I B B A 2 1 20 S L A N I F D L R WOOCT 23-27
Table of contents
USBBA
PUBLISHER Susan Bedford
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sugar Kuhn
ASSISTANT EDITOR
6 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 8 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 10 BEHIND THE CHUTES 16 ABBI STAFF 18 WELCOME HOME BY SUSAN BEDFORD 19 METHOD TO THE MADNESS BY KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT
26 LAS VEGAS SCHEDULE 28 TOP CLASSIC CONTENDERS BY SUGAR KUHN 37 BUSHWACKER’S IMHBO (IN MY HONEST BOVINE OPINION) 44 TOP FUTURITY CONTENDERS BY SUGAR KUHN
Cedric Maniquiz
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Keith Ryan Cartwright
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Andy Watson Allen Glanville Matt Breneman Dave Jennings David Russell
PHOTOGRAPHY Megan Favorite
58 BACK SEAT BUCKERS BY SUSAN BEDFORD
LAYOUT ARTIST
83 CODY LAMBERT ON PBR’S WORLD CHAMPION BUCKING BULL CONTENDERS 92 ABBI JUNIOR BREEDERS 100 ABBI AWARDS, CHAMPIONS, AND RECORDS 107 IN MEMORIAM
THE ABBI FINALS PROGRAM IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE UNITED STATES BUCKING BULL ASSOCIATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMERICAN BUCKING BULL INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTING BY QUAD GRAPHICS.
PHONE: 719-242-2747 FAX: 719-242-2746 EMAIL: INFO@AMERICANBUCKINGBULL.COM
USBBA 101 W. RIVERWALK PUEBLO, CO 81003
2012 ABBI BOARD OF DIRECTORS President
Brad Boyd
Vice President
ABBI SHAREHOLDERS Scott Accomazzo & Moody-Rice Cattle Co. David M. Allen Berger Bucking Bulls Diamond S Bucking Bulls & Scott Pickens Dillon & H.D. Page Jerome & Tiffany Davis Bob Diedrich & Jason Diedrich Brad Boyd & Toby Floyd
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Treasurer/Secretary
Kaycee Simpson Cindy Rosser
Monty Samford Sean Gleason Jim Haworth
Russell Gant Lyndal Hurst Doug & Stephanie Joseph Don & Janelle Kish Tino/Edward Martinez Cotton Rosser/Cindy Rosser & Julio Moreno Jim Bob & Diana Nall Paradise Farms Monty Samford
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
Cody Lambert Shawn McDermott Ty Murray
Tony Sharp & Craig Zaunbrecher Kaycee Simpson Bob & Kristen Tallman Thomas Taylor & Nikki Gusel Tom Teague Trevor Walker Cliff Wiggins
ABBI
101 West Riverwalk Pueblo, CO. 81003 Phone: 719-242-2747 Fax: 719-242-2746 info@americanbuckingbull.com
s ' t n e d i Pres e g a s s ME THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE ABBI. WHETHER YOU’RE A BREEDER, STOCK CONTRACTOR, FAN, SPONSOR OR STAFF- LAS VEGAS WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU.
As an organization, ABBI is dedicated to promoting the sport of competitive bull bucking and preserving the bloodlines of our animal athletes. Besides running the world’s largest DNA database for bucking cattle with over 150,000 animals to date, we also put on events for bulls of all ages year-round. We hold events from coast-to-coast and are proud to pay out the most money of any organization and to have the highest caliber of competitors. Our goal is to grow our sport, and in the nearly 10 years since PBR and a group of stock contractors got together to discuss the idea of forming such an organization, we’ve succeeded far beyond our wildest dreams. I don’t think anyone ever believed the day would come when a bull could earn close to half a million dollars in prize money or have genetics worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the ABBI has made all of that possible. We are the pioneers of our sport, but we know that the future depends on the young men and women of today wanting to raise the bucking cattle of tomorrow. I personally believe that nothing we do as an organization is as important as giving kids hands-on experience with raising animals and inspiring a passion for livestock. This was our best ABBI Junior Member season to date, with a record five regular season events. I’m proud that along with Toby
Floyd, my partner in the bull business, that we could join together with other stock contractors to support the kids. I’d like to thank Sis N Stan Bucking Bulls,Wolf Creek Cattle Co. LLC, Box K Cattle Co., JATT Bucking Bulls, Gary Walter Memorial Fund, BonsallBuckingBulls. com, Destron Fearing and Steve & Julie Ravenscroft for believing in the future leaders of our industry. Thanks to Leslie Walter, our youngest members will again get to have an event in Las Vegas and compete at the South Point Arena just like our adult members. The Gary Walter Memorial Junior Futurity will honor Leslie’s late husband and his passion for bucking bulls. This was a rough year for our industry in that we lost a lot of great men and women who were staunch supporters of our sport. I am comforted by the fact that their dreams live on in all of us, but most importantly in our youngest stock contractors. I’m glad you can be a part of history as we start our ninth ABBI World Finals. If you have bulls bucking in Las Vegas, I wish you all the best of luck. You can look forward to 2013 being even bigger and better, thanks to the support of people like you.
BRAD BOYD President, American Bucking Bull Inc.
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
he t m o r f e g messa ctor e r i d e v i t u exec WELCOME TO THE 2012 ABBI WORLD FINALS EDITION OF THE AMERICAN BUCKING BULL MAGAZINE. I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THIS WILL BE THE BEST WORLD FINALS THE ABBI HAS EVER PUT ON, AND I HOPE YOU ARE JOINING US IN LAS VEGAS TO BE A PART OF IT.
This is a year of time-honored traditions and historic firsts. We will once again pay out $250,000 to our Classic Champion and $100,000 to our Futurity Champion. For the second year in a row, we are having our exciting Maturity Claimer event. We will also be having our first ever Back Seat Buckers Finals and our first ever Lifetime Derby. When it is all said and done, we will have paid out over $1.5 million to the best bucking bulls in the world. We couldn’t ask for a better host than Michael Gaughan’s South Point Hotel & Casino. Not only is it the ABBI’s home away from home, it is the bulls’ home too. All the ABBI and PBR bulls are housed at South Point where they have round the clock security and the best care and facilities available in the country. The South Point Equestrian Center is one of the premier venues in the country and we are proud to be holding our Derby, Maturity Claimer, Classic Wild Card, Junior Futurity, Futurity and long round of Back Seat Buckers in their state-of-the-art arena. Our Classic short and long rounds will once again be held in conjunction with PBR at Thomas & Mack. Our 3 and 4-year-old bulls are phenomenal this year and once again they will face off against the world’s best bull riders. These are the most talented cowboys on the planet, but my money is on our bulls to steal the show. I don’t think too many guys will make the whistle on this year’s crop of contenders for Classic Champion.
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
Introduced this year, Back Seat Buckers offers turn-key bull ownership allowing anyone to become a stock contractor. We had four regular season events leading up to Las Vegas and the 100 bulls in the program really grew and developed from event to event. With outstanding bloodlines and extraordinary talent any bull could win the $250,000 for first, but it sure is going to be exciting to watch. If you’d like to be a part of the 2013 BSB program, visit the Back Seat Buckers information booth on the concourse or visit BackSeatBuckers.com. Our bull draft will take place in March at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington during the PBR’s Iron Cowboy Event. Reserve your spot now to enjoy the thrill of watching your own bull buck next year in Las Vegas. Thank you for your support and your role in making 2012 such an outstanding year for our industry. I can’t even begin to explain how much each and every member contributes to our sport. As we finish the season here in Las Vegas, I wish all of you, current and future members, the best and my heartfelt appreciation for being a part of our organization. I also want to thank the ABBI staff who work tirelessly day in and out to make sure that our events present a fair and level playing field for all of our members. We strive to always offer the highest possible level of professionalism and customer service while still treating everyone as part of our extended family.
KAYCEE SIMPSON Vice President, American Bucking Bull Inc.
s e t u h c e h behind t bedford with susan
IF YOU’RE A REGULAR READER OF THIS MAGAZINE, THEN YOU’VE NOTICED A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOOK THIS ISSUE. TO CELEBRATE THE ABBI WORLD FINALS, WE ARE DEDICATING THIS ENTIRE ISSUE TO OUR INDUSTRY’S MOST EXCITING EVENTS. ALL THE REGULAR COLUMNS AND COVER DESIGN WILL BE BACK NEXT ISSUE, AS WELL AS THE END OF THE SEASON EVENT RECAPS AND THE COMPLETE RESULTS FROM LAS VEGAS.
For the first time in awhile, I really thought about the name of my column this issue. As we start the ABBI’s ninth finals, which is also my fourteenth PBR World Finals, I started to reflect on all the great people I’ve worked with over the years. Nothing that takes place in the arena happens without a year of planning and countless man hours. If you literally go behind the chutes you will find a crew working tirelessly. Each arena is built on their backs, set up one panel at a time. Once built, you have the men who work with the livestock moving the bulls from pen to pen and into the bucking chutes. The action back there has to happen fast for live TV and it’s extremely dangerous work. Figuratively, behind the chutes (or behind the scenes) there are about 10 ABBI employees and 100 PBR employees who keep things moving at South Point Arena and the Thomas & Mack Center all week long.
MISSION STATEMENT •
Record and preserve the pedigrees of the world’s premier bucking bull livestock while maintaining the integrity and enhancing the value of the breed.
• Provide beneficial services for ABBI members that enhance
and encourage “best practices” in bucking bull ownership, breeding, training and welfare.
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•
Generate interest and growth in ABBI through registered cattle ownership, membership, education, sponsorship and involvement through marketing, promotion, advertising and publicity of the bucking bull breed and ABBI benefits, services and events.
•
Develop diverse and comprehensive programs and events that will educate and familiarize owners, members and the general public in the unique heritage and qualities of bucking bull livestock.
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
At the ABBI, we want our animal athletes to be able to perform under the best conditions. We want things to run as smoothly and professionally as possible for our stock contractors. We want everyone sitting in the stands to walk away at the end of the evening wanting to come back next year. Every staff members - whether behind the chutes, on top of the chutes, in front of the chutes or on the concourse- is here because we want Las Vegas to be a wonderful experience for you. Feel free to ask any ABBI staff member (easily identified by their ABBI staff shirt) if you need help or have a question. The bull riders may get the limelight in the PBR, and in the ABBI it’s the bulls competing for the big money, but in my opinion my coworkers are the unsung stars of the show. At my first PBR World Finals in 1999, I remember being blown away at how each and every person would work 20 hours if need be. “The show must go on” is an old show biz adage that was taken to heart then, the very first year it was held at Thomas & Mack. It is still taken to heart now. Whether you get to watch the ABBI Finals live, on the Internet or the Classic action on TV, know that every staff member has worked extremely hard to put on what we think is the best show on earth.
Susan Bedford, Editor-in-Chief
From your official sponsors
Members receive 6 colorful, educational issues of The American Bucking Bull magazine each year. In addition, members qualify for the special Member Rate when they advertise in The American Bucking Bull, the ABBI Breeders Guide or the ABBI Las Vegas Finals program.
www.abbimag.com
To be the Official Equipment Company of the PBR and ABBI, Priefert has to prove its equipment is worthy every week! Designed with ultimate durability and safety for both man and animal, Priefert’s Rough Stock line of bucking chutes, arenas and holding pens not only withstand being tested by the toughest bulls in the world, they must also repeatedly handle being loaded, unloaded and set up for PBR events all across the country. Priefert is proud to support the Toughest Sport on Earth and understands the importance of protecting your investment in the next 4-legged star of the PBR. Visit www.priefert.com or call 800-527-8616.
www.priefert.com
americanbuckingbull.com
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From your official sponsors With more than 30 years of combined experience designing and manufacturing Hydraulic Squeeze Chutes and Working Facilities for Feedlots and Cattle Producers, Cattleac chutes are built with the same heavy material needed for strength and lasting durability. Standard layout, or customize a layout to fit your needs.
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Michael Gaughan’s South Point Resort and Casino is proud to host the ABBI for their 2012 World Finals. The South Point is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, nine restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in 2005 with a large casino expansion in Summer 2010.
www.southpointcasino.com
There’s a New Gun in Town! At Outlaw Saddles we Specialize in Custom Saddles, Custom Buckles, Jewelry, Tack, Willard Ropes and Western Essentials. See our line of Trophy and Awards Saddles, Breast Collars,Rope Bags, Head Stalls and more at outlawsaddles.com.Our skilled toolers can duplicate any logo or type style. Contact us at outlawsaddles@gmail.com to learn more.
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
From your official sponsors We believe that when someone works hard enough to earn a title, the award they receive should reflect that hard work and dedication. At Cut Above we put that same effort into every piece we make. Each one is designed to make your event a unique one of a kind experience. There is a world of styles and ideas to meet your needs. The prices are negotiable based on volume. We also have group discount programs.Please feel free to contact us at acutabovesilver@hotmail.com with any questions you may have. We proudly make the trophy buckles for the ABBI and the ABBI World Finals. We look forward to building the finest Buckles, Leather and Silver in the world.
www.ACutAboveSilver.com
CC Stealth is proud to be the official dummy of the ABBI. All CC products are built bull tough and hand tested by American cowboys. Whether the CC Rider, CC Stealth or CC Micro Stealth fits your needs, you can rest assured that there are no safer or tougher bucking bull dummy products on the market today. Made in the USA, and then tested by some of the industry’s top stock contractors and cowboys, you can rest assured that a CC product will outlast and out perform any other dummy you can buy. We also put bull safety first and foremost. All our products are made with no sharp edges and are designed with two control and release systems completely independent of each other to reduce hang-ups and dummy-related injuries.
www.ccrider.net
The Official Trailer of the PBR and the ABBI, Big Tex Trailers, is also the no. 1 selling utility trailer in the U.S. The PBR and ABBI’s business relies heavily on trailers, whether it’s hauling production equipment or bulls across the country. Trailer quality, functionality, and durability are critical, and Big Tex provides just that. Utilizing the most advanced assembly and finishing processes in the utility trailer industry, Big Tex provides its customers with the highest quality and most competitively priced products available on the market.
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From your official sponsors Champions take the right genes, the right attitude and the right nutrition. Championship nutrition starts with SQM. Conducted over 30 years, across species and under varying conditions, study after study proves the bioavailability of SQM. Improved bioavailability can optimize immunity and assure higher levels needed to maximize the benefit of your vaccination program. The key to this bioavailability is SQM’s PolyTransport technology. Created from a custom blend of polysaccharides, our PolyTransport technology forms a protective escort that shields minerals from digestive damage until they can be absorbed and utilized.
www.qualitechco.com/animal
ITL Animal Healthcare, a division of ITL Corporation, specializes in the design, manufacture and marketing of healthcare products for the global animal healthcare market. ITL provides innovative biological sampling devices and all inclusive kits for the swine, sheep, and bovine markets. ITL Animal Healthcare is committed to bringing products to market that consistently prove to be market leaders in safety, ergonomics and innovation. ITL is a fast growing Australian company that designs, manufactures and distributes medical devices for both the human and animal healthcare markets. ITL is a global organization with headquarters in Australia, world class manufacturing facilities in Australia and Malaysia and country offices in the United States.
www.itlanimalhealthcare.com
Protect your livestock investment with Livestock Insurance from The Hartford. For almost 100 years, The Hartford has provided the products, services, and experience needed to meet the insurance needs of the livestock industry. For more details, call 1-800-295-1815 or visit them online at
www.hartfordlivestock.com
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OUR MISSION:
Providing financial assistance to athletes injured in the sport of bull riding. Serving athletes at all levels of competition.
Donations now accepted online. www.RiderRelief.com A non-profit, 501(c)(3), organization funded by donations.
ABBI Staff SUSAN BEDFORD Media Director and Editor-in-Chief
If you have any questions or need assistance at the World Finals, please feel free to ask any staff member. We're all here to help you and want this to be your best World Finals ever.
REBECCA FLORES
Event Coordinator | Ext. 3323
Call Susan for any questions about ABBI’s in-house produced media as well as TV, magazine and newspaper coverage of the ABBI.
Rebecca can answer questions about events (with exception of Back Seat Buckers), partnership agreement forms, veterinary questions, Age Certifications, EID Tags, new membership (both ABBI and USBBA) and questions about mail and faxes.
MARLISSA GONZALEZ
ZACH GUNTER
Marlissa can answer questions regarding DNA, breeder inventory, registry access and bloodlines.
