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PRCA for the Record: Cheyenne

By Matt Naber

Cheyenne Frontier Days is known as the “Daddy of ’em All” for good reason.

With roots dating back to 1897 and recent total payouts of nearly $900,000, the Wyoming rodeo is on every PRCA member’s wish list of rodeos to win, but only the best leave their mark by setting a Cheyenne record.

It should come as no surprise that rodeo legend Joe Alexander set the Cheyenne bareback riding record, but what is surprising is that his record remains untouched 45 years later – the longest standing record at the “Daddy of ‘em All.”

Not only was his 93-point ride on Beutler Brothers & Cervi’s Marlboro in 1974 the Cheyenne record, it was also the highest-scored ride in bareback riding across all PRCA competitions at the time. His Cheyenne record remained the PRCA record for 28 years until it was broken in 2002 by Wes Stevenson’s 94-point ride on Kesler Rodeo’s Cover Girl in Dallas.

Alexander ranks among the most dominant bareback riders in rodeo history. He’s tied with Bruce Ford for the most bareback riding world championships with five and won a pair of PRCA regular-season titles when the world championship was awarded to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo average winner.

Alexander won five consecutive world titles (1971-75) and followed that with the two regular-season championships (1976-77).

Born in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Nov. 4, 1943, Alexander grew up on his family’s ranch outside Cora, Wyo., making Cheyenne Frontier Days a must-win for the cowboy from the Cowboy State.

He won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association bareback riding championship in 1966 while a freshman at Casper (Wyo.) Junior College. He joined the PRCA in 1967, went full-time rodeoing in 1970 and finished fifth in the world that year. The next year he claimed the first of his five consecutive gold buckles, an unprecedented feat for a bareback rider.

Alexander was part of the first class inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979.

Cowboys will have a chance to break Alexander’s record, and the rest, while earning their share of the prize money and valuable ProRodeo Tour points, July 21-29.

Rodeo records

Total payout: $897,550, 2010
All-around: $24,351, J.D. Yates, 2016
Bareback riding: 93 points, Joe Alexander, 1974 (261/3, Taylor Price, 2013)
Steer wrestling: 5.1 seconds, Rick Myhre, 2000 (21.9/3, Stephen Canik, 1997)
Team roping: 6.0 seconds, Steve Purcella/Britt Bockius, 2004 (24.0/3, Travis Tryan/Michael Jones, 2007)
Saddle bronc riding: 91 points, Cody DeMoss, 2010 (261/3, Jacobs Crawley, 2016)
Tie-down roping: 9.4 seconds, Sterling Smith, 2018 (32.4/3, Marty Yates, 2015)
Barrel racing: 17.03 seconds, Kristie Peterson, 1996 (51.60/3, Kristie Peterson, 1996)
Steer roping: 10.1 seconds, Justin McKee, 2004 (40.9/3, Guy Allen, 1996)
Bull riding: 94 points, Lynn Uptmor, 1992; Brian Herman, 1999; Wesley Silcox, 2010 (264/3, Cory McFadden, 2004)

Courtesy of PRCA

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