News & Notes from the Rodeo Trail, August 31
Rex Bugbee, a veteran pickup man who worked some of the PRCA’s biggest rodeos, passed away Aug. 25. He was 65.
Bugbee, who worked as a pickup man for Frontier Rodeo Company since 2005, was serving as a pickup man with two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo pickup man Shawn “Too Tall” Calhoun during a non-PRCA sanctioned bronc match in Guymon, Okla., Aug. 20.
During the event, Bugbee and Calhoun were involved in an accident in the arena. While Calhoun walked away with injuries. Bugbee was transported to the trauma unit for treatment in Lubbock, Texas, where he passed away Aug. 25.
“Rex was a heck of a hand and a great friend,” Calhoun told ProRodeo Sports News Wednesday. “If you ever met Rex, he was a friend for life. He didn’t meet a stranger and never had something bad to say about anybody. You knew where you stood with him because if he said it, he meant what he said.”
Bugbee was selected to pick up at some of ProRodeo’s major events such as Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days twice and RFD-TV’s The American in Arlington, Texas. He also worked the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo multiple times.
He served as the arena usher at the 2019 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping in Mulvane, Kan.
When he was selected to work the NFSR, he told the PRCA Media Department that the friendships he’s made through work and getting to attend a lot of great rodeos are what he loves most about his job.
“The best thing about the NFSR is that I don’t have to travel far, it’s not far from my house,” Bugbee said. “I’m going to try and stay on top of my game and do the best job that I can at the event.”
At Frontier Rodeo Company, Bugbee also helped on the company’s ranch in Freedom, Okla. Rex and his wife, Teri, made their home in Medicine Lodge, Kan. They have two sons, Josh and Jay. Josh and his wife, Kim, have a daughter, Ila, and a son, Tripp, making Rex and Teri grandparents.
Jerry Nelson, the owner of Frontier Rodeo Company, talked about Bugbee.
“Rex started rodeoing when he was 12,” Nelson told PSN. “He rode bulls and (tie-down) roped growing up. Rex was just a cowboy. He liked riding horses. He used to tell me that he had the best job in the rodeo business because he could sit out in the rodeo arena and watch the horses buck. It’s a tragic deal. I’ve never thought of a pickup man like that; I’ve always worried about the bull riders or bronc riders getting thrown off, but you never think about the pickup man. It’s a dangerous job. They don’t get enough credit for what they do.
“If I could say anything about Rex Bugbee, I would say he was probably the best all-around cowboy I ever knew, and Rex Bugbee died doing what he wanted to do.”
With COVID-19 restrictions on outdoor events, the Island Grove arena in Greeley, Colo., will look a little emptier during the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Sept. 10-13.
Instead of leaving the seats vacant, the Greeley Stampede is selling those seats as a fundraiser.
“We are always looking for fun ways to give back to the community,” said Justin Watada, Greeley Stampede General Manager. “Selling the seats will not only help make the arena look fuller, it gives us an opportunity to give back.”
When you purchase an empty seat, the Greeley Stampede will create a cutout to fill the seat that will remain for all five performances of the rodeo series which will be televised on the Cowboy Channel and the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus app. Each cutout will be custom made with the purchaser’s provided photo.
“You can submit a photo of yourself, a loved one, your favorite barista, whatever you want really, as long as you own the rights to the photo,” Watada said.
The cutouts will be placed around the bucking chutes, one of the most visible locations in the arena. A portion of each seat cutout sold, $100 per location, will benefit the Friends of Island Grove and the purchaser’s choice of participating nonprofit organizations.
To purchase a seat cutout and support community organizations, visit greeleystampede.org/p/fundraiser. The deadline to purchase a seat cutout is Sept. 2. Complete the form and submit a photo by that date. There are limitations on the type of photos that can be submitted, so check out the information section on the site before purchasing.
As the world’s destination for all things PRORODEO, the PRCA on The Cowboy Channel Plus App will keep fans up-to-date with their favorite PRCA rodeos and athletes, as well as provide behind-the-scenes access to livestreamed and on-demand PRCA rodeo events from around the country.
The content can be accessed via the mobile app (available on Android and iOS), as well as any browser, smart TV or device. Viewers will be able to enjoy free access to up-to-the-minute news, bios, rodeos and highlights.
Those with a subscription will unlock premium content such as up to six simultaneous live rodeo feeds, classic PRCA archived rodeos, The Cowboy Channel video-on-demand programming, and the only place viewers can stream the National Finals Rodeo.
The Cowboy Channel Plus App is available for only $9.99 a month or save up to 25% and purchase the whole year for $89.99. To sign up for the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus app, visit www.cowboychannelplus.com.
Courtesy of PRCA