Contact Zach with any questions regarding on-site activities related to ABBI events.
KIM MADSEN
ALYSSA PARGA
Contact Kim if you need to get in touch with ABBI Executive Director Kaycee Simpson.
Alyssa can answer questions about marketing, advertising, existing memberships, Lifetime Derby Spots and Official ABBI Merchandise.
JENNIFER WHITE
LAURA VAN HEES
Call Jennifer regarding the Back Seat Buckers program and ABBI sanctioning of your sale.
Laura can answer any accounting questions - such as status of event checks, prize money, labor checks or judges checks. She can also answer your ABBI-related questions about year-end 1099s.
Registry Manager | Ext. 3334
Executive Administrative Assistant for Kaycee Simpson, VP/ Executive Director of ABBI Ext. 3340
Back Seat Buckers Event & Members Manager Ext. 3329
Event Production Coordinator
Marketing and Promotions Coordinator Ext. 3326
ABBI Staff Acountant | Ext. 3322
MARIE PASSANANTE Data Entry Clerk | Ext. 3328
Contact Marie about ordering blood cards, renew/create membership, general membership and registration questions.
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e m o c wel home BY SUSAN BEDFORD
IF LOS ANGELES CAN BE KNOWN AS THE “CITY OF ANGELS” AND NEW YORK IS “THE BIG APPLE” AND “THE CITY SO NICE, THEY NAMED IT TWICE”- THEN LAS VEGAS CAN CERTAINLY DO BETTER THAN “SIN CITY” AND “LOST WAGES.”
We love Las Vegas. It’s ABBI’s hometown away from home (which is in Pueblo, Colorado aka “Home of Heroes”if we do say so ourselves, now that is a good city nickname)! ABBI’s home in its adopted hometown is Michael Gaughan’s South Point Hotel and Casino. We couldn’t ask for a better host or a more comfortable place to watch our bulls kick up some dirt, kick up our heels, and kick the boots off our weary feet at the end of the day. The week the ABBI and PBR rolls into town technically makes the biggest city in Nevada also the “Cowboy Capital of the World” (sorry, Stephenville, Texas- you have to relinquish the title for seven days). Forget rolling out the red carpet, for these seven days just roll out the cowboy carpet. In other words, we’re gonna get it dirty so don’t let us walk all over something we could ruin in our spurs and muddy boots. And while our bulls definitely have star power, they are content with some nice shavings in a pen. There are more high-dollar bucking bulls gathered together in one place (over 500 at the bull housing at South Point Arena), than any place else on the planet. There’s literally tens of millions of dollars of animal athletes patiently waiting their turn to perform. Whether its the young Futurity bulls facing off against a dummy (a mechanical box on their back) or the 3-year-olds in the Derby facing the up-and-coming PBR stars at the South Point Arena, every bull is here to win. And while they may be young, they already display the heart and ability that could catapult them to the championship round. The Derby pays out $100,000 for first. There will be another $100,000 paid to the Futurity Champion and $250,000 paid to the Back Seat Buckers Futurity Champion. When is the last time anyone you knew, much less a 2-year-old, earned that much money in less than 20 seconds of work? The ABBI Classic bulls will battle against the PBR’s top talent in two rounds at the Thomas & Mack Center. So unfortunately, you will have
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to leave South Point as some point in the week. But we promise it will be worth it to see if 20U Shepherd hills Tested can hold onto the lead he’s had for most of the season. He’s already won close to $100,000 this year and the top scores in Vegas would add another $250,000 to his total. The Classic (3 and 4-year-old) bulls have had an extraordinarily strong season. The PBR bull riders are going to need Lady Luck on their side to get by them. The facts are simple: In a PBR title race this close, if you are a cowboy aiming to be the next PBR World Champion, you are going to have to be able to make it to the whistle on a Classic bull. If you’re in the mood to gamble (and who isn’t in Las Vegas) you can try your hand at the tables or slot machines or in South Point’s Sports Book. You can also try your luck at the ABBI Maturity Claimer. Any bull entered in the event is up for bid for $15,000 prior to the start of the show. In the case of multiple bids, cards will be cut to determine the new owner during the event. The original owner of the winning bull gets $35,000. Whether or not he gets to take that same bull home with him depends on if anyone bid on the animal. So there is potentially a big payday, but also some risk involved in entering a bull. It probably makes it nail-biting torture for the owners and those who bid on thembut a heck of a lot of fun for everyone else watching. When it’s all said and done, the bulls of the ABBI will have earned about $1.5 million in under a week. You probably won’t do that good at the casino, but we do know several stock contractors who always leave Las Vegas with their wallets stuffed- whether their bull won or not. If you are an ABBI member, we wish you and your bulls the best of luck this week. If you are a fan we are glad you could join us and hope you enjoy the events. In light of all of this, I propose a better nickname for Las Vegas. “Good Luck and Big Bucks.”
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Method to the Madness Thomas & Mack
BY KEITH RYAN CARTWR IGHT
IT’S BEEN 13 YEARS AND JEROME ROBINSON CAN STILL HONESTLY SAY THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD FINALS TOOK PLACE AT THE THOMAS & MACK CENTER WAS THE MOST STRESSFUL OF HIS ENTIRE CAREER PRODUCING BULL RIDING EVENTS AND RODEOS. Robinson, who oversees the arena crew for both the Built Ford Tough Series and World Finals as well as other events, said they underestimated the difficulty of making the transition from the MGM Grand Arena,
where the first five World Finals took place, to its current home at the Thomas & Mack Center. This year will mark the 14th year the World Finals have been held on the campus of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. “I had no idea how we were going to be ready for our show, come Thursday night,” recalled Robinson, who added, “The early days were interesting, to say the least.” Back then, the World Finals were held from Thursday night through Sunday afternoon, but Robinson’s crew couldn’t begin their load-in until nearly midnight on Tuesday – less than 48 hours beforehand – because of an NBA pre-season exhibition game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings in the arena. The dirt began being loaded in that night around 2 a.m. and 24 hours later, according to Robinson, he and his crew were still laboring away at getting the arena ready. Then he approached his crew and told them, “Let’s go home and come back at 8 and try to knock this out.” Thursday morning, he said, everything finally began to fall into place. Robinson literally put everyone to work that day. Even if they weren’t part of the arena or production crew he assigned them a task to be completed. Luckily the guys, who had been hired to handle the livestock, had experience assembling pens which freed up Robinson to help out in other areas. They finished just in time, but Robinson still remembers the opening night of the 1999 World Finals being the most disorganized in the 18 years of the event's history. “Nobody could figure out why I wasn’t upset,” he laughed, “but I was just so happy there was something for the crowd to see because, like I said, it wasn’t too many hours before that I was wondering how we were going to open it at seven o’clock that night.” That was then and this is now. americanbuckingbull.com
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Truck loading at Thomas and Mack
Nowadays the pre-production is scheduled to happen like clockwork. Robinson said, “We’ve done it so many times now that we’ve made as many mistakes as we can.” This year, Robinson will work with a crew of eight men – Joe Hales, Clint Davis, Seth Skurja, Josh Jordan, Kevin Parlari, Tim Surivant, Charles Phillips and Josh Thames – while Ted Groene, who is normally part of the arena crew for BFTS events, will stay out at the bull housing with an additional five-man crew. “He eats, sleeps and drinks out there,” said Robinson, of Groene. “Of all the people who have a big workload, at the Finals, I don’t think that anyone has a bigger one than Ted does.” Surivant and Phillips are first timers, while Hales will take over Groene’s job of running the back pens at the event. Groene is typically the livestock foreman at BFTS events throughout the 10-month long season. According to Robinson, his crew will start at the South Point Hotel, on Thursday – six days prior to the start of the PBR World Finals and 5
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days before ABBI events get underway – where they will start having feed delivered and gathering material for both arenas. On Saturday, the production crew, which is led by Clayton Cullen and Jim White, will start the process of loading in the video, lighting and audio portion of the production. According to White, the World Finals will require three days of production load-in as opposed to the one-and-a-half it takes for a standard BFTS event. He said the eight semi-trailers of “hanging production,” includes five times as much lighting, four times as much video and twice as much audio as they normally load in. Although the production venders supply the techs to run the equipment, the PBR will hire an additional 60 workers from a local Las Vegas labor company. The production portion of a typical BFTS event requires 1,500 man hours of setup time, while the World Finals will take up three to four times that amount of man hours. “That’s our Super Bowl,” said White, who added that it takes two
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Getting Dirty
BY SUSAN BEDFORD
DIRT. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE DIRT.
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Most people don’t realize that good, quality dirt is crucial to having a great (and safe) bucking bull event. In order for bulls to perform their best they need just the right consistency of arena soil. The animals need to get traction without getting stuck. The dirt needs to have the right amount of give- to cushion the extreme forces placed on the animal’s legs when bucking and to make the landing a little less painful for the unfortunate cowboys who get bucked off. But too soft dirt is a nightmare- as is wet or frozen dirt. For cowboy and animal safety, rocks are removed in advance. The dirt is also regularly groomed between rounds. Good dirt is so valuable that the PBR has even stored dirt to use, year-after-year, at arenas in parts of the country who don’t naturally have good dirt. Some events have dirt that have seen more historic rides than even the most die-hard fans. With over 500 bulls bucking in Las Vegas, ABBI and PBR are serious about their animal athletes well being and professional performance. That includes being fanatical about dirt. Luckily Michael Gaughan’s South Point Hotel &Casino’s Arena is top-notch and the dirt used is outstanding. The Thomas & Mack dirt is also tried and true and has carried cowboys to millions of dollars over the years. In Las Vegas, it pays to play in the dirt.
solid days to load out the arena, dirt and hanging production once the World Finals are over with on Sunday, Oct. 28. “Everybody puts that little extra effort in it.” Once the production crew has all the hanging elements of the World Finals up off the arena floor – lights, video and audio – the arena crew will start their process on Sunday as they prepare the arena for the arrival of 600 yards of dirt, which equates to 30 belly-dump loads of dirt. According to Robinson, the footprint for the Thomas & Mack Center is one of the smaller facilities – or as he calls it, “an intimate setting” – so there isn’t the added arena setup that a venue like Cowboys Stadium requires for the Iron Cowboy Invitational each March. Priefert Ranch Equipment will deliver two truckloads of brand new chutes and fencing for the arena. Robinson and a few of his crew members will unload the two trucks “and get the bugs out of it and get it all assembled,” while the others line the arena edges with boards americanbuckingbull.com
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needed to retain the all the dirt being delivered. “Nobody knows how much these gates weigh till they try to pack one themselves and (the arena crew) does it every week,” said Mike White, who Jerome Robinson is being inducted into the Ring of Honor this year during the Heroes & Legends ceremony on Tuesday night at South Point. “They set it up and tear it down. Sometimes they don’t get into a building till midnight and they have to set it up by six a.m. the next morning. These guys work their butts off and they just don’t get enough credit for what they do.”
He added, “It’s a lot of hard labor and I know from experience what it takes.” White has produced several Touring Pro Division events on a much smaller scale, and explained, “I don’t pack panels all the time like these guys, but I know how heavy they are and when I have to pack them I dread it.” Once the dirt is in place, they’ll line the chutes up at each end of the arena and assemble the back pens, so the sponsorship department can begin the logistics of getting all the proper signage in place by the start of the rider introductions on Wednesday evening. Robinson said another truckload of equipment – staging and props for various openings and carpeting – is stored year round in Las Vegas. “We know what days and about how long it’s going to take and, as luck would have it, I have diagrams now after we’ve made every mistake you can make,” Robinson offered. “I’ve got it on paper what panel we put in where.” However, he did add, “We’re pretty creative at figuring out new mistakes too, but it gets easier every year.”
South Point Arena BY SUSAN BEDFORD
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
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There may be no bigger or better show in Las Vegas than the PBR World Finals. But the ABBI World Finals gets bigger and better every year- and just as much work goes into creating the event. “Just like PBR puts on a first-rate show, so do we - so we have a lot of the same production logistics,” said Kaycee Simpson, ABBI Executive Director. “It’s not quite as large scale as what PBR does, but it is every bit as professional and takes a lot of hard work from our staff and arena crew.” The PBR World Finals and ABBI Classic Finals takes place at the Thomas & Mack Center, while the other ABBI Finals events are held at the South Point, which opened in 2006. Michael Bull housing at Finals Gaughan’s Hotel and Casino also houses all the bulls in a massive complex of pens built behind a grueling process. The ABBI must start by checking in bulls on Saturday the South Point Arena. “I don’t think most people realize how much we do with so few at South Point. The bulls must be scanned (all ABBI bulls have ID chips), people,” said Simpson. “Our entire regular ABBI staff consists of just horns checked (blunt tips that must be larger than a silver dollar) and 9 people. Most of them will come to Vegas and it is an incredibly busy then put in the proper pen. Just as some folks don’t get along, the same period for all of them. Not only do they do their regular jobs while in Las goes for bulls. Not only do bulls needs to be housed with ranch mates or bulls they are used to traveling with, the bulls also must be penned in an Vegas, each of them also wears about six other hats.” With five events taking place at South Point, that means the ABBI organized fashion so they can be moved as easily as possible when it’s crew- like the Thomas & Mack crew- has five performances to prepare time for the event. That means the Back Seat Buckers bulls will all be in for and produce. The ABBI requires the same production elements as the the same area, as will Classic bulls, etc. “We also will have our Back Seat Buckers trainers on hand to help PBR- equipment, dirt, light, sound, video and announcers. with the BSB bulls,” said Simpson. “ Joe Baumgartner, Kent Cox and Where the ABBI differs from the PBR is in their number of contesDean Wilson have done an incredible job all season with these bulls, and tants. The ABBI bulls outnumber the world’s best bull riders more than we couldn’t do it without them.” 10 to 1. Livestock will be hauled to Las Vegas from as close as California To create housing for that many bulls requires six truckloads of fencand as far away as Canada. ing, which they will use it to make enough pens for 130 bulls for the PBR Just getting that many stock contractors and their bulls checked in is World Finals, 40 ABBI Classic bulls, and another 400 head of livestock
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THE WORLD’S BEST BULL RIDERS BATTLE FOR THE TITLE
OCT 24-28
L A S V E G A S BUCKLE UP, VEGAS. THOMAS & MACK CENTER
T I C K E T S @ U N LV T I C K E T S . C O M
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ABBI Priefert chutes
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made up of ABBI Derby, Maturity, Futurity, Junior Futurity and Back Seat Buckers bulls. “We are really fortunate to have Priefert as a sponsor,” said ABBI President Brad Boyd. “The amount of pens they provide is unmatched anywhere. They have semi trucks that just haul Priefert supplies for us. If you were at our American Heritage event earlier this season in Oklahoma, you got to see the largest amount of pens they have ever assembled under one roof.” Literally hundreds of thousands of hours of work goes into the Finals and starts pretty much as soon as the previous Finals finishes. ABBI staff and sponsors work hand-in-hand to improve events. “No one is satisfied by a good event, we want it to be great,” affirmed Boyd. “It meant a lot more work for our staff, but we added a Back Seat Buckers event and a Lifetime Derby to our Las Vegas lineup this year. There is no place on earth you can see this many great bucking bulls over a seven-day period.” “PBR has the world’s best fans and we know a lot of them root for the bulls,” explained Simpson. “At a PBR event you see as many people cheering for Bushwacker as you do for the cowboy on his back. We are hoping some of those fans will come to South Point to watch our athletes compete and cheer on our animals as enthusiastically- after all, events like ours is where greats like Bushwacker get their start.”
