A Run for Brady
By Wrangler Network contributor Charlie Coon
Kyle Whitaker is a cowboy’s cowboy. He’s not one to recite his accomplishments so we will tell you that the Nebraska man has won the Linderman Award for excellence at both ends of the arena an unprecedented six times. He has competed at the pro level in saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.
Whitaker, 39, won the second round of the bulldogging competition at the just completed Cheyenne Frontier Days turning down his draw in eight seconds flat. The stats will reflect a paycheck for $6,088.10 but the numbers don’t come close to telling the story of Whitaker’s money run at the 2015 “Daddy of ‘Em All.” Kyle calls Cheyenne a “cowboy challenge” citing the 30-foot start, fresh steers and big arena as potential impediments that have to be overcome through horsemanship, patience and fearlessness.
Where Whitaker showed what it really means to be a cowboy, a man, was just outside of the timed event end at Cheyenne. He wore his heart on his sleeve and opened up about the searing loss of a friend. Fellow Nebraskan Brady Wakefield was also a three-event cowboy and a member of the rodeo team at Gillette College in northern Wyoming. Brady died when his pickup rolled off Interstate 80 in Nebraska over the Fourth of July after a tire blew. He was a bright young man showing that by choosing Kyle Whitaker as a friend and mentor.
Watch Kyle here especially at the conclusion of his Cheyenne run and then be prepared to grab the Kleenex. We end this segment by showing Brady Wakefield doing what he loved at a spring college rodeo. Rest In Peace Cowboy.
Travels with Charlie’ is a series of features by Charlie Coon produced exclusively for the Wrangler Network. Using the penname Curtis Scott, Mr. Coon has provided stories for the past 20 years to such outlets as The History Channel Magazine, American Heritage and the Denver Post. He is based in Cheyenne, Wyo., where he serves as coordinator for the state of Wyoming’s cowboy marketing program. Coon and cameraman Mike McCrimmon put together news, sports, and human interest features on a semi-regular basis for TV stations in Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota.