.he has shown he will be an incredible quarterback.He can do it all including tackle if needed.Good going! We have a young team and they sure are showing us a lot of promise. Pac man,you are coming of age! great work1Thanks to Coach Jeff Fisher and his staff for bringing it all together.Go Titans!

Don't forget to check out the weekly ABA bull ridings at Cowboys 2000 in Springfield,MO.And don't forget all the other groups from the PRCA to the PBR.Support Rodeo and Bull Riding.They are great family orientated events.

 

CBR Standings-Who Will Go To Vegas?

by Sheila Totten 

A lot of top CBR riders didn't make the cut for the Finals to be held in Las Vegas on January 5&6 while some others will miss them due to injuries. Among those injured are Matt Austin and Sonny Murphy. Matt has  already missed the Xtreme Bull Finals and  had to quit after one round at the NFR due to injuries he suffered several months ago..Matt underwent surgery for a sports hernia  and abdominal tears last week .Dr Tandy Freeman sent Matt to Philadelphia for the surgery and said Matt is expected to be out for three months.

With Matt out, McKennon Wimberley who took over second place  when he won the final event of the season in Jackson,MS could be heading towards the title. A little encouragement and coaching from Tuff Hedeman seems to have boosted McKennon this last half of the season and he is riding hot. Hot on his heals though is the PRCA's new World Champion and  NFR average winner , B. J. Schumacher.

Hopefully third place rider Ronnie Kitchens will be back in action  for the Finals. He could also take the title. Sonny Murphy underwent surgery for a broken neck that he suffered at the NFR  and hopefully will be back riding by springtime.

JB Mauney  will have an important decision to make.He is  number 4 in the CBR standings  and could win the event but he  is also scheduled to ride  that weekend in the PBR. Its so unfortunate that PBR riders  have to be at all BFTS events unless injured ,World Champions ,or need personal time off unlike  in the CBR  where  attendance is left to a rider's discretion. A good example would be two years ago when Allan Moraes was number two in the CBR standings and was unable to attend their Finals because of the first weekend of the PBR's extended Finals. Now riders as Mauney and Colby Yates have to choose, and its a hard decision because  if they choose to appear and go for the CBR title they could be suspended from the PBR. Its a shame and maybe  its time the PBR made a rule change that would benefit its riders who ride in other organizations. After all the fans and the riders both lose in a situation as this. Whereas neither the PRCA nor CBR tell riders you have to be here for every event you would think the PBR could allow the same consideration for riders.

If riders as Colby Yates,J B Mauney and others cannot make it to Vegas that opens the door for riders who did not make the cut.here are the current CBR standings going into their World Championship finals which will be held in Las Vegas on January 5th and 6th at the South Point Hotel and Casino Event Center.

Prayers Needed

I'd like to address two things right here. For those who have gone to my website and wondered why it has not been updated, the reason is my webmaster,Mike Cohoon, has had serious heart related health issues  and has been unable to work on it. Everything is at a standstill there right now and with all the sites he  does because his health has to come first.He's a good and talented man and needs prayers to get him through this .Because of that the second item is to request that everyone says a prayer for him.Mike  spent a lifetime in the service of this country till he recently retired from covert actions and began his own computer businesses .Since then he has suddenly had a massive heart attack during last winter and because  he was not covered as politicians and military are  with insurance he received poor care in TN thanks to the TNcare  cutbacks. He moved to KY where he now receives better care but his heart has been damaged by the low quality of care received in Clarksville for congestive heart failure.Mike has several blocked arteries but cannot have bypass surgery or stints put in because somehow the front of his heart tissue has worn paper thin.He was told by the new doctor who is stumped at how to help him that he was when he finally got assigned to this doctor 4-8 weeks away from another massive heart attack and possible death.

