News & Notes from the Rodeo Trail, Jan. 26
Three PRCA members were in the highly-acclaimed movie “American Sniper,” which was released on Jan. 16 and is nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. Bareback rider Cody Kiser, bull rider Cooper DeWitt and pickup man/bullfighter Rick Moffatt all appear in the movie during the rodeo scene, which portrays main character Chris Kyle’s brief rodeo career before he joined the Navy SEALs. Check out Justin Shaw’s story in the Feb. 13 issue of the ProRodeo Sports News for complete coverage.
The PRCA put on a rodeo camp in conjunction with the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, on Jan. 25, which drew 45 students, ages 8 to early 20s, to the Will Rogers Coliseum arena. Bob Logue and Jace Angus, along with four other professional rodeo cowboys, were instructors. The one-day camp emphasized safety and a solid understanding of the fundamentals, and is one of 25 camps the PRCA is conducting this year. The campers toured the nearby Justin Sportsmedicine Team room and heard medical experts talk about preventing and managing injuries, as well as the fitness and nutrition programs that benefit rodeo athletes.
The National Western Stock Show in Denver logged a record year, packing more than 670,000 people into the complex and bringing in an estimated $100 million. Plans for the future include making the event even bigger, as a major expansion is expected to create a 240-acre complex that will bring in an estimated $200 million a year – double what it does now. Paul Andrews, President and CEO of the National Western Stock Show, described the idea of “redeveloping the site that we’re currently on, in a master plan that has 365 days a year worth of agricultural, educational, entertainment and the arts.” The city’s master plan includes a new arena, new stockyards, and an outdoor event center.
Former PRCA bull rider turned country musician Ryan Bingham has released his fifth album, titled “Fear and Saturday Night.” Bingham is known for winning a Golden Globe, Grammy and Oscar for “The Weary Kind,” a song he wrote and recorded, which was featured in the 2009 Jeff Bridges film, “Crazy Heart”.
Sierra Dawn Thomas, a WPRA barrel racer and college national champion, will be one of the contestants on the 30th season of the CBS show “Survivor.”The first episode of the season will air Feb. 25.
Organizers of the annual Cowboy Breakfast, hosted by the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, expect up to 50,000 attendees this year. The celebration of all things cowboy happens on Jan. 30 at Cowboys Dance Hall from 4:30-8:30 a.m. (CT). The Cowboy Breakfast Foundation provides scholarships to culinary arts students at Saint Philip’s College.
The Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College rodeo team is hoping to move into its new rodeo arena soon. The facility is southeast of Arnold Arena on the FSCC campus, adjacent to the pens where horses and cattle are kept for the rodeo program’s 50 students.
The Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo Benefit and Dance, a yearly benefit to support local agencies, took place Jan. 24. The proceeds will help the Northwest Domestic Crisis Center and the Woodward School District. The Northwest Domestic Crisis Center provides safe housing and support to victims of domestic abuse. It serves hundreds of families in crisis each year, and provides resources and guidance as victims rebuild their lives.
A concert titled “Cowboys Helping Cowboys” will take place at the historic El Casino Ballroom in Tucson, Ariz., Jan. 31, with the proceeds benefitting the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund and the Arizona High School Rodeo Association. The concert is from 7-10 p.m., and will feature music by Cory Padilla and Tucsonan LeeAnne Savage. Tickets can be purchased at all Tucson Boot Barn stores or online at makeahand.com/shop. It is $25 for general admission or $50 for VIP.
The Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame is actively seeking nominations of deserving men and women whose lives and work revolve around cattle and horses and Wyoming’s ranching cowboy lifestyle. Qualifications include cowboys/cowgirls who are at least 70 years of age, have spent at least 45 years in the saddle and who have been a Wyoming resident most of that time. Nominations opened with the New Year and will close March 31. Visit wyomingcowboyhalloffame.com to learn more about it and see photos and bios of 2014 honorees. Simply click on “Inductee Nomination” to begin entering your own favorites.
Courtesy of PRCA