Lil’ Gray

By Wrangler Network contributor Charlie Coon

ProRodeo bareback rider Ryan Gray and his family made a stop in Denver over the weekend for the Rodeo All-Star Weekend in addition to attending the Red Bluff Round-Up in northern California. Ryan didn’t advance out of the semifinal round at the Colorado competition but he did spend some time with me afterward. Ryan, flanked by his wife Lacy and their new little one, Ransom Dale, always has a smile for everyone as you will see in this video:

Ransom Dale. Not a first and middle name you hear combined often. In fact, Ryan and Lacy had never heard the name Ransom before. They picked it from a list they put together some time ago. Little Ransom Dale was taken to his first rodeo in Texas this winter and while Ryan prepped his bareback horse he heard the announcer set the stage for the next contestant – Ransom Dale Stoddard. Turns out it was that rookie Ransom Dale’s first rodeo too. I guess about all we can do now is sit back and watch these two Ransoms grow together in rodeo.

‘Travels with Charlie’ is a biweekly 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.