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
SUN
22
10am - 2pm Jacket PickUp for Stock Contractors @TBR
MON
23
WED
24
9am - 5pm 10am - 12pm FREE Western Gift Expo BSB Member Check-In @TBR @SPC 4pm - 5pm PBR Heroes & Legends Reception @SPB 8am - 10am Classic Wild Card (Part 1) @SPA 5pm - 630pm 10am - 11am PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration PBR World Champions Forum @SPA @SPB 11am - 1pm 6pm - 10pm Alumni Meet & Greet @SPA Western Gift Expo @SPC 11am - 12pm 730pm – 1030pm RRF Luncheon @SPAC ABBI Back Seat Buckers Long Round 12pm - 2pm @SPA RRF/ABBI Calcutta @SPAC 1030pm – 12am 2pm - 4pm World Finals Kick-Off Party (Live Classic Wild Card (Part 2) @SPA Entertainment) @SPS 6pm PBR 1st Round @TAM
THURS
25 9am - 5pm FREE Western Gift Expo @SPC 12pm Junior Futurity & Futurity @SPA 6pm ABBI Classic Finals Round 1 (In conjunction with PBR) @TAM
FRI
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9am - 5pm FREE Western Gift Expo @SPC 10am - 1030am Junior Awards Ceremony @Cooper Tire Stage - Fan Zone 12pm - 3pm Inaugural Derby @SPA
SCHEDULE
TUES
20
27
9am - 5pm FREE Western Gift Expo @SPC 11am Maturity Claimer @SPA 6pm ABBI Classic Finals (BSB Top 5 @ Intermission) @TAM
5pm All Bulls Must Be Checked In @SP
SAT
* SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CHECK AMERICANBUCKINGBULL.COM FOR THE LATEST SCHEDULE
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1pm ABBI Mandatory Breeder Check-In @SPS Welcome Social presented by Qualitech 9pm RRF Poker Tournament @SP 6pm - 1am Large Vendor Set-Up @SPEH
SP = SOUTH POINT SPA = SOUTH POINT ARENA SPS = SOUTH POINT SHOWROOM SPEH = SOUTH POINT EXHIBIT HALL SPC = SOUTH POINT CONCOURSE SPB = SOUTH POINT BALLROOM SPB = SOUTH POINT ARENA CONCOURSE TBR = TURTLE BAY ROOM TAM = THOMAS AND MACK
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
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CL AS SI C
c i s s a l c top s r e d n e t n o c BY SUGAR KUHN
WELCOME TO THE MOST ANTICIPATED EVENT OF THE ABBI WORLD FINALS CONTESTS—THE WORLD CHAMPION CLASSIC CONTEST! THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS THIS CONTEST GRABS US BY THE COLLAR. WE’VE WITNESSED BULLS VYING FOR OVER $360,000 IN REGULAR SEASON PRIZE MONEY AND NOW WE GET TO WATCH AS ONE OF THESE QUALIFIED HOPEFULS EARNS AND WALKS AWAY WITH THE $250,000 AND THE COVETED WORLD CHAMPION TITLE! The Classic contest is also the final step before many of our 4-yearolds graduate to the Built Ford Tough Series on a full-time basis. It’s the culmination of several years of aged events and endless prep and competitive pursuits. We’ve watched them grow up before our eyes. From the system that brought us Bushwacker, Black Pearl, Crosswired, Copp Hou and many others, ABBI’s school of buck is second to none when it comes to cultivating superstars. Sit back, pick a favorite to root for and watch as history continues being made—bovine style.
STATS Bull ABBI #
20U Shepherd Hills Tested 10061808
Sire
Smooth Move (Kish’s Top Gun x Kish)
Dam
Page 502 (Hotel California x No Can Do)
Breeder
D&H Cattle Co.
Owner
Luthy/Duckwall/D&H
Earnings
$71,169
Season Highlights
11 competitions, 5 90-point or higher marks, New Years, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Boise, Pueblo, Ardmore, Grand Junction and Springfield event winner, Year-End Classic Champ
Pro Bull Stats
28/22.10 (outs/average bull score)
SHEPHERD HILLS TESTED What can you say besides “WOW!” about this bovine? He’s a bonafide bucker and time tested road warrior! He’s been hauled more than any other contender— and won more events and money! He’s placed and pulled checks everywhere he’s been and only fell below fifth once. His name speaks volumes. This bull has surely been TESTED—like no other in the field. He put it on ‘em in Springfield’s Super Classic—one of the closest tests to World Finals a bull can see. He bucked back to back and finished the event with a 90+ out. If anybody has earned their stripes and is “tested” coming into Vegas, it’s this super-salty bovine. He’s an easy favorite off his record alone!
PHOTOS BY ANDY WATSON
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
C SI AS CL The Classic bulls will be center stage at Thomas & Mack on October 25 when they go head-to-head against the best cowboys of the PBR who have qualified from across the globe to be their worthy adversaries. During Round Two of the PBR World Finals the Classic contenders will show us who is here to play with the big boys. The top Classic animals will return on October 27 to fight it out for the title during Round Four of the PBR World Finals. Each animal who qualifies for the Classic does so with a clean slate. In addition to the bulls who earned their position by winning enough prize money at ABBI regular season events, a few will also come out of the Classic Wild Card on October 24. Any one of these animals could put on a show worthy of first and claim $250,000. Trying to predict a winner from a field of talent this deep is impossible, but Shepherd Hills Tested has been number one practically all year. But an off day or off trip could change everything. These are four bulls to keep your eye on, but in Vegas- all bets are off.
MICKEY MOUSE Don’t let this bucker’s childlike name fool ya. He’s no joke. He came into this race at the tail end of the season but did it with loads of vigor—busting their chops in Tulsa. We’ve only seen him in our format three times, but he’s been impressive. He’s been around the industry and stirred a lot of buzz before barging onto the big stage. He’s mighty. He’s mature and he’s capable. He doesn’t have an elaborate pedigree like some of our contenders, but lucky for him he can’t read a lick AND bucks like crazy. He’s top-drawer so look for him to generate some 90s. All fun and games aside—he’s the kind who could go all the way.
STATS Bull ABBI #
81 Mickey Mouse 10129088
Sire
Mighty Mouse (NA)
Dam
65 (NA)
Breeder
Marlene Henry
Owner
Marlene Henry
Earnings
$17,896
Season Highlights
3 competitions, 2 90-point or higher marks, Tulsa Classic Event Winner
Pro Bull Stats
5/21.58 (outs/average bull score)
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FAIRY TATTOO Here’s another bovine with a less than scary name! But be warned. He’s plenty frightening. One look at his pedigree oughta do it. His maker is last year’s Breeder of the Year so you can be sure the paper trail is there. If his breeder or doubleended Bodacious pedigree doesn’t send shivers down your spine, they better check your pulse! He’s big. He’s burley. He’s a slice of Bo departed! Plus who doesn’t love a platinum blonde! We haven’t seen him a whole lot, but you can be sure there’s a reason he’s been picked up by one of the best contractor’s in the business for this ultimate showdown. He looks settled, consistent and plenty strong to stand the test.
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Bull ABBI #
907 Fairy Tattoo 10098190
Sire
Bo’s Excuse (Bodacious x AR CJC 2-Coffey)
Dam
SA V58 (Little Weed x SA 39-Bodacious Daughter)
Breeder
Sammy Andrews
Owner
Boyd & Floyd Bull Co.
Earnings
$10,800
Season Highlights
2 competitions, Tulsa event Reserve Champ, 3rd place at Thackerville
Pro Bull Stats
4/21.94 (outs/average bull score)
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
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SUPER COOL CAT Here’s another bovine that has been around the block. When you’re not looking, this cat can wield some claw. He earned his stripes in the Futurities as a juvenile and has made great strides in the Classics this year. He’s been to a heap of events and can be classified as one of the most steady and consistent cats in the game. He’s the type of bull that may creep and climb his way into the top slots before they shut down the alley. He’s rider friendly but not above coiling up and putting the pounce on ‘em when he’s ready. He’s been there and done that, so keep him in your radar.
STATS Bull ABBI # Sire
821 Super Cool Cat 10065102 Supercool (Playboy Skoal x Bailey 1-Polecat Daughter)
Dam
P4 Waspy Momma (Red Wasp x Guidry)
Breeder
Scott Davis
Owner
Jackson/Holmes/Baker
Earnings
$8,478
Season Highlights
7 competitions, Stephenville Wednesday Night event Champ, pulled checks at OKC, Pueblo, and Stephenville
Pro Bull Stats
8/21.48 (outs/average bull score)
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TOP 45 REGULAR SEASON CLASSIC BULLS (BASED ON MONEY WON)
Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
ID# 20U 10 81 850 822 1 907 61 33-8 52U 821 44W U816 238 8025 72W U36 35 813 801 77 30W 2482 D 845 880 M1-8 823 818 849 R351 335 83 331 T16/8 842 928 898 9536 837 BB88 822 833 311 R 2482B Sc 83
ABBI# 10061808 10119617 10129088 10082573 10069910 10096230 10098190 10127586 10085388 10061834 10065102 10089766 10071833 10076070 10073850 10089696 10086479 10068057 10129336 10076052 10069097 10089762 10090289 10114165 10085482 10066353 10071403 10081694 10068629 10108177 10079487 10068129 10080658 10068852 10082535 10112587 10059486 10092181 10077536 10073567 10116881 10065796 10082328 10062681 10081033
Bull 20U Shepherd Hills Tested Carney Man Mickey Mouse High Jack Little Combat Gonzo Fairy Tattoo Big Stink Ragin JT 52U Midnight Mood Super Cool Cat 44W Stone Sober 816 Ringo 238 Skatman Hou Jet Set 72W Paradise Page U36 Lucky you Russian Roulette Razor Blade Scout 30W Jungle Cat Vortex Madness Jungle Juice White Lie Change Up M1-8 Wilson Smiling Bob Messy Mossy R351 Boyd 335 Tribal Tuff.com Bull Arrow Wolf Addiction Hous Back Wild Card Pancho Money Maker Black Duck Woody Joker Hammerhead Davis/Clapp 311 Country Bumpkin Tid
Owner Luthy / Duckwall / Gordon / Shepherd Hills Cutlery / D&H Cattle Co. Chad Berger Marlene Henry Teague Bucking Bulls Circle T Ranch & Rodeo Ruben & Wanda Gonzales Boyd / Floyd Chad Berger Jerry Tuttle McGuire / D&H Cattle Jackson / Holmes / Baker D&H Cattle Co / Buck Cattle Co Ace Of Spades / Beach City / Moody-Rice Wolf Creek Cattle Company / B-T Bucking Bulls Diamond S Bucking Bulls D&H Cattle Chad Berger Ackerman / Cox Wolf Creek Cattle Co, LLC Rockin T Ranch Corder Bucking Bulls / Reed & Jeana Corder D&H Cattle / Buck Cattle Leap Of Faith Bucking Bulls / Bob Whisnant Pillow / Barrett Ace Of Spades / Dedrich Bays Bucking Bulls Martinez Bucking Bulls / 01 Cattle Co. Rawson Bucking Bulls Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls, LLC Clapp Cattle / Hart Cattle Boyd / Floyd Wolf Creek Cattle Co. LLC Gene Owen / Dan Britton Cindy Rosser / Flying C Livestock Ace Of Spades / Beach City / Lone Star Davis / Daw Ace Of Spades / Beach City Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC Ferguson Ranch LLC Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls Robbie Schroeder Ferguson Ranch, LLC. Davis Rodeo Ranch / Clapp Cattle Silver Spring Nothin' But Try Ranch / Howdy Thomas
Earnings $71,168.77 $24,217.58 $17,896.15 $12,148.95 $12,067.78 $11,466.02 $10,800.80 $10,582.63 $10,371.40 $8,700.06 $8,478.46 $7,740.25 $6,983.76 $6,788.39 $6,631.79 $6,335.25 $6,274.96 $6,174.51 $5,132.05 $5,045.62 $4,957.05 $4,751.44 $4,416.12 $4,358.82 $4,194.71 $4,008.46 $4,008.46 $3,963.51 $3,956.30 $3,863.77 $3,569.92 $3,344.80 $3,167.63 $3,163.08 $3,149.63 $3,022.00 $2,707.80 $2,615.58 $2,530.80 $2,508.60 $2,503.20 $2,019.69 $2,004.87 $1,849.69 $1,830.81
Total Winnings Paid To Date: $361,628.17
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
BUSHWACKER’s IMHBO (In My Honest Bovine Opinion) AS TOLD TO SUGAR KUHN
PHOTOS BY ANDY WATSON
IT’S NOT EASY BEING THE BADDEST BUCKER IN THE BUSINESS—AND THAT’S NO BULL FOLKS. I CLIMB ABOARD MY HANDLER’S TRAILER, WHOM I TRUST WITH MY FOUR-LEGGED LIFE BY THE WAY. WE PULL INTO THE NEXT EVENT—ITS OLD HAT FOR A BRAZEN BEAST LIKE ME. IT’S THE SAME PLACES, THE SAME SET UP AND THE SAME BULL BUSTERS’ EVENT AFTER EVENT NOW.
I practically belly-roll, I mean belly-laugh each time one of those lil’ bull peelers step into my zone. The majority of ‘um dodge me like an IRS audit which is something those humans are pretty leery of I guess. And dodgin’ me is pretty wise. I’ve lost track of how many riders I’ve victimized with my wicked ways. There’s been a bunch and a couple that keep coming back for more punishment over and over again. I mean how I can hold back a bovine bellar when that wild child from North Carolina takes his licks and pretty much begs me for more takes focus on my part. Heck, I’m not sure that boy’s even right! Most of them guys try to steer clear of me while he keeps a coming. One thing I can say about him is that he’s got swinging sirloin if you know what I mean! americanbuckingbull.com
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“IT’S NOT EASY BEING THE BADDEST BUCKER IN THE BUSINESS-AND THAT’S NO BULL FOLKS” -BUSHWACKER
Brend on Cl ark
's Bushwacker Moreno/OliveiraBuc king Bull 2011 PBR World Champion pion 2010 ABBI Classic World Cham
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
He reminds me of myself in so many ways. We are both pretty handsome, both pretty gutsy, both pretty brazen and both pretty talented. But he’s still chasin’ his world title and over here in this camp, well I don’t have to tell ya that I already got two of those-one from PBR and one from ABBI an, hooves, crossed, another this year. Plus, it doesn’t take a genius to notice that I’m way craftier. Shoot just look at the records of our matches. Okay back to my point, sorry I have a hard time not boasting. My Handler (that is his name, so you two-leggeds stop calling him Kent Cox)
and I have traveled a lot of miles together. We have pounded that pavement for sure. You know he’s quite a bit smarter than those other twolegged lions that try to straddle me day in and day out. I mean he gets me. He knows when I need something just by looking at me. He knows when something isn’t right and he knows how to get the best out of me. He speaks my language which hello is no two-legged language at all. I guess if you had to call it something we bulls speak Bovinese. Ya, that’s right. My handler speaks my dialect chew-y grain-o. (That was actually pretty clever and I must admit I crack myself up, but anyway I digress, bovine style). My handler and I have this frosty-cool connection ya know. I couldn’t do it without him and any contender in Vegas needs to have a great handler that speaks our secret language. A bull’s handler is so important. He’s gotta know his bovines like the back of his hand. For instance my handler knew I wasn’t right when I had those bone chips in my hind fetlock joints at the beginning of the season. And hey, I’ll admit it. I’m not the easiest to read. After all, I’ve got an image to uphold. I mean I can’t be pimpin’ around like one of those young greenhorns around here when I have a little warrior wound.
“When you are the best, you gotta have heart and grit.” When you are the best, you gotta have heart and grit. Sure if I was a 2-year-old with udder-milk still on my lips like this futurity class, I’d probably have done some belly-aching about the situation. In fact, maybe I’d have even made a lap down to the concession stands and grabbed a hotdog when they cracked that latch. But, hey, I’m a world champ in two different classes and these kids need somebody to model themselves after. Speaking of these youngins, my breakfast isn’t the only thing I’m layin’ here ruminating on this morning. Those whipper snappers and these Vegas contests have been on my mind this morning. I’ve been bathing my beautiful bod in the sunshine, chewing my cud and thinking about other advice I can kick on over to this year’s juvenile contestants. Yes, I have my opinions. You can’t possibly be surprised at that. I remember those days when I was a mere mortal. You’d get your hide in a bind when you saw that truck hook up to that trailer and start backing up to that alley. You had no clue where it was taking you or what you’d find when it stopped. Shoot, you’d give yourself out just thinkin’ about it. When you left the anticipation made you felt like a tight pair of jeans about to rip. When you arrived, you’d feel like a wet, rung out sock. (I mean I’ve never worn tight jeans but my handler does and they look rather uncomfortable. And I have seen some bovines sportin’ tall white socks and I have seen them get wet—and even muddy. Trust me it don’t feel good). Anyway let’s try to land this plane. Back in the day, the loudness and craziness in those back pens can really get to a bucker if he ain’t right between his horns. Heck, those poor boys are in for a long week when they americanbuckingbull.com
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get to Vegas. You’d be over tired the day after arrival. Sometimes they crack that gate with that box on your back and your mind goes to checkin’ out on ya. You find yourself thinking about green pastures, you hear bees buzzin’ and birds chirpin’. Your mind goes to its happy place and you can practically feel your momma’s big warm milk-bag. Let’s be frank, Frank. You got 4 seconds to shine and this is no time for mental lollygagging. If your mind even starts to wander and have that what I like to call “Weeeee moment” in the box, it ain’t gonna be pretty folks. That’s right. Oprah has her little prissy ‘Ah ha’ moments, right? Well we buckers can have ‘weeeee’ moments. Me, I’ve never had many of those, but boy have I seen a few buckers that have, particularly the young ones. Anyway for you two-legged a ‘weeee moment’ is where you forget this is serious and consider lickin’ the window if you know what I mean. It’s just a moment of mental lapse and you absolutely can’t have one of those here guys.