Among other things,Mike has had to sleep practically standing as he has filled with so much fluid that it chokes him if he lays down.  The hospital in TN never addressed  the normal fluid productions problems associated with congestive heart failure and did not put him on any regimen of fluid shots or pills. He really needs lots of prayers and is an unsung hero of this country- an American  version of James Bond to be exact. He has saved many and sacrificed a lot to keep us free.

His new doctor is looking into the possibility of a pacemaker but  that is up in the air right now.Please say a prayer for him .He's a good man and needs all the prayers we can focus on him.Thank you.Meanwhile I  will put the articles that were to go on the website here and on my other blogs so I have not forsaken anyone.

Justin Richard Wins CBR's YMBL Bull Riding At Beaumont

 

 

Justin Richard Tops The Field At The CBR's Beaumont Event

by Sheila Totten

The CBR had a great crowd for the YMBL Championship Bull Riding at Ford Park in Beaumont,TX  on October 20th and 21st during the last weekend of the South Texas State Fair.When the dust cleared on Saturday night and all the results were tabulated it was Houston's Justin Richard who was the winner with 174.5 on two head and winnings of $8,121.60. Justin was the last rider to ride in the long go on Saturday and he made a good solid ride aboard SY's Spiderman for 84.5 to end up fourth in the round. Justin  drew Jerry Nelson's Woodstock and made a great ride  on the bull for 90.5. If the last name sounds familiar  then the dance he did after the 90.5 ride may have cinched it for fans who wondered.Just like "Little" Gary Richard  would do, Justin had the crowd on their feet with his roof raising dance .The acorn sure doesn't fall far from the oak!The three top riders of Saturday's go round were still to ride at that time  but all three ended up bucking off. Justin had topped Layne McCasland's Friday night score when he made his ride but had to wait while Cody White,Clayton Williams and Logan Knibbe faced off against Jerry Nelson's Flash,and his Blackwater and Robinson/Wilson's Spiderman. The three bulls  blanked the riders one by one and when the dust settled it was Justin Richard who was the event champion.

The fans who came to the event not only saw some of the best bull riders in the country but also saw some great bulls.On Friday  in the first section of the long the fans  saw the bulls  blank seven out of nine riders including Ronny Kitchens, Gabe Benally and Colt Munden. Kenny Westrope scored 83 aboard R/W's Reno while Layne McCasland scored 86 aboard R/W's Wild Ride.It was more of the same in the second section as the good buckers from Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo and Jerry Nelson  blanked all but  three riders out of 13. Bonner Bolton was unable to attend due to injuries.. Bo Schroder  scored 69 aboard Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo's American Freedom while Douglas Duncan scored 80 aboard LRR's Sonic Cat. Sonny Murphy rode Jerry Nelson's Short Mag  for 85.The third section only had two riders and both made  great rides .D.J.. Shields  rode Jerry Nelson's Spuds McKenzie for 87.5 while Justin Koon rode JN's Moonshadow for 88.5.

The fourth section had two qualified rides out of seven.Chad Couch made a great ride aboard Jerry Nelson's  Three Alarm for 89 while Cody Graves rode SY's Killin Time for 80. Matt Austin was unable to ride as he had been injured at the PRCA rodeo in Liberty ,Texas where he tore groin and abdominal muscles. After several different diagnoses ,Matt went to see Dr. Tandy Freeman who made the final diagnosis. Matt is currently in a rehab program  to try and get his muscles in shape for the NFR and will see Tandy again today,Nov.7th for further evaluation. There is a question of a sport's hernia.If there is one Matt will need surgery and that means he will be out for about three months. Matt missed the Xtreme Bulls Finals.

In the short go six riders were called back because there were only nine qualified rides in the long go.Colt Munden redeemed himself by winning the short go with a great ride aboard R/W's great bull Mercury Rising.this is one powerhouse to get by and Colt was in control as he scored 89.5.

