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News & Notes From the Rodeo Trail – June 23

by Jim Bainbridge | Jun 23, 2014

The Wrangler Network (www.wranglernetwork.com) will air live streaming coverage of the June 28 conclusion of the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, a Wrangler Million Dollar Tour Gold Tour event, presented by Justin Boots. Coverage will begin at 7 p.m. (PT) and will then be archived on the website for any-time viewing …

Benny Fulgham, rodeo director of the Pioneer Days Rodeo in Clovis, N.M., for 20 years and husband of Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame administrator Wilma Fulgham, died at his Clovis home June 13 after a long battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). The Fulghams owned and operated the B&W feed yards as well as B&W Trucking in Clovis. For more than 30 years, Benny was a Deputy Brand Inspector for the New Mexico Livestock Board. Rodeo was his passion. In addition to his long years of service to the Pioneer Days Rodeo, he was a skilled left-handed team roper who paired with several world champions over the years, including Carl Arnold, Gary Good and Tuffy Thompson

The Sept. 12-18 Pasadena (Texas) Livestock Show & Rodeo has joined the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour by upping its committee purse to $10,000 for each event this year. The Pasadena committee purse has gone from a $30,000 commitment in 2012 to $80,000 this year. The July 4 issue of the ProRodeo Sports News will have a feature article about Pasadena and other PRCA rodeos which have dug deeper in recent years to increase prize money and amenities for the contestants …

Fort Scott Community College’s Chad Cross was recognized as 2014 National Coach of the Year June 18 at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. “Coach Cross has proven year after year that he can mold and shape some of the best rodeo talent in the nation,” said FSCC President Dr. Clayton Tatro. “Even more importantly, he mentors students in extremely positive ways. Being recognized as national Coach of the Year is a well-deserved and most fitting honor for Chad.” Cross has been the coach at Fort Scott for the past 17 years …

The Trail Boss Award at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte, Neb., was given posthumously June 21 to Wayne Melvin, who ranched in Arthur and McPherson Counties for most of his 61 years. He was a steer wrestler, team roper, pickup man, director and officer of the Nebraska State Rodeo Association. He team roped at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo several times and sons, Ty and Dru, both competed at this year’s event. Todd and Anne Bissell, of North Platte, Neb., were awarded the 2014 Dale Studley Award during the June 20 performance of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo for their years of volunteer work with Nebraskaland Days. Todd has served as a Director and together the Bissells have cooked for countless NLD and rodeo functions …

The Reno Rodeo Association – and many of the men who have led the association over the past half century – dedicated the June 22 performance to stock contractor Cotton Rosser, the patriarch of the Flying U Rodeo Company and the longtime producer of the Reno Rodeo. “We wanted to honor Cotton while he’s still living and let him know what he’s meant to this rodeo,” said past president Grant Dalen, who spearheaded the project …

The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported that a California-based real estate investor and the largest landowners of the historic Fort Worth stockyards area have formed a joint venture to build new hotels, restaurants and shops. The $175-million expansion project has drawn a mixed response in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, with some people concerned it will undermine the folksy charm of the historic hotels, saloons, parading longhorn steers and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The Fort Worth City Council has already approved $26 million in economic incentives for the project …

With the recent defection of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play tournament from its home in Marana, Ariz., the PRCA’s La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson will not have to compete with the golf event for fans, sponsor dollars and coverage for the first time in nine years. “The main impact the golf tournament had on us was not so much with respect to attendance – two different demographics – but we noticed it a lot with respect to (shared) media coverage,” Tucson Rodeo general manager Gary Williams said. “That media coverage is so important in terms of getting the message out there. That’s hugely important to us.” …

The July issue of Western Horseman magazine carried an eight-page article on the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls, a long-time PRCA specialty act based out of Three Rivers, Calif., along with features on announcer Hadley Barrett and pickup man Bob Marriott

Cleanup from flooding earlier this month has been completed and the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede grounds are 100 percent ready for the start of competition on June 26, according to rodeo General Manager Anthea Dreisbach

Psychotherapist and psychology writer Dwight Hurst is working on a study of the bravery of rodeo performers, and he is inviting anyone interested in providing input to visit his survey page at www.surveymonkey.com/s/GPQ76SB …

The Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame have elected three new board members – Marlene Currin, Cedric Wildbill and Gary Ward.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“He’s no fun to warm up or ride to the arena. He’s aggravating. But when he backs into the corner (in the roping box), he’s all business. He takes care of business, so I can’t get mad at him.”

  • Tie-down roper Cade Swor, talking about the quirks that are part of the makeup of his horse, Floyd Money.

“I broke my arm about a month ago in (Clovis) California. I’m not really supposed to be riding for another month, but I was sitting home going crazy. I couldn’t stand it anymore. So I got entered up.”

  • Bull rider Parker Breding, telling the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune about his decision to return to competition.

Courtesy of PRCA

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