Mentors almost meant the world to rookie
by Ted Harbin Two seasons ago, Riley O’Rourke was still dipping his toes into ProRodeo. He was in the second year of his PRCA permit, a tryout of sorts. Once a cowboy earns enough money on a permit, he is eligible to become a card-carrying member of the association. During that stretch, the young single […]
Any Means Possible: Planes, trucks get players from one short round to another
by Ted Harbin About three hours before the championship round of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, tie-down roper Ty Harris reached out on social media. “Anyone have room on a plane or a rig headed from San Antonio to Tucson short round?” asked Harris, a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. Saddle […]
What is rodeo? Is it competition? Is it entertainment?
by Ted Harbin Like all professional sports, rodeo is a combination of both. Fans are drawn to the competitive nature of sports, the drive to excel athletically over an opponent, whether that’s a Seahawks’ enthusiast cheering for Seattle to win the Lombardi Trophy or an old cowboy in New Mexico hoping Stetson Wright adds to […]
Northwestern Oklahoma State Bulldoggers Share Fort Worth Crown
by Ted Harbin Alva is a community of about 5,000 people and a small college, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It’s also been a home to Bridger Anderson and Trisyn Kalawaia, who shared the steer wrestling title at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo this past Saturday night. In the tournament-style format, both stopped the […]
Built for the Belt: Taylor Munsell’s Breakaway Breakthrough
by Ted Harbin The golden piece of designed metal weighing about half a pound hasn’t even arrived, but Taylor Munsell knows exactly where it’s going when it does. “Oh, it’ll for sure go on my belt,” said Munsell, the 2025 world champion breakaway roper from the northwest Oklahoma community of Alva. “Those things are meant […]
Prairie Circuit Finals Return Despite EHV Challenges, Headed to Pawhuska
by Ted Harbin There were questions and concerns. Ordinary people sought advice from medical professionals. The uncertainty was real, and what followed were cancellations and postponements with no real end in sight. On a smaller scale than the COVID pandemic five years earlier, live-event Western sports were affected by the equine herpesvirus outbreak in November. […]
Cole Franks and Rocker Steiner Celebrate Waylon Bourgeois’ Third-Round Victory at the 2025 National Finals Rodeo.
TwisTed Rodeo with Ted Harbin By Ted Harbin The only thing separating them as siblings is genetics. They share many of the same passions, primarily centered on rodeo. That’s what brought them together in the first place, but the camaraderie is what’s kept them in the saddle through the rigors of the sport’s season. It’s […]
INDOOR RODEOS
TWISTED RODEO W/ TED HARBIN By Ted Harbin Indoor winter rodeos offer an escape from the elements, whether it’s blistering cold in St. Paul, Minnesota, or avoiding cold rain and potential ice at Fort Worth, Texas. The first four months of the year feature a plethora of indoor events for good reason. While outposts in […]