“The buckers that rise to the top are gonna have to know how to save themselves for the right time.” Anyway, before ya know it your out’s over and everyone is mad at the sight of ya. And you’re in the strippin’ chute thinkin’ hey ‘what’s the big deal, fellas’? Trust me. Ya gotta be able to reel it in boys. I know more than one bovine that has used the ol’ “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” escape clause for a moment of mental frailty. Plus you can say what you want, but them boys is lyin’ that say that escape clause is legit. It ain’t! That news will beat you back to the pasture I promise ya. The fact is, only the most hemmed in bovines can handle this finals competition. It’s gonna take 2-year-olds, Wild Card bulls, Maturity bulls, Derby bulls and Classic bulls that are independent and confident. They gotta be boys that view this contest as a challenge and are excited about the experience. If you’re scared or overwhelmed you better just hang up your flank and think about chasin’ butterflies or somethin’. That dog won’t hunt here, Dutch. You’d better take that thinkin’ out behind the woodpile and put one behind its ear. Only thoughts of winning and reachin’ deep down inside for all the heart and grit you can muster deserves any face time out here at the big show. The buckers that rise to the top are gonna have to know how to save themselves for the right time. And, hey let’s be real, they’re gonna have
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The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
jb ma uney
's Bushwacker Moreno/OliveiraBuc king Bull 2011 PBR World Champion pion 2010 ABBI Classic World Cham
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Kent Cox accepts an award on Bushwacker's behalf
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to not be afraid to strap on the ol’ feedbag in this strange locale. A bucker’s eatin’ habits on the road can make or break him in Vegas. Fuel those bodies’ buckers. And for Bushwacker’s sake, lie your butts down at night. It’s gotta be lights out and night-night pretty puppy. Ya gotta ignore those bright lights and hoopla. You’re gonna need some spunk and spring in your step when you break the plane of that chute. Cody Lambert may do his Morning Line about the day’s match-ups, but we got our own bovine grapevine in these back pens. I can’t say how many times I’ve had to bellar across the way at some sketched out youngster walking the floor when its time for some shuteye. But you just can’t tell some kids anything. They gotta learn the hard way. No eatin’, no drinkin’, and no restin’ equal no ruminating—and well then you’re just askin’ for it. Another thing it’s gonna take to win in Vegas is freshness. The topdogs are gonna have to have retained that zing and pop they felt the first time a man strapped that box to their back or the first time a rider tried to screw down behind their blades. I mean if you’re fresh, you’re gonna buck like there’s a lion on your back. Boy do I love that feelin’. It’s so gratifying for a bovine livin’ this grind.
“In my own bovine opinion, the champs of these contests are gonna have to trust their handler like I do mine.” In my own bovine opinion, the champs of these contests are gonna have to trust their handler like I do mine. If he don’t make you warm and fuzzy inside when you feel his vibe on the back of that buckin’ chute, you’re sunk sailor and it’s just a matter of time before your ship is gonna sail. The big games, the Wild Card, the Maturity and the Classic, are gonna take quite a bit more moxy men. I know. Heck when they start throwing those riders your way it’s sink or swim. Me, I’m a swimmer. And you buckers better be ready cuz this is where they separate the men from the boys. They say these riders are the best in the world, but I say so am I. A bucker can accomplish quite a bit through intimidation. Y’all have faced some of these boys before and if you left them wondering how they ended up in a pile, well you’re on your way. I find it helps to stand quietly in the chute while they prepare like a gentle ol’ yard dog. This is that “save-yourself” moment. Bottle it up buckers! Then once they get to feeling right, POW! Let ‘em have it. And that right there is the real gem in this game. Ya give it your all. You exert every ounce of bovine body effort you got and you just shoot for the moon. You gotta leave it all out there on that arena dirt my fellow four-legged buckers. You ask what the secrets were to winning the Classic World Title and the PBR Bull of the Year crowns. Well, here you have it. Be rested, ready to rumble and ramped up. If you follow my advice and make it to the topend, well there’s nothing better IMHBO. americanbuckingbull.com
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FU TU RI TY
y t i r u t u f p to s r e d n e t n co BY SUGAR KUHN
THE 2012 ABBI FUTURITY SEASON HAS BEEN AS EXCITING AS EVER. THE NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING 2-YEAR-OLDS HAS BEEN UNPRECEDENTED AND WE WELCOME THEM TO THE FINAL STRETCH OF THEIR JUVENILE PURSUITS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL WAYS THAT THESE YOUNGSTERS EARNED A PLACE ON THIS WORLD FINALS STAGE. FROM POUNDING REGULAR SEASON EVENTS, TO THE WILD CARD QUALIFIER contest and on into our video (VBBI) system, it has
never been easier for breeders to get their bulls recognized and into the biggest futurity spectacle in the industry. This is the time when all the activity comes to completion and one of our young hopefuls will earn $100,000 and a World title. Here’s a quick slice of some of our interesting young bulls to watch in Vegas. We’ve pulled out a few worthy individuals based on a mix of money earned, points accumulated and the combination of both during the regular season.
JUNGLE FEAR Here’s a great young bucker from Bobby Pillow. Pillow is coming into Vegas defending his title win from last year and this speckled up bovine is definitely one to keep your eyes peeled for. He hit the season’s biggest lick at the American Heritage, but also proved his worthiness elsewhere. They haven’t been hiding his light under a bushel and they trust his swiftness. He’s plenty salty and comes with big-time boldness. If he comes to Vegas fresh, he’ll surely be swingin’ a big stick.
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STATS Bull ABBI #
54 Jungle Fear 10124295
Sire
Fear Factor (Spook x Orange Delight-Kephart)
Dam
Thomason 54 (Naccarato Breeding)
Breeder
Bobby Pillow
Owner
Bobby Pillow
Earnings
$101,356
Points
343
Season Highlights
American Heritage Co-Champ, Spring Fling CoChamp, Springfield Co-Champ
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HARD TWISTED Hard Twisted is as pretty as he is bucky—plus his pedigree speaks greatness. He’s classy and showy all at the same time so keep him on your list. He’s got the speed and zing they look for and should be fresh from only a few season showings. If you like them chrome-y and clicky, you’ll love Hard Twisted. He’s doubled up in greatness through his sire Double Oak who made his own name in the futurities. This brindle packs a punch so look for him to preach it!
STATS Bull ABBI # Sire Dam
173X Hard Twisted 10124713 33T Double Oak (Mudslinger x Page 13.143-Mudslinger) Page R33 (Chrome-A6 x Page 200-151-Oscar’s Velvet)
Breeder
Page & Buck
Owner
Page & Buck
Earnings
$91,332
Points
380
Season Highlights
American Heritage Co-Champ, Spring Fling 4th
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COPP 040 This little bucker deserves a name. He’s got a great sire and one that sports one of the most impeccable careers on record—Copp Hou! He’s been to plenty of events and made a great showing. His record makes him experienced and confident. Watch for him to know the drill. If his sire’s blood free-flows through him, Vegas should suit him perfectly. With superb handlers, he comes to us with all that’s necessary in this adventure. Be sure to pay attention to his effort, you’ll most likely be glad you did.
STATS
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Bull ABBI #
Copp 040 10118902
Sire
Copp Hou (Houdini x Copp B-84)
Dam
Copp 727 (Rodeo Kat-Skat Kat x Copp 1541-Spittin’ Image)
Breeder
Jerry Copp
Owner
Jerry Copp/Jerry Halpain
Earnings
$2,325
Points
329
Season Highlights
Springfield 4th
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QUICK SHOT Quick Shot belongs to a pretty brazen and burley athlete, so expect the same from this bull’s effort. His boldness and power have attracted more than an exhockey star. He’s had some pretty impressive moments and gathered up a net full of points this season. He can be crafty and likes to exert himself when the time is right. Follow this stealthy bucker’s strides. There’s a reason he lands in our “One’s to Watch” section.
STATS Bull ABBI #
013 Quick Shot 10128785
Sire
Quick Escape (Houdini x Carter 5X-Alligator)
Dam
677 (Little Yellow Jacket x Berger)
Breeder
Bill Griggs
Owner
Curtis Leschyshyn/4G Ranch
Earnings
$21,896
Points
270
Season Highlights
American Heritage 6th, Spring Fling 9th
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NO REGRETS From his pedigree to his performance at the American Heritage here’s a bovine with no regrets! He’s been manicured for greatness since his sire and dam were mated so he has the tools. He’s handy-footed and electric so look for some zing in the ring when they crack the gate on this juvenile. His handlers are hungry so expect top-end effort from this little bovine.
STATS Bull ABBI # Sire Dam
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60X No Regrets 10113750 Crazy Train (Boding x Page 47-107-Copperhead) Page T 30 (Panhandle Slim x Page 7205-184-Super Dave)
Breeder
Page & Buck
Owner
Page & Buck
Earnings
$29,439
Points
176
Season Highlights
American Heritage 3rd place
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FLOYD 956 Floyd 956 is another bull that’s beggin’ for a handle. He was the kind a trainer drools over at the American Heritage and you can bet your boots they’ve done their prep with this puddle-jumper. He’s very athletic and angular when it comes to body effort. He’s got a spectacular side-show with big-kickin’ class. This style reeks of winning so plug your nose when he runs in. He just might take your breath away.
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STATS Bull ABBI #
Floyd 956 10127589
Sire
Pearl Snap (Automatic-Spook x Kitty Cat- -59)
Dam
Floyd 610 (Jefe 548-Raspberry Wine x C&J 311J-Alley Cat)
Breeder
Toby Floyd
Owner
Boyd & Floyd Bull Co.
Earnings
$29,439
Points
176
Season Highlights
American Heritage 3rd place
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6 2 6 d y Bo BOYD 626 There’s another American Heritage wonder-horse in Boyd 626. Big-poppin’ action, craftiness and zap when he turns it on, Boyd 626 would be dangerous to overlook. He likes to throw his weight around when they ask him to so keep your hands inside the ride. He’s been stayin’ fresh so if you’re not ready for this brazen bovine you might lose a limb. He can be powerful and predictable which is dreamy in this contest. Boyd 626 is another one to look out for. If he catches you sleepin’ he could hit them like a hammer right when it really counts.
STATS Bull ABBI # Sire Dam
Boyd 626 10128041 Economic Barometer (Gunslinger x Big Heart EF) Boyd 1641 (Short Stack-Houdini x Kish’s Bad Girl-Outlaw)
Breeder
Jefe
Owner
Boyd & Floyd Bull Co.
Earnings
$29,439
Points
176
Season Highlights
American Heritage 3rd place
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Bulls Qualified for Futurity Finals (In No Particular Order) ID# 760-0
ABBI# 10113439
Bull SK760-0
26X
10113492
26X Show Boat
41X
10113659
41X Flashback
4X
10113739
4X Addiction
60X
10113750
60X No Regrets
5 42 42 90 R287-01 47
10113770 10113825 10113825 10113841 10114388 10115353
Modern Warfare Dunnam 042 Dunnam 042 Short Out 090 Closing Time Zeus
2
10116205
Fire For Effect
63
10116585
Half Nutz
941
10116767
High Stakes 941
629 746 40 46
10117434 10117540 10118902 10119274
TBB 0629 TBB 0746 Copp 040 PBJ 046
T05
10119402
T05
558
10119655
Boogie Tail
564 567 122
10119661 10119664 10120215
Rat-L-Trap Alabama Jig Dale Doback
J 07
10120325
Never Enuff
1007 54 58
10120828 10121038 10121042
Ellis 1007 54 58
50
10121655
Maw Maw Tried
207
10122448
Cactus Jungle
212
10122450
212BP
302 611 629-10 87 27 30 23 20 74
10122463 10122776 10123034 10123423 10123543 10123546 10124046 10124055 10124061
John Wayne Davis Rodeo 0611 629-10 Agent Johnson 027 Mayhem Packin Heat Gold Spur Ranch 023 Gold Spur Ranch 020 Gold Spur Ranch 074
77X
10124082
77X Funky Town
126X
10124087
Can't Be Touched
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Owner CL7 Bucking Bulls / 9A Ranch LeFlore / D&H Cattle Company D&H Cattle Company Adams / D&H Cattle Company Buck Cattle / D&H Cattle Company Tom & Tish Peterson Top Bucking Bulls T.O. & Tish Peterson Pete Baker / Gene Baker Pedone Ranch / Kasey Hayes Kaleb King / Box K Cattle LLC Rockin Rafter P Bucking Bulls Kaleb King / Box K Cattle LLC High Stakes Bucking Bulls / Jake Stubbs Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC Halpain / Copp PBJ Cattle Co. Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls, LLC Ravenscroft / Maher / BoydFloyd Ravenscroft / Boyd-Floyd Ravenscroft / Boyd-Floyd Boyd / Floyd Aaron Halpain / JATT Bucking Bulls Cross E Bucking Bulls Andrews Rodeo Andrews Rodeo Ace Of Spades / Superior Genetics Pillow & Barrett Bucking Bulls Pillow & Barrett Bucking Bulls Rafter C Davis Rodeo Ranch / Brady TCB Ranch, LLC Schaaf / Baker Locke / Prewitt / Downer Locke / Prewitt / Downer Gold Spur Ranch Gold Spur Ranch Gold Spur Ranch Hunter / D&H Cattle Company Aaron Halpain / JATT Bucking Bulls
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X1
10124239
X1 Gas Hog
X29 54
10124253 10124295
Page X29 Jungle Fear
152X
10124702
152X Double Shot
173X 173X X28
10124713 10124713 10124744
173X Hard Twisted Page 173X X28 Triple X
102X
10124894
102X Fast Life
65 75 -5 42 37 510 528
10125060 10125983 10126034 10126414 10126429 10126568 10126577
KRB 065 Bubba Live Action Rollin' Smoke Betta Be Movin' GDY510 Big Daddy D
T70
10126634
T70
946 951 934 902 956 209 235
10127442 10127447 10127450 10127455 10127589 10127661 10127684
Floyd 946 Floyd 951 Floyd 934 Little Z Floyd 956 TBB 0209 TBB 0235
241
10127689
TBB 0241
596 626 902
10128008 10128041 10128596
Boyd 596 Boyd 626 Billy The Kid 902
13
10128785
Quick Shot
79
10128995
Walker 079
DP118
10129147
Godfree
175
10129170
Honey Badger
14
10129242
0014 Gee Whiz
46
10129246
Locke 046
87 6
10138209 10143034
87 Jungle Monkey
107
10143132
Griz Jr
169
10143689
L169
123
10143704
Jungle Diva
450
10143711
TBB 0450
Star Point / D&H Cattle Company D&H Cattle / Land Co. Inc Pillow / Barrett Bucking Bulls Buck Cattle / D&H Cattle Company D&H Cattle / Buck Cattle D&H Cattle / Buck Cattle Gilbert / D&H Cattle Company Flinn / Glover / D&H Cattle Company Knox / Riverboot Branum / Baker K-VI Bucking Bulls Rockin M Cattle Company Rockin' M Cattle Company Guidry Land & Cattle, Inc. Pete & Susie Baker Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls, LLC Boyd-Floyd Boyd-Floyd Boyd / Floyd Ronnie Chism Farm & Ranch Boyd / Floyd Teague Bucking Bulls Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC Teague Bucking Bulls / Morton Boyd-Floyd Boyd / Floyd Wyatt Crowder Bucking Bulls CL7 Bucking Bulls / 4G Ranch Walker Bucking Stock Breeders Bar 3D Bucking Bulls / Patti & Rick Dreo Cody Ohl / Shane Hanchy Glover Cattle / D&H Cattle Company Smokin Gunn's Cattle Company Mo Betta Bulls / Gene Baker Pillow / Barrett Bucking Bulls /JK Bullriding Productions Inc. Winston Loe / Cory Melton Pillow & Barrett Bucking Bulls Teague Bucking Bulls
Note: This list does not include bulls who qualified through the Oct. 13 Wild Card event or VBBI Futurity
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Top 45 Regular Season Futurity Bulls (Based on Points) Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 27 28 29 30 30 30 30 34 35 36 36 38 39 40 41 41 41 44 45 46
ID# 173X 54 40 558 941 122 13 1007 T12 102X 290 41X 3 X29 5 564 26X 611 154X 4X 27 77X 207 370 J 07 46 46 596 X28 60X X1 956 626 RT1006 380 79 222 152X 42 510 90 934 DP118 14 0 54
