New Book Captures Estes Park’s Rooftop Rodeo History
New Book Captures Estes Park’s Rooftop Rodeo History By Ted Harbin//Photo Courtesy of Rooftop Rodeo When Howell Wright was in high school, he realized he wanted to write a book on American sports. Influenced by being raised on a cattle ranch in central Arkansas, he began the process by attending his county fair. What started […]
Rodeo Memories Are Unlike Any Other
Rodeo Memories Are Unlike Any Other By Ted Harbin/Photo Courtesy of Wade Thibodeaux Sometimes smells trigger it. Sometimes it’s a sound or photograph, but memories are parts of our daily lives. What is a greatest rodeo memory? Maybe it was the first gold-buckle moment or a 25-hour drive in a van loaded with bronc busters […]
Ride Aggressive ~ The Fierce Resolve of Ty LaVergne
Ride Aggressive. Stay Ready There’s something powerful about grit that doesn’t have to announce itself. In our April/May issue, Team Cavender’s athlete Ty LaVergne brings the kind of fierce resolve that is built in the hard places ~ where courage, discipline, and heart collide every time the gate cracks. This is more than a ride. […]
A New Pope Has Arrived in Kansas
A New Pope Has Arrived in Kansas By Ted Harbin Photo courtesy of Jess Pope One of the topics of interest this past weekend in the Oklahoma Panhandle was 2022 world champion bareback rider Jess Pope. How could the three-time Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo champion miss out on an opportunity to win a fourth trophy […]
Guymon Rodeo is Like Returning Home
By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of the Lynette Harbin While working as a journalist covering the 2001 Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, I met the love of my life. I just didn’t realize it for four years. By May 2005, our relationship had grown, and I made my way back to the Oklahoma Panhandle on another […]
The Ride, the Grit, and the Growing Up
By Lori Bizzell/Photo Courtesy of Team Cavender’s As a second-year Team Cavender’s athlete, Eli Espy is already stepping into opportunities that are broadening his perspective on rodeo and life. What stands out most, however, is not just the new doors opening, but the steady character he developed long before recognition ~built on hard work, discipline, […]
The Hondo Offers a Windfall for Rodeo’s Elite
By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of Nicole Stevens The bottom line for rodeo contestants always comes down to the bottom line. The dollars must make sense, which is why the newest edition of The Hondo Rodeo was perfect. With a payout of more than $1 million through the three-day rodeo, Caesars Superdome in New Orleans […]
Santos is Confident in Rebuilding Form
By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of James Phifer All-around cowboy Taylor Santos spent more than 24 months on the mend. It’s sometimes a necessary part of rodeo. The rugged sport instigates its fair share of injuries. Ankles sprain. Ligaments tear. Bone spurs develop. Cowboys are known for their toughness, but sometimes the pain is too […]
Ride Aggressive ~The Fierce Resolve of Ty LaVergne
By Lori Bizzell / Photos Courtesy of LaVergne Family There’s something steady, not loud and not showy, about Ty LaVergne, just tough minded in a way that doesn’t need announcing. As a Cavender’s team member, he carries that same quiet steadiness with him, the kind that shows up in how he rides and how he […]
Kyle Lucas ~Holding the Standard
By Charity Pulliam/Photos Courtesy of Covy Moore Canadian tie-down roper Kyle Lucas says his relationship with American Hat Company began years before a partnership was ever discussed. For most of his career, he chose American hats on his own, believing they were the sharpest and most reliable in the industry. He wanted his appearance to […]