News and notes from the rodeo trail, March 24
by ProRodeo.com | Mar 24, 2014
The Nebraska High School Rodeo Association has announced creation of the Fort Western Whitaker Award, given in honor of Chambers, Neb., natives Kyle and Chip Whitaker. Fort Western Stores will provide a Cactus Saddle to the cowboy excelling in at least three events, encompassing both roughstock and timed events. The award will be similar in nature to the Linderman Award, given annually by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and which has been won a record 10 times by the Whitakers – six times by Kyle and four by his dad, Chip. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment, what Chip and Kyle have done in the sport of rodeo, and we’re grateful to Fort Western Stores for working with us to recognize similar achievement at the high school level, in Nebraska,” said Jim Wakefield, President of the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association …
 Jeffrey Ramagos recovering at home. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hopkins. |
After more than a week in the Intensive Care Unit in a Fort Pierce, Fla., hospital, bull rider Jeffrey Ramagos was driven home to Zachary, La., by his mother, Jennifer Hopkins, on March 19. He had his facial stitches and nose cast removed the following day, but is still using a feeding tube because his jaw is wired shut. Ramagos underwent 13 hours of facial reconstruction surgery on March 9 after a head-to-head collision with the Silver Spurs Club bull he was riding at the Okeechobee (Fla.) Cattlemen’s Spring Rodeo. Contributions to his medical fund may be made atwww.gofundme.com/7gmsvc …
Justin McDaniel, the 2008 bareback riding world champion, is out for 30 days while recovering from a pelvic contusion and Montana’s Tyrell Smith, who qualified for the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo as a saddle bronc rider, is on a 30-day doctor release due to a severe neck strain suffered at Rodeo Austin (Texas) on March 10 …
Billie Jean Shepperson Beaton, the mother of 1975 Steer Wrestling World Champion Frank Shepperson and grandmother of two-time Wrangler NFR steer wrestling qualifier Les Shepperson, died Feb. 16 in Casper, Wyo., at the age of 94 …
Cancer took the life of former PRCA bareback rider Thomas Lee (Tom) Cardwell on Feb. 27 in Alcova, Wyo. He was 33. In lieu of flowers, scholarships have been set up for Cardwell’s daughters, Bristol and Reagan, at the Lusk State Bank, P.O. Box 1400, Lusk, WY 82225-1400 …
John L. Buckingham, a former PRCA saddle bronc rider and bull rider, died Jan. 23 in Casper, Wyo. He was 77. While competing for Casper College and the University of Wyoming, Buckingham qualified four times for the College National Finals Rodeo. He competed mostly in saddle bronc riding as a PRCA member and won the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede while placing many times at the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days …
PRCA tie-down roper Stephen Reagor was inducted into the Ken Hayes-Enos Semore Athletic Hall of Fame at Bacone College (Muskogee, Okla.) on March 15 in recognition of his win at the 2003 College National Finals Rodeo …
After a 12-year hiatus, the Aug. 6-9 Sikeston (Mo.) Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo is bringing back bullfighting competition, due to popular demand. “It’s one thing that people have continued telling us they wanted to see,” rodeo general manager Daniel Beck told theSoutheast Missourian. Nine bullfighters will take part in the event on Aug. 6, after the conclusion of that night’s rodeo performance …
The Thermopolis (Wyo.) Cowboy Rendezvous PRCA Rodeo was honored as the 2013 Non-Profit Organization of the Year Award on March 22 at the 93rd annual Thermopolis-Hot Springs County Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Committee chairman Mark Ellisaccepted the award on the rodeo’s behalf …
In partnership with the Deadwood (S.D.) Historic Preservation Commission, Deadwood History Inc. will host a series of camps for area youth this summer and registration is now open. Exploration Camp kicks off the summer camp series for children in grades K-2 for the 2014–2015 school year from 9 a.m.-noon June 2-6, at the Days of ’76 Museum. Students will learn about rodeo clowns, gardening and more. Cost is $38 per member for the week, $49 for non-members. For more information or to register for camp, contact Chelsie or Theresa at 605.578.1657 …
Eight-time World Champion Fred Whitfield will be at the Chadron (Neb.) State College Student Center at 7 p.m. March 27 for a presentation and book signing.
Courtesy of PRCA