ABBI# 10124713 10124295 10118902 10119655 10116767 10120215 10128785 10120828 10119422 10124894 10116765 10113659 10118691 10124253 10113770 10119661 10113492 10122776 10124703 10113739 10123543 10124082 10122448 10113575 10120325 10129246 10119274 10128008 10124744 10113750 10124239 10127589 10128041 10113952 10117877 10113886 10120857 10124702 10113825 10126568 10113841 10127450 10129147 10129242 10117173 10121038
Bull 173X Hard Twisted Jungle Fear Copp 040 Boogie Tail High Stakes 941 Dale Doback Quick Shot Ellis 1007 Torres T12 102X Fast Life High Stakes 290 41X Flashback The Joker X29 Wired Up Modern Warfare Rat-L-Trap 26X Show Boat Davis Rodeo 0611 154X Easy Money 4X Addiction 027 Mayhem 77X Funky Town Cactus Jungle SB 370 Colonel Conagher Never Enuff Locke 046 PBJ 046 Boyd 596 X28 Triple X 60X No Regrets X1 Gas Hog Floyd 956 Boyd 626 RT1006 SB 380 Kit & Kaboodle Jo Jo Cat's Paw 152X Double Shot Top Red Jacket GDY510 Short Out 090 Floyd 934 Godfree 0014 Gee Whiz LJ 00 54
Owner D&H Cattle / Buck Cattle Pillow Bucking Bulls Jerry Halpain / Jerry Copp Ravenscroft / Maher / Boyd-Floyd High Stakes Bucking Bulls Boyd / Floyd CL7 Bucking Bulls / 4G Ranch Cross E Bucking Bulls Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls, LLC Flinn / D&H Cattle High Stakes Bucking Bulls D&H Cattle / Land Co. Inc JMR Cattle Co. Buck Cattle / D&H Cattle Company Top Bucking Bulls Ravenscroft / Boyd-Floyd LeFlore / D&H Cattle Company Davis Rodeo Ranch / Brady D&H Cattle / Buck Cattle Adams / D&H Cattle Company Locke / Prewitt / Downer Hunter / D&H Cattle Company Pillow & Barrett Bucking Bulls Jordan Giadone / JM- Bucking Bulls Copp / Halpain Smokin Gunn's Cattle Company PBJ Cattle Co. Boyd / Floyd Gilbert / D&H Cattle Company Buck Cattle / D&H Cattle Company Star Point / D&H Cattle Company Boyd / Floyd Boyd / Floyd Owens Cattle Jordan Giadone / JM- Bucking Bulls Dennis & Jan Owens Joey Almand Buck Cattle / D&H Cattle Company Top Bucking Bulls Guidry Land & Cattle, Inc. Pete Baker / Gene Baker Boyd / Floyd Bar 3D Bucking Bulls / Patti & Rick Dreo D&H Cattle / Glover Jenkins Bucking Bulls Andrews Rodeo Company
Earnings $91,332.32 $101,335.52 $2,324.43 $2,799.84 $11,775.75 $2,162.89 $21,895.60 $0.00 $515.00 $2,162.89 $817.58 $2,162.89 $0.00 $11,257.40 $2,054.69 $7,254.70 $11,775.75 $3,260.43 $0.00 $19,976.72 $11,775.75 $16,822.50 $11,775.75 $0.00 $8,213.29 $7,254.71 $680.67 $2,675.70 $7,254.71 $29,439.38 $0.00 $29,439.37 $29,439.38 $1,238.75 $0.00 $636.95 $0.00 $11,775.75 $3,667.19 $7,254.70 $2,162.89 $2,162.89 $2,162.89 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Points 380 343 329 326 300 277 270 269 250 249 247 242 241 233 231 217 211 211 211 210 207 203 200 196 188 188 187 182 177 176 176 176 176 175 172 170 170 168 166 164 157 157 157 155 153 151
Total Season Winnings Paid to Date: $571,805.05
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Bull Builder Building Bulls From The Inside Out FORCO Bull BuildeR is a source of nutrients that feed the bacteria and microbes in the digestive system enabling your bulls’ digestive system to perform up to its genetic potential. Good nutrition requires a balanced ration and a balanced digestive system. FORCO Bull BuildeR will: • Feed the bacteria in the whole digestive system and increase bacteria in the rumen. • Increase protein digestion resulting in better muscle growth, good hair coat and better feet. • Cause better fiber digestion • Give you the ability to feed more hay and not worry about a “Hay Belly”. • The more roughage in the diet, the fewer digestive problems you will have. • Changing feed sources on the road will cause less stress on the bulls’ digestive system if you feed bull builder. • Keeping the bacteria population within correct limits and populations will cause your bull to be less sensitive to the stresses caused by hauling and performing. • A healthy digestive system causes your bull to eat better, maintain an athletic weight and have good muscle tone.
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D&H's Play Harder wins ABBI Maturity Claimer event under Taylor Toves.
ABBI WORLD FINALS MATURITY CLAIMING EVENT ONE OF THE ABBI’S MOST SUCCESSFUL CONCEPTS HAS BEEN MATURITY COMPETITIONS. THIS CONCEPT WAS CONCEIVED AND CRAFTED FOR BULLS 3 YEARS OLD AND OVER THAT FOR VARIOUS REASONS MAY NOT BE eligible to compete under other formats. The concept has filled a much needed platform for bulls that fall between the cracks in competitive scenarios during the regular season. Still, nothing has stirred more fun and excitement than the ABBI’s Las Vegas Maturity Claiming Event being held on Saturday, October 27 at the South Point Hotel and Casino’s state of the art arena.
process similar to claiming a race horse at the track. If there are multiple claims submitted on a bull, the new owner is determined by a Vegas-style cut of the cards—high card winning. An owner that enters a Maturity bull and puts up the top score walks away with both a $35,000 event win check and possibly $15,000 from the bull’s new owner through the claiming process.
HOW IT WORKS:
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (October 26, 2011)- The first ever ABBI Maturity Claiming Event held at the South Point Hotel and Casino Arena concluded with D&H Cattle Company’s Play Harder winning $35,000. After the bull’s exceptional out, the claiming parties cut cards for new ownership. Russ Gant of 5G Farms won the card cut and himself a spectacular bucker for his $15,000 claim.
Breeders and contractors enter bulls at least 3-years old. There is no upper age limit in Maturity events. These Maturity bulls compete for the $35,000 first place prize which goes to the breeder or contractor that entered his bull. Meanwhile, other breeders and contractors submit their claiming bids in the amount of $15,000 into the claim box prior to competition, a 78
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2011 MATURITY CLAIMING EVENT FLASHBACK!!!
ABBI’s INAUGURAL LIFETIME DERBY
TYPICALLY, ANY ANIMAL THAT MAKES IT TO LAS VEGAS WE HAVE SEEN BUCK EARLIER IN THE SEASON AND HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT DO. THE LIFETIME DERBY IS THE EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE- AND THAT MAKES FOR EXCITING ACTION THAT SHOULD KEEP EVERYONE ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS. In an attempt to create needed niche markets for every class and age of bovine, the ABBI will be hosting its first Lifetime Derby on Friday, October 26. The event will be held at the South Point Arena where the aspiring superstars will buck- in some cases this will be the first time the public, fans and fellow stock contractors have got to see them strut their stuff. This program was launched by the ABBI in June and allowed any stock contractor to buy a lifetime spot for competition at the annual event for 3-year-olds. The event is limited to 50 bovines, with $100,000 being awarded to the highest marked bull of the event.
HOW IT WORKS:
Contractors and breeders, who purchased one of the 50 coveted Lifetime Derby positions on a first-come, first-serve basis in June for $5,000, are eligible to enter any ABBI registered 3-year-old bovine in this contest. Once a spot is owned, it belongs to the purchaser for a lifetime and each year they must make the decision as to which 3-year-old to enter. The competition, held in conjunction with the PBR Touring Pro event, is unique among ABBI Finals events in that prequalifying is not necessary. Once an owner possesses a Lifetime Derby spot, they can decide which bull they want to compete with in Las Vegas. The winner earns $100,000 and the event pays 10 places.
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ABBI Classic Wild Card Champ Boyd & Floyd’s Rack Em Up.
ABBI WORLD FINALS CLASSIC WILD CARD EVENT THE ABBI‘S CLASSIC WILD CARD EVENT HELD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT THE SOUTH POINT ARENA IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED COMPETITIONS IN LAS VEGAS WHICH PAYS OUT OVER $50,000 TO THE TOP 10 FINISHERS. IT’S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY for the top 4 finishers to seal the deal on a last minute shot at the Classic World title. While other Classic contenders have been carefully watched each step of the way during the regular season, these elusive last minute hopefuls present a serious threat. In fact, in past years several big-timers have thrust themselves into the world classic race via the Wild Card event. The exceptionally exciting component to this 80
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competition is the chance that a contender may surface from practically nowhere and give the year’s road warriors a run for the money. However, the fact that the top 4 individuals that advance have to buck again the following day surely ups the ante for dramatic competition. The Classic Wild Card bull that emerges the Wild Card Event winner also nabs the $25,000 awarded to the winner.
HOW IT WORKS:
The ABBI Classic Wild Card contest is designed to give any 3 or 4-year-old bull that has not already qualified for the
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Rack Em Up, Boyd/Floyd Awards ABBI Classic Wild Card. ABBI Finals.
ABBI Classic World Finals prior to Las Vegas a non-traditional opportunity to advance and compete for the ABBI Classic World title. In an element of difficulty, the Classic Wild Card bulls must compete for one of the top 4 slots the day prior to again competing in the first round of regular Classic World Finals competition.
2011 CLASSIC WILD CARD EVENT FLASHBACK!!!
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (October 24, 2011)- The 2011 ABBI Classic Wild Card event held at the South Point Hotel and Casino Arena did not disappoint and the new bull on the scene stealing the show was Boyd-Floyd Bull Company’s heavy-hitting bovine Rack Em Up. The well-bred bucker rolled over the field of 73 Wild Card contenders for the $25,000 win by posting 89 points for his effort. The Wild Card event in Las Vegas paid out over $50,000 to ABBI owners.
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RT ON CODY LAMBE
N O I P M A H C D L R O W S ’ R PB
L L U B G N I K C BU S R E D N CONTE T N CARTWRIGH BY KEITH RYA
PHOTOS BY ANDY WATSON
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BB OY FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, BUSHWACKER AND ASTEROID HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS THE FRONTRUNNERS AMONG THE CONTENDERS FOR THE TITLE OF WORLD CHAMPION BULL (AKA BUCKING BULL OF THE YEAR).
Just as it came down to the final out of the year in 2011 before Bushwacker won the title, it’s likely to come down to the last outing again this year at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.
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After watching both compete throughout the entire 2012 season, PBR livestock director Cody Lambert gives the advantage to the reigning World Champion Bull. In discussing the contenders Lambert said, “We’ve seen them when, after they’ve bucked, experts couldn’t decide which one was better. You can ask two different guys, who you really value their expert opinion, and one of them will tell you Bushwacker was better and one of them will tell you Asteroid was better. “It’s tight and it’s tough,” he continued. “It will come down to the very last day.” In fact, Lambert explained that at this point a year ago he gave Asteroid a better chance of winning the title than he does this time around. “I think Asteroid is as good as he was last
BUSHWACKER (Moreno/Oliveira)
I’ve talked about Bushwacker so much over the year that it has to be a lot of repeating the same stuff. He’s a superior athlete and he’s big for a bull that athletic – 1,700 pounds is big and he’s still able to jump as high as he does and move as fast as he does. When we started this year, he was out with some bone chips that they had to remove from his back legs and he hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down. I don’t think that’s bothered him at all. I’m disappointed when I get a call like that (that a bull is injured), but it happens with every athlete. Eventually even Cal Ripken Jr. had to sit out. Bulls can’t tell you exactly what they feel and how it feels, so if you’re ever going to error on sitting one out, you should error on the side of caution because a bull like Bushwacker is going to give you everything he has. So if he’s hurt, he could hurt himself worse. That being said, I’m always disappointed when the best in the world can’t be at the Built Ford Tough Series. So every time he’s not there our pen of bulls isn’t as strong. As strong as they are everywhere, if you take out the No. 1 bull there’s something missing and he is definitely the No. 1 bull. If we’re still talking about him this time next year, he is the best bull the PBR has ever seen. Right now, he’s on the verge of being the best bull the PBR has ever seen. He’s a little more athletic than the rest, he’s consistent and then he has such a cool demeanor about him. He doesn’t get worked up in the chute. It doesn’t take the riders long to get out on him because he’s not leaning on one side or the other and they’re not in a fight with him. They don’t get him all tensed up or excited because they don’t have to push him over or push him around or move him around because he’s ready to go and stands right in the middle of the chute. He lets them get ready because he knows he’s ready. All athletes are different in that way. Some human athletes are best when they’ve ridden the exercise bike and they have a pretty good sweat going before they start and some want to mentally work themselves into some kind of frenzy and others have to try to keep themselves calm. Then you’ll see one that shows up and he knows he’s the best, he knows he’s good, he’s knows he’s ready to go and he’s just relaxed all the time—that’s Bushwacker. I’ve seen Bushwacker get upset, but it wasn’t in the bucking chute and it wasn’t in the arena. It was in the back pens when there were too many people trying to pet him through the fence on one of our
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year,” Lambert said, “but I think Bushwacker is even better than he was last year. That is saying a lot.” However, there have been several instances this year – Bucky and Meat Hook among them – in which some of the other contenders have stepped up and outscored the competition. That list of bulls also includes the likes of Smackdown, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Rock N Roll, King Lopez, Mulligan Man and David’s Dream. “These top bulls, there is no place in the world for them to buck except the Built Ford Tough Series,” Lambert concluded. Lambert talked at length about what he thought were the Top 10 contenders for the PBR’s most prestigious bull title.
tours. We put Bushwacker in a corner pen by himself and people could get their picture taken by him and stand there by his pen, and he decided he had enough of that. Whenever there’s a bull that’s predictable I also equate it to a football team where the offense tells you what play they’re going to run and then they execute it so perfectly that you still can’t stop them. Well, Bushwacker doesn’t necessarily tell you what play he’s going to run because you don’t know if he’s going to go one jump, two jumps or three jumps before he turns back and you don’t know if it’s going to be to the right or the left or a big fake one way or the other, but he does allow you to get as ready as you want. You don’t have to just take him as he is. He lets you get the position you want and he’s ready to go from that position. Riders who get on him for the first time, he always bucks them off quick. Those guys are surprised by how fast and how strong he leaves the chute and he has them out of control before he has to turn back. He’s in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round every time, so he’s not just going up against the best 35 bull riders in the world. It’s one of the 10 best riders that week who is getting on him and it’s a draft round. So somebody chooses him who really wants to get on him and give him a try.