Shawn Coleman made a solid ride on Herrington Cattle Company's Smokin Joe for 86.5 while Jake Wade scored 88 aboard R/W's Big City. Layne McCasland scored 87.5 aboard R/W's  Texas to lead the event with 173.5 on two head. Layne finished second in the event.Chad Couch's 89 point ride in Friday's long go not only won the round but placed him fourth in the average. Justin Koon who was second in the round was  fifth in the average while D.J. Shields  who was third in the round was seventh in the average. On Saturday it was more of  the same as the bulls dominated the field.In the first section Tye Odden scored 82 aboard R/W's Cajun Moon while Chad Castillo was 83.5 on R/W's Vestle. Cody White scored 85 to lead aboard Wild Ride.

Section two had Clayton Williams as the only qualified ride as he was solid aboard R/W's Sidewinder for 85.5 while Rich Griffith was the only score in the third section.He rode Jerry Nelson's Boobie Dance for 74. I get a kick out of some of the names that Jerry comes up with. I think he wants to embarrass announcers!If Boobie Dance was not enough Jerry's NuckingFutz bucked off  Ty Scoggins in the fourth section. Can't wait to see someone slip up on that name.

Welcome back Zack" spur em in the neck" Brown .I knew  a rider as good as Zack could not stay away  .Zack has even moved from California to Texas.He rode  Nelson's  Tickle Me Elmo for 62 and it was enough to get him to the short go. Dusty Higgins scored 78 aboard Jerry's Boston's Dance while Logan Knibbe was great aboard  SY's Rapid Rat with 88 points.The last man up was the soon to be event winner Justin Richard with his 84.5 ride aboard SY's Spider Man.

Six riders were drawn back for the short go .Of the six(Kenny Upton,Cody Hancock, Jake Littlefield,McKennon Wimberley, Robey Condra,Brian Curtis)only McKennon Wimberley had a qualified ride and that was aboard Jerry Nelson's Clueless for 88.5 .Great going McKennon! He was second in the short go on Saturday and third in the cumulative short go.

Zack Brown made a strong  and solid ride aboard R/W's Mercury Rising for 86.5 and finished sixth in the cumulative short go,third in Saturday's short go and third in the average.Way to go Zack!  Justin Richard made his 90.5 ride five rides later to top the round,the night and the event..

Adriano Moraes Becomes The First Rider To Win Three PBR World Titles

Moraes Toughs It Out To Win Third PBR World Championship

by Sheila Totten

Adriano Moraes is smiling happily tonight and his entire family is thrilled.Adriano at 36 has set yet another precedent in the PBR.He was the very first rider to win a PBR World Championship.He followed that with becoming the first rider to win two World titles.Now Adriano has again made some people eat crow by winning his third PBR World Championship .Two nights ago the doubting Thomases like Ty Murray were all writing an injured Adriano off.Adriano who had been solid and rode his first four  and in round five was given a reride when his bull did not perform well. H ethen came down early from the reride bull when he suffered severe back spasms.Even his wife was unsure if he could continue but with his deep faith in God  Adriano forged ahead. He went for treatment before round six and felt better but by the time the broadcast began he was again hurting.He then went and had a chiropractor work on his back and returned to the arena feeling better but  the pain began again when he mounted his  sixth round bull and it was a quick out of the chute off.When round seven began here came the naysayers especially Ty once again bringing up age and Father Time.Maybe Ty forgets that some riders ride exceptionally well into their forties.If cancer had not struck down Freckles Brown there is no telling  how old he may have been when he retired.That man competed  in bull riding at ages tha tonly team ropers still seem to be competing or steer ropers or us hardy woman barrel racers.

I said Adriano would win this year and I am thrilled for him and his family.He is not only a superman in bull riding but a super great guy  and to see him him rush to Flavia and their boys and his father and other family members it was just so great.

The entire story of the Finals will follow shortly.I am very busy getting things ready for my web site www.indiansncowboys.com and I am sorry that my blogs have suffered. Hoping that the site will be updated over the next few days.Join us there and jump on the forum.