ASTEROID (Circle T)
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Mudslinger had to go up against Dillinger and Little Yellow Jacket and Blueberry Wine. Blueberry Wine never won the World Championship title because he was up against Dillinger, Little Yellow Jacket and Mudslinger. There are bulls who have those type of careers, where they’re looked back on as great Champions even though they never won a Championship. I think Asteroid has a very good chance of winning the Championship this year, but I think if it was over today Bushwacker would beat him. He’s a little bull that can throw you over his head and he doesn’t do it with just power. He does it with speed and he has the ability to get his frontend off the ground and then he kicks so high that it drives his frontend down, which makes drop. Even if you’re in perfect position you better be moving because the instant he hits the ground, he’s getting around. It’s a combination of everything you want in a bull – buck, kick, spin, speed, intensity – which all rolled into one makes for a high degree of difficulty and he’s a competitor. We’ve seen him one time for 8 seconds this year and he was bucking just as hard then as he was
2
at 2 seconds. If you could go back there and talk to him, he doesn’t know that J.B. Mauney rode him. He just knows he had to buck a little longer before he got him off his back. He doesn’t have any idea that he’s been ridden because he gave it all he had until he threw the man off his back. That was one of those special rides that we’ll be talking about 10 years from now. Challengers for a World Championship have a few rides that will stick in their minds and they’ll tell their grandkids about—and that’s one of them. It was something that every fan in the stands and everyone watching on TV ought to be able to tell their grandkids about too because it was a ride that you don’t see every
day. The unfortunate thing about it, as good a job as the judges did, they had the right winner- they had enough spread between first and second place- but they just scored it two to three points too low. Each judge being a little conservative and being a half-a-point to a point low is what happened there. In the grand scheme of things it all worked out because the right guy won, but when you’re talking about the all-time great rides that one belongs in there with them.
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4
3
SMACKDOWN (Dakota/Berger/Struve/Rosen)
He’s been doing it for about five years now and he does the same thing every time and still gets rode once a year. It’s comparable to a bull rider being in the Top 10 every year for 10 years. He’s one jump and to the left. He’s a weird built bull and he looks like a giant cow. He’s a big animal, but he doesn’t have big muscles. He spins to the left with so much speed and whip to the outside that if the rider is an inch off center they’re going to get slung to the outside. He’s still a little deceptive. Every time he bucks off a Champion you think, ‘He should have ridden him.’ You think that’s a great bull, but he should have ridden him because he knew what he was going to do.
JACK DANIEL’S TENNESSEE HONEY (Circle T)
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He spins to the left as well and has a little forward movement to get riders leaning back and then he has a long body and lots of whip to the outside, so when he spins he leans the rider back and then gives them all the whip to the outside. You have to be in perfect position and leaning forward because if you’re not he’ll get your head up and he’ll sling you to the outside, but if you’re leaning too far forward when he moves that forward way, you’ll slide back off your rope and you’ll wind up on the end of your arm. Then your hand can’t stand the pressure and you’ll go to the outside and out the back. He works the riders out. If he can’t get them bucked off in two seconds he still feels like he can do it in five, six, seven seconds. He just keeps working them to the back and to the outside.
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BUCKEY (Wentz)
5
5
He has scored higher than Asteroid and Bushwacker before. He looked like that in the beginning of the year and he’s been ridden a couple of times. They’re still averaging about 92 points if they do ride him, but he’s 8 years old and he has sons that are bucking right along side of him. He never made it to the Major Leagues until he was 6 years old and he doesn’t have the miles on him that most bulls who are 8 years old normally would. He doesn’t have near as many trips, so even up until last year we weren’t sure if he bucked better out of a left hand delivery or a right hand delivery. He was good out of both, but he was still a little green out of both. He’d get too close to the fence or get away from the chute bad or something like that. Now he’s settled down and likes to come out of that right hand delivery and he bucks.
ROCK N ROLL (Bad Co./Ohl)
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He’s never been rode at a professional event. Brant Atwood said that he had ridden him at an amateur event or a college rodeo and that’s the only blemish on his record—ever. His father was a bull named Hammer Time that lasted for years and years. This bull seems to have the heart. He changes it up and does a little different each time. He’ll spin the right one time, he’ll spin left one time, he’ll go forward four jumps before he turns back every now and then, he’ll go at least two every time, but he’s so strong. He’s deceptively strong. He’s a smaller bull that jerks on the riders and they’re out of control before he turns back and spins, but even if they do get around the corner and they start to ride him he changes gears, he changes his timing and rhythm and he gets them on the ground. On an off-day in Oklahoma city, this year, Renato Nunes rode him 7 seconds, but he still couldn’t make the whistle.
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KING LOPEZ (K - C)
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This is a bull that David Fournier raised and he’s one that we don’t see quite as much as Bushwacker or Asteroid, but he belongs in the same round with them. He’s not quite as rank as they are. He’s had some days where a top rider is supposed to ride him – as a Top 5 rider you’re supposed to feel like you can ride them all – and there are days I feel like they should have a legitimate chance to ride him, and they’re going to score 92 or 93 if they do. He’ll spin either way and lots of kick, but he does have a little timing with it and he has a little rhythm with it, which should make him a little easier to ride. He’s way up in the air, pretty good speed and lots of kick when he’s doing it.
8
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9
MULLIGAN MAN (Jeff Robinson)
9
He’s been ridden once in about three years. He gets them on the ground and he’s incredibly strong, but he’s not real flashy bucking. The reason he made this list is his last three outs – as we speak today – were Tulsa, San Antonio and Thackerville. At Tulsa he bucked off Valdiron de Oliveira, at San Antonio he bucked off Silvano Alves and at Thackerville he bucked off Guilherme Marchi. He goes two jumps and to the right, gets in the air and is just really strong. That’s into Valdiron’s hand. That’s into Guilherme’s hand. And Silvano. That’s enough said.
MEAT HOOK (Martinez Bucking Bulls)
8
We had a bull competition in Pueblo, Colo., in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Asteroid, Bucky, Rock N Roll and David’s Dream were all there and Meat Hook won the competition. He got the highest score from the judges, so that tells you how good he is. He’s been ridden three times in his career – two of them by Harve Stewart and once by Fabiano Vieira – and the average score, when they ride him, is about 91. He has a hop and skip – almost a double kick – to the way he bucks, so once a rider’s pulled out over the front he’ll spin to the left and back to the right or to the right and back to the left, and usually that combination of things will get them. He’s a small bull that’s really strong. That style of bucking makes him really strong. Harve just has his number.
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DAVID’S DREAM (Circle T)
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A year and a half ago was the first time I saw him on New Year’s Eve as a 3 year old, in Fort Worth, Texas, and he was really special then but Chuck Griffith wouldn’t bring him to any ABBI Classic events because his bull was small and he was a 3 year old and he wanted to wait on him. David Wisner was hauling him and taking care of him … and he made it to the Finals, last year, and scored 46 points on his last out. He’s the real deal and there’s no doubt about it. On the way to Glendale, Ariz., David was involved in a wreck – two semis hit head on right in front of him and there was nowhere for him to go – and he was killed. They changed the name to David’s Dream and eventually sold out. Lufkin Ranch & Rodeo no longer hauls bulls anymore and they sold the bull to Circle T Ranch & Rodeo and the only question was, when am I going to get to see him next? Kevin Laudemy took the bull to Billings, Mont., and he was great, but that’s when they made the deal with Circle T and Chuck didn’t want to buck him until Circle T took possession of
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him—let them make the calls on him from then on because he was too valuable of a bull. He was on a road trip when he sold him and he was in Nampa, Idaho, but I didn’t get to use him. Circle T took possession of him in Pueblo, Colo. After the break they brought him to Tulsa and he was just as good as he was supposed to be. … then I thought he was the best bull in Nashville. On the judges card, Asteroid outscored him, but on my card he outscored him. He’s a small bull, goes out about two jumps and likes to spin to the left – kick, speed, everything. They’re not straight away jumps. He has a little roll to him, but he’s up in the air when he’s doing it. He has a lot of action and when he hits and turns back he pushes off the ground hard and he’s up in the air. He’s not a low to the ground bull that pushes off. One of these guys will ride him one of these days and they’ll be a bunch—they’ll be in the mid 90s on him.
Photo By: Andy Watson
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Featuring in 2012
K BAR C BUCKING BULLS
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ABBI JUNIOR BREEDERS:
Friends, Fun and Bucking Bulls
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ELCOME TO UNITED STATES BUCKING BULL ASSOCIATION’S YOUTH DIVISION. THE BUCKING BULL INDUSTRY IS ABOUT MORE THAN HIGH SCORES AND WINNING BIG. WE BELIEVE THE CONNECTIONS YOU MAKE AND THE LESSONS YOU LEARN ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS. If you
are between the ages of 9-18 and love the American Bucking Bull then the USBBA’s Jr. Breeder Program is where you turn. The sky is the limit when you become a Junior Breeder. The opportunity to raise and buck bulls, buy and buck bulls, be sponsored by a mentor with a bull you can buck, or to root for your peers from the sidelines are only a small list of the opportunities available to you as a Junior Breeder. We have many ways of participating in our junior breeder program, from flanking your own bull to entering our creativity contests. If you’re a 4-H member consider using the American Bucking Bull as an approved project. If you’re an FFA member, it’s already possible to use the American Bucking Bull as your latest approved SASE project. If you’re lined out for entering your own bull in competition, we’ve got you covered Stay tuned for more on the exciting ventures available with USBBA Junior Breeder programs! Come and see what ABBI’s Jr. Breeder Program is all about. (Visit abbinow.com then go to the junior section for more details and upcoming event schedules.)
ABBI Junior Breeder 2012 Season Sponsors: A CUT ABOVE BUCKLES BONSALLBUCKINGBULLS.COM BOYD-FLOYD BULL CO. BOX K CATTLE DESTRON FEARING GARY WALTER MEMORIAL FUND JATT BUCKING BULLS SIS-N-STAN BUCKING BULLS STEVE AND JULIE RAVENSCROFT WOLF CREEK CATTLE CO. LLC QUALIT-TECH
ALL 2012 SEASON PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE A JACKET COURTESY OF ABBI 92
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2012 JUNIOR FUTURITY SEASON AT A GLANCE BY SUGAR KUHN The ABBI Junior Breeder program is flourishing. Junior members ages 9-18 are enjoying competition more than ever before. With an opportunity to compete more than previous years, the 2012 junior season included five events plus a standalone event held in conjunction with the Las Vegas Futurity Finals, presented by the Gary Walter Memorial Fund. These six chances to step up and experience the thrills of bucking bull ownership and competition have been greeted with excitement by our junior members. During the regular season nearly $26,000 was paid out to our junior members. Although Vegas is its own event, over the 2012 season Aaron Halpain’s bucker Can’t Be Touched grabbed nearly $5,000 in winnings and piled up 44 points. Halpain’s bull Never Enuff also hit some licks with over $2,500 in earnings.
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Wyatt Crowder collected 39 points with each of his bulls; Rock On and Billy The Kid who also earned $4,300 and some change. Caleb and Karis King’s two buckers Half Nutz and Zeus each had great seasons both earning nearly $3,000. Rockin’ Rodeo Bulls’ J 75 accumulated nearly $3,000 over the course of the year while Cooper Downer’s Packin’ Heat nabbed nearly $2,500. Cade Davis, Colton Accomazzo, Noah Swindell, Blake and Hunter Ohl, J-M Bucking Bulls and Ethan Yell all also put in some miles and earned their stripes over a very exciting season. ABBI is extremely proud of the way this program is cultivating tomorrow’s contractors and breeders. Our youth earn an unmatched real life experience that we feel is second to none. Join us for a walk through the twists and turns of this year’s junior season where the competition was stronger than ever!
STEPHENVILLE, TX
3rd Annual Farm Bureau Spring Fling Junior Futurity
April 7 The season opener was held in Stephenville, Texas during the Spring Fling. It was an excellent turn out with 25 junior entries. Rockin’ Rodeo Bulls’ entry J 75 marked a 23.25 to win the event and earned 24 points and $2,879 for his out. Kaleb King’s Half Nutz came in second with a 21 point effort earning the bovine just over $2,000. His sister Karis’ entry Zeus nipped at his heels with a 20.75 tying with Blake and Hunter Ohl for $1,178 checks. Cade Davis’ Traveling Man marked a 20.25 and drew in $785. The final placing went to Colton Accomazzo/Noah Swindell’s Georgia Mudd who marked 20 and earned $698. All in all the Spring Fling’s junior event was a spectacular start to a great season.
AH Junior Futurity champion J 75 owned by Rockin Rodeo Bulls posted a 23.25
Junior Futurity competitors for the 2012 ABBI Spring Fling
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PUEBLO, CO. Pueblo Junior Futurity
May 18-20
The second event of the year took place at the ABBI’s home-base Pueblo, Colorado. Probably one of the most action packed venues of the year, 12 breeders made the trek with their bovine companions. Kaleb King bucked his sister’s last event entry Zeus to split the win with Wyatt Crowder’s Billy The Kid. The top two bulls each marked 20.50 points and earned checks for $1808. King hit his second lick with Half Nutz who finished third marking a 19.75 and earning another $904.
Caleb King-Box K’s bull Zeus wins Pueblo ABBI Jr. Futurity.
Wyatt Crowder’s 902 Billy The Kid, wins Pueblo ABBI Jr
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Kaleb King and Wyatt Crowder split the Pueblo ABBI Jr. Futurity win.
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GUTHRIE, OK
American Heritage Junior Futurity presented by Wolf Creek Cattle Co.
June 15-16
Can’t Be Touched, AH Junior Futurity winner
When June rolled around, it was time for stop three on the junior tour. 13 junior bulls showed up for another great event and shot at some great prize money. Guthrie is where Aaron Halpain’s Can’t Be Touched made waves for the first time. The bull marked a 21.25 and grabbed a hefty share of the purse-$4,153! Cooper Downer’s 030 launched into second with a 20 point out and took home $2,492. The last place went to Halpain’s Never Enuff who marked a 19.50 and grabbed the junior bull man another check for $1,661. Aaron Halpain, winner ABBI JR Futurity,
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CLAREMORE, OK
Lightning C Summer Bash Junior Futurity
August 10
When the dog days of summer find their way upon us it’s time to head to Claremore. The Lightning C Summer Bash is one many look forward to. Nobody enjoyed it more than Wyatt Crowder who grabbed the win with Billy The Kid for his 21.50 out. The effort earned Crowder a $2,541 check. Still Aaron Halpain’s bucker Can’t Be Touched was not denied. The bovine marked a close 21.25 to tie with his other entry Never Enuff. Both of Halpain’s bull earned checks for $847.
Billy The Kid owned by Wyatt Crowder wins the Lightning C Summer Bash Jr. Futurity. Wyatt Crowder accepts his winning check at the Lightning C Summer Bash Jr. Futurity in Claremore, OK.
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ARCHDALE, NC August 31
Garith McDonald’s Davis Rodeo 015
In a last minute surprise, Jerome and Tiffany Davis put together a junior event to go with their popular series’ final leg. It’s an event that is sure to grow by leaps and bounds in the future just like their series has over time. Still Garith McDonald’s bucker Davis Rodeo 015 showed he had swagger when he marked a 16.75. Ali Ford’s bull ABC 0143 came in second with 15.75. Both these youth exhibitors have no idea what trailblazers they are for young East Coast stock contractors. Look for the Archdale junior event to really grow after these two junior breeders stepped up to the plate.
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LAS VEGAS, NV
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Las Vegas World Finals Junior Futurity presented by The Gary Walter Memorial Fund
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The final leg of the junior event season is at the most exciting venue. Any kid making this haul should be tickled. It’s Las Vegas!!!! During the ABBI’s World Finals, our Juniors will once again have the opportunity to try their hand at the sport. Look for lots of entries and great bucking bulls from the next generation of bullmen and women!
DON’T MISS THE JUNIOR AWARDS AT THE COOPER TIRE STAGE AT PBR FANZONE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 AT 10AM
2011 FLASHBACK!!! SIS AND STAN’S WORLD FINALS JUNIOR FUTURITY With ABBI’s cultivation of its junior program and the support from mentors like Sis and Stan Dandy as well as others that have stepped up to sponsor the program, it’s obvious that the program is as important as it is educational. These junior members represent the future of the industry and are a fine example of the program’s success.
2011 Las Vegas Jr. Futurity Champ Rex Samford accepting his check
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The 2011 ABBI Sis & Stan’s World Finals stand alone Junior Futurity event was held at the South Point Hotel and Casino Arena prior to the ABBI Futurity Finals competition. The first-ever, stand alone junior event to be held in Las Vegas was open to any junior participant and didn’t require any previous qualification process. The event drew 15 entries and many junior breeders’ bulls proved they were just as strong as those in the open contest. When the event concluded Rex Samford’s super-salty, black bucker Bring It On was the winner. The big-air boasting bovine earned Samford $5,613 dollars and the event win after posting 21.50 points from his stellar out. “Bring It On has been a really good bull,” said Samford. “He’s sired -8 Bring It that Chad Berger’s hauling. His calves have been really good and I’m glad he had a strong out here in Vegas to finish up his 2-year-old season.” When asked what the event meant for the junior breeder, Samford when pressed revealed, “I’ve been involved with the junior futurities from the beginning and this was a good way to finish my eligibility. It’s the first time juniors have been invited to Las Vegas so that is pretty exciting. I can’t thank Sis and Stan enough for making this event possible for the junior breeders. It means a lot to all of us to have this opportunity and we just really appreciate them. Without their support we wouldn’t have had this opportunity.” Aaron Halpain/JATT Bucking Bulls’ No Bama nabbed the second place finish and a check for $3,368 with a 20-point mark, while Matt Jack’s Jack -82 placed third, earning a check for $2,245.
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REGULAR SEASON JUNIOR FUTURITY STANDINGS (BASED ON POINTS)
“Gary was always a good mentor to young adults around our place and barn. Whether it was bull riding or bucking bulls, he was always there for youth and others. People looked up to him for advice and direction and he would always give it, whether it was something they wanted to hear or not. Gary and I always had a dream of having a bull in the PBR. By sponsoring the junior event in Las Vegas with his Memorial Fund I really believe it is helping to get youth involved in something we both really loved. It is a way to let Gary continue helping our youth and to become involved in the industry that we both loved so much together.”
-LESLIE WALTER,
wife of beloved ABBI breeder Gary Walter
Place
ID#
ABBI#
Bull
1
126X
10124087
Can't Be Touched
2
730
10128165
Rock On 730
2
902
10128596
Billy The Kid 902
4
63
10116585
Half Nutz
5
47
10115353
6
71
10127530
Owner Aaron Halpain / JATT Bucking Bulls Wyatt Crowder Bucking Bulls Wyatt Crowder Bucking Bulls
Earnings
Points
$4,999.50
44
$0.00
39
$4,349.00
39
Kaleb King
$2,910.75
32
Zeus
Karis King
$2,985.88
31
Traveling Man
Cade Davis
$785.25
28
$698.00
25
7
ACE 45
10121650
Georgia Mudd
Colton Accomazzo / Noah Swindell
8
75
10125983
J 75
Rockin' Rodeo Bulls
$2,879.25
24
9
103
10129168
Hou's Blender
Blake / Hunter Ohl
$1,177.88
21
10
370
10113575
SB 370 Colonel Conagher
JM- Bucking Bulls
$0.00
20
11
144
10124141
Big Time
12
J07
10120325
Never Enuff
12
30
10123546
Packin Heat
Cooper Downer
$2,491.50
18
14
9
10121449
Kickapoot
Rope Stewart
$0.00
14
Ethan Yell / JATT Bucking $0.00 Bulls Aaron Halpain / JATT Buck$2,508.00 ing Bulls
Tanner Herr / JATT Bucking $0.00 Bulls Aaron Halpain / JATT Buck$0.00 ing Bulls
19 18
15
13
10126952
Spur 13
16
X31
10117265
Bad Habit
16
23
10123539
Cover Charge
Cooper Downer
$0.00
12
18
28
10120862
VK 28
Gus Hohman
$0.00
11
$0.00
9
$0.00
8
19
109
10121106
Turbo Maniac
Thomas Cruz / Martinez Bucking Bulls
20
136
10113678
Dirt Dobber 136
Cash Castle
Jordan Giadone / JM- Buck$0.00 ing Bulls Ethan Yell / JATT Bucking $0.00 Bulls
13 12
20
380
10117877
SB 380 Kit & Kaboodle
22
10
10127038
The Other Habit
23
92
10113842
Rapid Bieber
Cade Baker
$0.00
6
23
11
10125477
TNT 011
Tyler Terrell
$0.00
6
25
25
10120626
JJ 25
Paige Stout
$0.00
5
26
85
10113840
Snake Den
Colt Baker
$0.00
4
Colton Accomazzo / Dale $0.00 Tackitt 5 Star Bucking Bulls / Brice $0.00 Barrios
8 7
27
7
10121524
Ace 07
27
6
10130874
Good Times Roll
27
69
10143754
Tru Deal
Brazos Ham
$0.00
3 2 2
30
448
10122004
Barnshaker
Aaron Halpain / JATT Buck$0.00 ing Bulls
30
-421
10126036
Vindicator - Cleared Hot
Luke Hamilton
$0.00
Eli Flinn / D&H Cattle / Buck $0.00 Cattle Maci Lindley / Kevin Ro$0.00 mine / Hogcreek Ranch
3 3
32
105X
10113763
105X Jugs
32
104
10128617
Real One
32
1
10143753
Dippin Wolf
Jack O'Gara
$0.00
1
$0.00
0
$0.00
0
35
98
10113861
Hou's Prisoner
Blake Skaggs / Kicken' S Cattle
35
31
10116566
Escondido
Cutter Davis
1 1
Total Season Winnings Paid To Date: $25,785.01
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ABBI Junior Futurity sponsored by Qualitech
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We all know that our youth are important when it comes to carrying on traditions and representing us in the future. With that in mind our great partners at Qualitech stepped up to the plate this year and have sponsored a Back Seat Bucker competition bull for the ABBI Junior Futurity program. -66/0 has competed in the first four regular season events and has really held his own. The blonde bomber even nabbed a check for his 86-point out at the Tulsa BSB event. It will be hard to find someone not rooting for this little tan bovine as he heads for Vegas to take a stab at the $400,000 that is up for grabs in the BSB final match. ABBI would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the junior program’s wonderful sponsors and supporters. Without you the junior program would not be possible!
CC Rider is Proud to be the Official Dummy of the ABBI
CC Rider • CC Stealth • CC Micro Stealth See the CC Stealth at all ABBI Futurity and Back Seat Buckers Events!
For ordering Information please call:
936-689-9987
www.ccrider.net americanbuckingbull.com
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ABBI CHAMPION CLASSIC BULLBULL ABBIWORLD WORLD CHAMPION CLASSIC The ABBI World Champion Classic bull is crowned in Las Vegas and awarded $250,000. He is the individual 3 or 4-year-old bull with the highest combined score from two rounds of classic competition held during the World Finals. 2011 2010 2010 2009 2009 2008 2008 2007
Back Bender Bushwacker Bushwacker Black Pearl Black Pearl Crosswired Crosswired Troubadour
Ackerman/Cox Julio Moreno & Richard Oliveira Julio Moreno & Richard Oliveira Ravenscroft/Boyd-Floyd Ravenscroft/Boyd-Floyd D&H Cattle Co./Cliff Wiggins D&H Cattle Co./Cliff Wiggins Flying U & Julio Moreno
2007 God’s Troubadour 2006 Gift 2006 God’s Gift 2005 Stray Kitty 2005 Big Stray Kitty 2004 Deal 2004
U &Kish Julio Moreno Don &Flying Janelle Don & Janelle D&H Cattle Co./JirlKish Buck D&H Cattle Co./Jirl Buck D&H Cattle Co./Shippy
Big Deal
D&H Cattle Co./Shippy
ABBIBREEDER BREEDER YEAR ABBI OF OF THETHE YEAR This award is given to the breeder responsible for the mating that produced the year’s ABBI Classic World Champion Bull. Prior to 2006 the award was given to the breeding program that was a leader in the ABBI. 2011
Sammy Andrews
Back Bender
2010 Flying Rosser, 2010 Flying U, U, Cotton Cotton Rosser, Julio Moreno Bushwacker & Bushwacker Julio CindyMoreno Rosser & Cindy Rosser 2009 Steve Steve& & Julie Julie Ravenscoft Black Pearl 2009 Ravenscoft Black Pearl 2008 D&H D&HCattle Cattle Co. Crosswired 2008 Co. Crosswired
2007
2007 2006 2006 2005 2005 2004 2004
Flying U Rodeo
Flying JanelleU&Rodeo Don Kish Janelle & Don Kish Rafter 7r Rafter Trevor 7r & Rebecca Walker Trevor & Rebecca Walker
Troubadour
Troubadour God’s Gift God’s Gift
ABBI CHAMPION FUTURITY BULL BULL ABBIWORLD WORLD CHAMPION FUTURITY The ABBI World Champion Futurity bull is crowned in Las Vegas and awarded $100,000. He is the individual 2-year-old bull with the highest score from the futurity competition held during the World Finals. 2011 2010 2010 2009 2009 2008 2008 2007 2007 2006
100
Jungle Ragin.Smoke J.T. Ragin. J.T. Pure Smoke Pure Smoke CoppHou Hou Copp Deja DejaBlu Blu Comet’s Gold
Pillow/BarrettGang Jerry Tuttle/Jaynes Jerry Tuttle/Jaynes Gang Scott Accomazzo Scott Accomazzo Jerry Copp Jerry Copp Justin McKee Justin McKee Vernon Guidry & Lyndal Hurst
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
2005 2006 2004 2005 2004
Crazy TrainGold Comet’s Stray Kitty
Crazy Train Stray Kitty
D&H Cattle Co. Vernon Guidry & Lyndal Hurst D&H Cattle Co. D&H Cattle Co. D&H Cattle Co.
ABBIHORIZON HORIZON BREEDER OF YEAR THE YEAR AWARD ABBI BREEDER OF THE AWARD This award is given to the breeder responsible for the mating that produced the year’s ABBI Futurity World Champion Bull. Prior to 2006 the award was given to the breeding program that demonstrated the potential to become a future instrumental program to the breeding industry. 2011
2010 2010 2009 2009 2008 2008 2007 2007 2006
Bobby Pillow Mike White Mike White Scott Accomazzo Scott Accomazzo Jerry Copp Jerry Copp Justin McKee Justin McKee Vernon Guidry
Jungle Smoke
Ragin’ J.T. J.T. Ragin’ PurePure Smoke Smoke Copp Copp HouHou Deja Blu Deja Blu
2005
2006 2004 2005 2004
Comet’s Gold
Shippy Rodeo Bulls N/A Vernon Rice RanchGuidry & McCoy RanchComet’s N/A Gold
Shippy Rodeo Bulls N/A Rice Ranch & N/A McCoy Ranch
ABBI CLASSIC CHAMPION ABBIYEAR-END YEAR-END CLASSIC CHAMPION The ABBI Year-End Classic Champion is based on the animal that accrued the most money during the regular season. 2011 2012 2010 2011 2010 2009
2008
Ackerman & Cox’s
Back Bender
Luthy/Duckwall/Gordon/Shepherd Shepherd Hills Tested Julio Moreno/ Bushwacker Hills Cutlery/D&H Richard&Oliveira’s Ackerman Cox’s Back Bender Julio Moreno/Richard Oliveira’s Black Pearl Bushwacker Ravenscroft/
Boyd-Floyd’s D&H Cattle Co.’s
Jacob’s Pet
2007 2009 2006 2008 2007 2005 2006 2004 2005 2004
D&H Cattle Co.’s Ravenscroft/Boyd-Floyd’s D&H/Buck’s D&H Cattle Co.’s D&H Cattle Co.’s D&H/Buck/Shippy’s D&H/Buck’s D&H/Buck/Watt’s D&H/Buck/Shippy’s D&H/Buck/Watt’s
Grey Dog Black Pearl Stray Kitty Jacob’s Pet Grey Dog Big Deal Kitty Night Stray Moves
Big Deal Night Moves
ABBI FUTURITY CHAMPION ABBIYEAR-END YEAR-END FUTURITY CHAMPION The ABBI Year-End Futurity Champion is based on the animal that accrued the most points during the regular season. 2012 2011 2010 2010 2009 2008 2009 2007 2008
2011
D&H/Buck’s Hard Twisted J&J Supply/ Bad Wine J&J Supply/Gene Baker/Bob Schaff Bad Wine Gene Baker/Bob Schaff Craig/Terrell/Baker’s Super Cool Cat Craig/Terrell/Baker’s Super D&H/Flinn’s Jug Cool Head Cat Lightning C Cattle’s Hou D&H/Flinn’s JugCopp Head Diamond S Bucking Bulls’ Mission Lightning C Cattle’s Copp HouAccomplished
2006
2007 2005 2006 2004 2005 2004
Howard Talley’s Diamond S Bucking Bulls’ Homestead Genetic’s Howard Talley’s Trevor & Rebecca Walker’s
Outta da Bleu
Mission Accomplished Dr. Hou Outta da Bleu TW269 Homestead Genetic’s Dr. Hou Trevor & Rebecca Walker’s TW269
ABBI MONEY 3-YEAR-OLD BULL BULL ABBIHIGH HIGH MONEY 3-YEAR-OLD This award is given to the 3-year-old ABBI Classic bull with the most money accrued during the season. Prior to 2006 the award was given based on points accumulated. 2010 2011 2010 2009 2009 2008 2008 2007 2007 2006 2006
AceCattle of Spades/Pit Syndication’s Pit Boss (money) D&H Co’s SmoothBoss Groove Ace of Spades/Pit Boss Syndication’s Pit Boss D&H Cattle Co.’s 22S Priceless (money) D&H CattleDavis’ Co.’s 22S Shane AlexPriceless Hou (points)/Red Cattle’s Ace in the Hole (money) Shane Davis’ Alex Hou (points)/Red Cattle’s Ace in the Hole Kenny Jack/Jerry Hargis El Presidente (points) Kenny Jack/Jerry Hargis’ El Presidente Hebert/Samford’s Handsome Jack (points) Hebert/Samford’s Handsome Jac
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PBRSTOCK STOCKCONTRACTOR CONTRACTOR YEAR PBR OFOF THETHE YEAR The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. uses over 70 different stock contractors across the United States. On average, a stock contractor owns 20 to 200 bulls. The PBR has set high standards for each stock contractor and their bucking bulls. At the culmination of the season, the top 40 PBR riders in the world choose a PBR Stock Contractor of the Year based on vote. 2010 2011 2009 2010 2008 2009 2008 2007 2007 2006 2006 2005 2005 2004 2004 2003 2003 2002 2002 2001 2001 2000 2000 1999 1998 1999 1997 1998 1996 1997 1995 1996 1995
Jeff Robinson, Mars Hill, N.C.
Jeff Robinson, Mars Hill, N.C. Berger, Mandan, JeffChad Robinson, Mars Hill, N.C.N.D. Chad Berger, Mandan, Chad Berger, Mandan, N.D. N.D. Chad Berger, Mandan, N.D. N.D. and Larry Ryken, Yankton, S.D. Chad Berger, Mandan, Chad Berger, Mandan, N.D. andBulls, LarryArdmore, Ryken, Yankton, Page & Teague Bucking Okla.S.D. Page & Teague Bucking Bulls, Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore,Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore,Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore,Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore, Okla. D&H Cattle and Land Company, Ardmore, Okla. Herrington Cattle Co., Mont Belvieu, Texas Herrington CattleBulls, Co., Mont Belvieu, Terry Williams Bucking Carthage, TexasTexas Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas Texas Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas Texas Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas
Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas Terry Williams Bucking Bulls, Carthage, Texas
PBR CHAMPION BUCKING BULLBULL PBRWORLD WORLD CHAMPION BUCKING The bulls in the running for the PBR World Champion Bucking Bull title are nominated by the top 40 bull riders in the world. The animals with the most votes compete against each other in Vegas for the crown. The nominated bull with the highest average score wins the ultimate buckle for a stock contractor. 2010 2011 2009 2010 2009 2008 2008 2007 2007 2006 2006 2005 2005 2004 2004 2003 2003 2002 2002 2001 2001 2000 1999 2000 1998 1999 1997 1998 1996 1997 1995 1996 1995
05 Bones Teague Bucking Bulls Bushwacker Julio Moreno/Richard Oliveira 644 Code Blue Walton & Wagoner / Berger & Struve 05 Bones Teague Bucking Bulls 644 Code Blue Walton & WagonerTeague / BergerBucking & Struve Bulls 05 Bones 05 Bones Teague Bucking Bulls CC Chicken on a Chain Jeff Robinson / Mike Tedesco CC Chicken on a Chain Jeff Robinson / Mike Tedesco 790 Mossy Oak Mudslinger D&H Cattle / Teague 790 Mossy Oak Mudslinger D&H Cattle / Teague S101 Big Bucks S101 Big Bucks Frontier Rodeo Frontier Rodeo 61 Little Berger & Teague Berger & Teague 61Yellow LittleJacket Yellow Jacket 61 Little Yellow Jacket Berger & Teague 61 Little Yellow Jacket Berger & Teague 61 Little Yellow Jacket Berger & Teague 61 Little Yellow Jacket Berger & Teague 81 Dillinger Herrington Cattle Co. 81 Dillinger Herrington Cattle Co. 81 Dillinger Herrington Cattle Co. 102 Promiseland Terry Williams 81 Dillinger Herrington Cattle Co. 125 Moody Blues 102 Promiseland Terry Williams Terry Williams 315 Panhandle Slim Terry Williams 125 Moody Blues Terry Williams Terry Williams 16 Babyface 315 Panhandle SlimAndrews Rodeo Co. Terry Williams J31 Bodacious 16 Babyface J31 Bodacious
Terry Williams Andrews Rodeo Co.
THE MORENO SCHOLARSHIP AWARD THE MIKEL MIKELJ. J. MORENO SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Mikel, the late son of Julio Moreno and Cindy Rosser, was a successful bucking bull breeder, talented athlete and exceptional human being. After losing his long battle with leukemia in 2006, his parents established the award to help other junior breeders follow the college dream that Mikel never got to achieve. Those young adults awarded the Mikel J. Moreno Scholarship embody those qualities that Mikel was so well known for. The 2011 winner will be announced in Las Vegas. 2011 2010 2011 2009 2010
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Cooper Downer Rossi Hoefer Megan Walker RossiTaylor Hoefer Hurst
2008 2007
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2009 Taylor Hurst Bryn Agnew 2008 Bryn Agnew Jonathan2007 Chandler Jonathan Chandler
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2011 abbi world champion classic bull
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2011 abbi world champion futurity bull
watson photo
Jungle Smoke ABBI World Finals Classic and Futurity Awards CLASSIC WORLD CHAMPION $250,000
Big Tex Trailer (1 year lease)
A Cut Above Buckle Trophy Saddle by Outlaw Ranch Saddles
BREEDER OF THE YEAR 50 ABBI Registrations ($3000 value)
Ronnie Roach Award Bronze
FUTURITY WORLD CHAMPION $100,000
Big Tex Trailer (1 year lease)
HORIZON BREEDER 50 ABBI Registrations ($3000 value) 104
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
A Cut Above Buckle
Mikel Moreno Scholarship Award BY SUSAN BEDFORD
THIS ANNUAL AWARD WAS STARTED BY CINDY ROSSER AND JULIO MORENO TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THEIR LATE SON, MIKEL MORENO. ACKNOWLEDGING ONE OUTSTANDING JUNIOR ABBI MEMBER EACH YEAR, THE AWARD COMES WITH A CHECK FOR $2,000 TO GO TOWARD THE COST OF COLLEGE. THE AWARD WILL BE FORMALLY PRESENTED ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012 AT THOMAS & MACK ARENA DURING THE PBR WORLD FINALS PERFORMANCE. THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT OF THE MIKEL MORENO AWARD IS COOPER DOWNER. Mikel was a successful bucking bull breeder before losing his battle with leukemia at age 18. “The scholarship was started to help a young person with their goal of going to college, a dream my son wasn't able to see come true for his own life,” explained Rosser. This will be the sixth year the scholarship has been awarded. The award is open to any high school Junior or Senior, or any college Freshman or Sophomore. Applicants for the Mikel J. Moreno Scholarship Award submitted a letter to the Scholarship Committee detailing their involvement in the bucking bull industry and their future career goals. 106
The American Bucking Bull | Las Vegas 2012
Mikel was a native of California and the grandson of legendary rodeo icon Cotton Rosser. Mikel was instrumental in the success of his parent's bucking bull breeding programs and helped to produce great PBR bucking bulls like Reindeer Dippin', Troubadour and Big Mike. Holey Slinger, Mikel's Kat, Water Patrol and Johnny Ringo were just some of the bulls that came out of Mikel's own breeding program. The bucking bull bloodlines he helped to develop live on in countless bucking bull programs including Flying U, Flying C and Moreno Livestock.
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS 2011 2010
Megan Walker Rossi Hoefer
2009
Taylor Hurst
2008
Bryant Smith
2007
Jonathan Chandler
IN MEMORIAM
Triibute To A Cowboy BY DIANE TRIBITT
I’m sure God has a ranch in Heaven A place for cowboys to call home With dusty trails and deep passes Where cows and horses freely roam I picture you up on a ledge Gazing at the draws below Leaning forward with your Thirty X Stetson hat pulled way down low I can ‘bout hear the leather creaking When your gelding switches feet Your spurs softly jingle in the wind Your rope’s tied on and coiled neat There is contentment on your face You’re happy, but I can’t pretend, Though I’m glad you’ve made God’s journey, That I can truly comprehend In my earthly ways I question The reasons God took you away I guess the timing was exactly right To enter Heaven on that day The only comfort I have found That puts my grief to rest Is that God only takes the top hands Because His crew’s the very best We still cry and we sure miss you And all the things that might have been But God needed one more cowboy And He felt you’d fit right in So He sent down all His ranch hands An extra horse stood at their side Then he softly whispered to you “Saddle up, my friend, let’s ride” Thank you to Diane for sharing her touching poem with us. She wrote it for her late husband Randy Tribitt, who was killed in 2004 at the Elko River Rodeo.
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IN MEMORIAM
BY SUGAR KUHN
The PBR, ABBI, fellow contractors and industry breeders have taken a heavy hit over the past year when it comes to loosing industry icons both human and bovine. While some of these losses were more shocking than others, each loss was
equally devastating to the industry. There are no words to express the sadness, sense of loss and tremendous grief felt as each of these industry enthusiasts, superb human beings and legendary bovines have been laid to rest.
SANDRA L. RILEY Marietta, Okla. 1948-2012
Sandra L. Riley of Marietta, Oklahoma passed away on March 8. Along with husband James, Sandy spent nearly two decades being an active participant in their program, Double R Bucking Bulls. She was absolutely hands on in the daily responsibilities of being a bucking bull breeder and there was no mistaking that she had a deep passion for bulls. James and Sandy made their share of treks hauling their top-notch bulls to various events including several trips to the PBR Finals. Well known bulls owned by the Riley’s include; the historical -46 Sharp Dressed Man, Sharp Shooter, Sharp Dressed Kid and Cadillac Man among others. Fittingly, Sandra was buried with her PBR credentials in hand.
HOWARD C. TALLEY Keatchie, Louisiana 1945-2012
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Howard C. Talley, owner of Circle T Ranch and Rodeo of Keatchie, Louisiana passed away on March 10 at age 66 after a valiant battle with cancer. Preceded in death by his wife Shirley, the duo made an enormous splash in the industry having tremendous success in both the ABBI and the PBR. Howard was dearly loved by many and his friendly nature and love for the American Bucking Bull made him popular with fans. Still the way he lived life and the toughness he demonstrated during his battle with cancer made him a hero to those who got to know him on a personal level. The way he went at his illness is no different than the way he went after his bull ambitions. In an interview last year, he told American Bucking Bull Magazine that when it came to cancer his outlook was the same, “Go after it with everything I have to try and get the best results that I can.” With bulls like 2011 PBR Reserve World Champ Asteroid and other heavy hitters like Jack Daniel’s After Party, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey and Shepherd Hills Trapper, Howard no doubt realized what he’d set out to do.
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IN MEMORIAM
DAVID W. WISENER Lufkin, Texas 1961-2012
GARY WALTER Wiggins, Colorado 1959-2012
STAN DANDY Madera, California 1941-2012
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On March 15 David Wisener, General Manager of Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo was tragically killed in a wreck near Midland, Texas while on his way with bulls to the PBR event in Glendale, Arizona. Wisener was absolutely instrumental in the tremendous success that Lufkin Ranch has experienced for more than a decade. He was a Champion High School Rodeo Bull Rider as well as a professional bull rider and bullfighter. When it came to bucking bulls nobody had a greater passion. He taught and encouraged hundreds of youth in the sport of rodeo and was known for his contagious smile and sunny disposition. Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo owner Chuck Griffith said, “Those of you that knew him know that he had such a tremendous passion and love for the bulls. He had a heart of gold and there wasn’t anyone he wouldn’t help. He loved what he was doing but has now found an even greater path to travel with God where everyone has as big a smile as David always had.” Watch for Circle T’s bucker David’s Dream this year in Las Vegas. Formerly known as Black Widow, this black bovine has become a living legacy for David’s memory and his contributions to our sport.
Beloved Colorado ABBI breeder and bull riding enthusiast Gary Walter tragically lost his life in an auto/motorcycle wreck on March 16 near Ft. Morgan, Colorado. Gary and wife Leslie enjoyed the PBR and ABBI and could always be found during World Finals sharing and discussing genetics with other breeders. Gary’s breeding program began over 9 years ago and encompasses some of the industry’s deepest bloodlines including those of Whitewater and Reindeer Dippin’. Gary won multiple state bull riding titles and had a great passion for horses and cattle. Remembered for his beautiful blue eyes, genuine smile and love of his family, Gary will be remembered and greatly missed by many. A memorial fund that was set up for Gary has been used to propel the Junior Breeder program and the 2012 ABBI Junior event in Las Vegas is presented in his memory.
It is with more great sadness that we say goodbye to yet another instrumental industry insider. Stan “Granddad” Dandy, partner in Sis-n-Stan Bucking Bulls of Madera, California, passed away on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The 71-year-old native of North Fork, California was the Vice Chair of the North Fork Mono Indian Tribe and especially loved being a bull breeder and PBR bull contractor with his wife of 31 years, Frances. He is remembered as one of Frances’ biggest encouragers and supporters when it came to getting involved with buckers. The couples big-league bulls like; Zip Code (PBRF), Airwolf, Little Aloha, Battle Axe, Kahuna, Drunk Monkey, Paintball, Swamp Boy, Hat Trick, Josey Wales, Haywire, Spanky, Yellow Jacket, LBJ and Blueberry Crush are just a few of the bovines from the Dandy’s that have risen to acclaim. The duo’s generosity is also noted with Stan and Frances’ loving mentorship and backing of the ABBI’s Junior Breeder Program over the past several years—specifically its 2011 World Finals competition in Las Vegas.
IN MEMORIAM
FLYING U RODEO/CINDY ROSSER’S HAWAIIAN IVORY 2003-2012
Hawaiian Ivory was born on the Rocker G Ranch in Waimanalo, Hawaii. He found a welcoming home in the mainland with Flying U Rodeo and Cindy Rosser, as well as on the PBR’s BFTS tour and the PRCA circuit. The big, strong bovine went to four NFR’s and three PBR Finals, and bucked in an impressive 24 short or final rounds over his 80-out career. A favorite pick among the Brazilian riders, Hawaiian Ivory met many matches of the highest caliber. His size and type was the kind many Brazilian’s cut their bull riding teeth on. In his 80 career match-ups Hawaiian Ivory surfaced as the victor 87 percent of the time. Riders were either in the high 80s or lower 90s, or fell victim to the gray, big-humped bull’s amazing power and exceptional strength.
REGISTRY STATS Name
Attempts Qualified Rides
80 22
DOB
3/1/2003
90+ Point Rides
8
ABBI #
10048311
Average Mark
22.218
Sire
Ivory Rock
Buckoff %
72.5
Dam
Rocker G Breeding
Short Round/Final Round Outs
24
Breeder
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PRO BULL STATS
103-1 Hawaiian Ivory Bud & Katy GibsonRocker G Ranch
Current PBS ranking 24th
Registry Offspring 16
D&H CATTLE COMPANY’S MOSSY OAK MUDSLINGER 1997-2012
Name Breeder DOB ABBI # Sire Dam Registry Offspring
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His consistency and charisma ultimately brought sponsors calling and before long the bull’s signature “Washita” label was replaced with that of Mossy Oak. It took the bucker six years of competitive prowess and unwavering reliability on the upper echelon of the PBR tour to achieve the award he so definitely deserved. In 2006 at the road-savvy age of ten, the Oklahoma-bred bovine was no longer a bridesmaid in the game of bucking bull notoriety. After several years as the PBR’s runner-up World Champion Bucking Bull, 2006 finally shone on Mudslinger and he got his recognition through the achievement of the actual title. Although the beloved bovine’s life is regretfully over, what remains un-terminated in the bovine’s life-loop is his supersturdy DNA which flows through the veins of many sons and daughters.
REGISTRY STATS
790 Mossy Oak Mudslinger D&H Cattle Co. 4/1/1997 10006047 Page 01 (Super Dave) Page 590-228 (Broke Back V) 778
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PRO BULL STATS Attempts Qualified Rides
96 28
90+ Point Rides
24
Average Mark
22.933
Buckoff %
70.83
watson photo
From the banks of the Washita, to the bright lights of the PBR and then back again to his home for his retirement and ultimate death in Oklahoma, Mudslinger has completed a nostalgic life-loop. He was dearly loved by fans, deeply appreciated by riders and immeasurably treasured by his owners. The genetic contribution Mudslinger has made to his owners and the industry makes his loop in life one that will never terminate. Any unbiased assessment of the bovine’s career, finds a true bovine legend. There are very few bovines his caliber and even fewer with his sort of longevity, consistency and heart. The triple-play of his career is the amount of times he performed without fail. Not only was he one of the most honest and rider friendly buckers in the arena, but he has also risen to historical levels as a sire, second only to Houdini in all time producing sires. Initially called Washita Mudslinger, he earned his hefty handle on the banks of the Washita River that winds its way through the Page ranch just outside Ardmore, Oklahoma. It is where the Super Dave grandson cultivated his charismatic persona. During his 15 years of life, the dark red, brindle spent many hours lounging on the river’s red dirt banks. More importantly Mudslinger was a master at slinging its mud.
IN MEMORIAM
BOYD-FLOYD BULL COMPANY’S CAMO 2000-2012
watson photo
No single rider is more synonymous with Boyd-Floyd Bull Company’s super-painted up bucker Camo than Justin McBride. And while the 2-time PBR World Champ may have made the bovine’s name household, the bucker was a legit legend in his own right. Brad Boyd and Toby Floyd purchased Camo from Paradise Farms in the cusp of his career and the multi-colored bull continued making waves on the BFTS thru 2008. He was the high-marked bull of the round 11 times during his PBR career. Another feather in his cap was that of his role in who would be crowned the PBR Bull Riding World Champ from 2005 to 2008. Four years in a row Camo had an instrumental role in determining the winner. In 2005 when all McBride needed was a score it was Camo that he clung to. In 2006 he bucked three times at the World Finals and won his matches against Matt Bohon and Kody Lostroh handily. Fast forward to 2007 and it was again McBride aboard the colorful bucker for 92.5 points in the final round, which led to McBride’s clinching of his second world title. Then in 2008 Robson Palermo marked 87 points aboard
the wild-hided bovine giving the rider his first Finals average event win. According to his owners, Camo spent his final days at pasture breeding cows and was ultimately laid to rest in Stephenville, Texas next to some pretty hefty company—that of AN11, the dam of Reindeer Dippin’ and AN160, the dam of Copenhagen Lite.
REGISTRY STATS Name
C Camo
DOB
PRO BULL STATS
1/1/2000
Attempts Qualified Rides
712 12
ABBI #
10046453
90+ Point Rides
4
Sire
Mr. P
Average Mark
22.419
Buckoff %
82.61
Dam
Davidson D71C
Registry Offspring
19
THOMAS TAYLOR’S PANDORA’S BOX 1999-2012
From the breeding program of Neal and Jim Gay, to multiple contractors’ trucks Pandora’s Box was a bovine with freakish longevity that withstood considerable testing. He spent eight years pounding the pavement of the professional ranks and did it with vigor and fortitude. He was truly one of the PBR’s bovine super stars. The red bovine was crowned the 2005 PBR Bull of the Finals and was a stealthy PBR Bull of the Year contender. The salty bucker claimed the 2004 PBR Reserve World title and in 2006 was a top 5 contender. He finished his road rippled rampage aboard Dakota Rodeo and Berger & Struve’s bull wagon and played a role in the company’s success and Contractor of the Year titles.
REGISTRY STATS 4J Pandora’s Box Neal & Jim Gay
Attempts Qualified Rides
162 14
DOB
2/1/1999
90+ Point Rides
3
ABBI #
10009848
Average Mark
22.491
Sire
Anthrax-Mexican
Buckoff %
91.36
Dam
Red Rocker Decendant
Registry Offspring 144
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PRO BULL STATS
Name Breeder
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