130th World’s Oldest Continuous
RODEO A publication of the Payson Roundup
August 14-16
2014 Payson Event Center
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PAYSON ROUNDUP • AUGUST 2014
130TH WORLD’S OLDEST CONTINUOUS RODEO
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Roundup file photo
This steer put on the brakes before wrestler Rusty Hamilton could get a hold of a horn as he came off his horse — the first part of steer wrestling — also called bulldogging. It’s just part of rodeo fun.
Welcome to the 130th World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo BY TERESA MCQUERREY RIM REVIEW EDITOR
Payson has been celebrating the history and tradition of rodeo for 130 continuous years. The rodeo is still held the third weekend in August (this year that is Aug. 14-16 — see the full schedule in an accompanying story). In the past, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which sanctions the event, has considered it one of the country’s best small rodeos. Some of the world’s greatest professional cowboys and cowgirls will be among the more than 150 competitors who will keep you on the edge of your seat at any one of three performances. They’ll compete for cash and prizes totaling in excess of more than $50,000 in prize money. Most come from Arizona and New Mexico — and a couple, TJ Brown and Teri James — are from Payson. There are also a few from Texas and some traveling from Wyoming and Oregon. THE HISTORY
Historians have identified organiz-
ers of the first Payson Rodeo were Abraham Henson Meadows — known later as “Arizona Charlie” Meadows (1860-1962) — who moved to the Rim Country with his parents from California in 1877 and young John Collins Chilson (1867-1924) who also moved to this area from California in 1879. The word passed along from ranch to ranch and on the third weekend of August in 1884, cowboys participated in the first Payson Rodeo. This first rodeo was held in MidTown Pasture, a little southwest of the intersection of Highway 87 and old Main, now the site of Sawmill Crossing. A few ranchers and cowboys gathered to see how their roping and riding abilities and the speed of their horses compared to those of their neighbors. Horse racing, bronc riding, and the ranch-born roping events, along with a little silver dollar pitching, dominated the early agenda. Other events were soon added. Cock fights, greased pig contests, sack races and foot races became part of the celebration.
There were no chutes in those early days. The broncs were led or dragged to the middle of the street and eared down by a couple of cowboys. Someone cinched a rig onto the horse’s back and a twister (bronc rider) stepped onboard. This was not a timed event until later years. The horse was ridden until his head came up — or the rider was thrown. Twisters usually brought their own broncs to those first rodeos. They would ride the broncs of other competitors, as well as their own, so that everyone got a fair shake. During the street rodeos of the early 1920s those bronc riders began testing their skills on the local white face and Durham cattle. There was no Brahma stock at the Payson Rodeo until 1950 when rodeo stock contractors began hauling them to Payson. Anything that could buck was fair game: wild steers, cows, bulls, bareback horses. Some enterprising cowboys even tried pulling their saddles off horses and putting them on bulls. Screwing the saddle onto the back of the bull sometimes furnished considerable more enter-
tainment than the ensuing ride afterward. This practice did not last because the saddles would turn on the loose-skinned bulls. Danny Freeman, author of the “World’s Oldest Rodeo 100-Year History 1888-1988,” claims that Prescott, Arizona held the world’s first rodeo in 1888. But Payson held its first rodeo four years earlier in 1884. Freeman states that, “those early contests in Payson were some local cowboys competing in roping. They were not organized. The cowboys just came together and roped against each other.” This is not the case. Local cowboys did compete in roping events — and they also competed in riding and racing events. Additionally, there was organization or the cowboys and spectators would not have known when and where to gather. Entry fees were taken and prize money was paid. PAYSON’S HORSE RACING HERITAGE
Starting before 1884, local cowboys matched horse races in the Rim CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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130TH WORLD’S OLDEST CONTINUOUS RODEO
Roundup file photo
This speedy saddle bronc is having nothing to do with his rider. The livestock used in rodeo is specially bred for the contests, making each of them just as much an athlete as any cowboy in the arena.
Remembering the history of the Payson Rodeo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
Country. Then when the annual celebrations began, horse racing was a premier event and several races were held each day. At first, these were cow horse races, but soon the betting stakes grew to significant proportions and some of the wellheeled ranches brought thoroughbred and other blooded horses to run in Payson and at other rodeos. The first really great horse to run in Payson was Crowder, who beat Emer Chilson’s horse, Hungry John at the 1888 Payson Rodeo. MAIN STREET RODEOS 1885-1926
After the first rodeo in the MidTown Pasture, the celebration found its way downtown. For a few days in August, Main Street was transformed into a cowboy contest grounds, bordered on the sides only by wagons, yard-fences and spectators. Temporary corrals and sometimes chutes were set up at the upper end of the street while the lower end was left open. A couple of cowboys hazed the events, dabbed a loop on the critters and led them back to the corral
after they were roped and ridden. This procedure worked well enough for the roping events, but there were times when stock escaped the confines of the grounds. This added a little excitement for the spectators and mattered little to those early-day cowboys. They would pile a loop on a critter before he got out of town and it was soon tallied back into the corrals. Most of the activities took place in front of the present-day Bootleg Alley, which was the center of town. The old August Pieper Saloon, known as the “Dive” stood on the north side of the street and the Pieper Homestead was on the south side directly across from the saloon. A large water trough and well were located near the house where thirsty teams, saddle horses, and cattle could be watered. The water had to be hand-drawn with a bucket and pulley. The 16 to 1 and the Cowboy’s Home were also popular water holes. Here are some facts associated with Payson’s August Rodeo. • 1884 — Charlie Meadows and John Chilson decided to break the summer
doldrums by holding calf roping, bulldogging and bronco riding competition. The event was held in Pieper’s meadow, near today’s Sawmill Crossing location in Payson. It was such fun the event was repeated every summer from then until now. • 1886 — Charlie Meadows entered a publicly announced exhibition in Prescott on July 4th. He won the steer-roping contest on his favorite horse “Snowstorm” with a saddle blanket of bear fur. • 1915 — All-night dances during rodeo week began. • 1919-1920 — Photos show the rodeo on Main Street, Payson. • 1927 — Rodeo site had moved to Wilbanks property west of town, where Rodeo Ranch Estates is today. • 1928 — First grandstand built for the rodeo. This year, the Payson Fair became part of the rodeo, held under the grandstand at the Wilbanks arena. Quilts, handwork, canned goods, jams and jellies, pies and cakes were judged and sold. After a few years, the event moved to Pine and became the Northern Gila County Fair.
• 1929 — Constable Walter Lovelady began chaining drunks to trees during rodeo week. • 1944 — World War II was underway, and it seemed the rodeo would falter for lack of livestock and cowboys. Howard Childers and Charlie Chilson personally located and bought stock and rodeo gear in Chandler, backing the event for $200 each. They kept the rodeo going through the war years. They believed the GIs overseas would want it that way. While the Payson Rodeo continued, others, even Prescott, ceased during the war years. Thus Payson has the “Oldest Continuous Rodeo.” • 1945 — Payson Rodeo was moved to the junctions of Highways 260 and 87, and held there for 15 years (Bashas’ future center.) • 1950 — A bath house was established by Richard and Valda Taylor on Oak Street for the rodeo participants. Shower, towel and soap, 25 cents. • 1963 — Dale Rumsey sells land for Rumsey Park to the Payson Chamber of Commerce, and plans were made CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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Roundup file photo
Teri James, one of only a few Payson residents scheduled to compete in the 2014 World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo Aug. 14-16, will be running barrels in the regular competition.
130th Annual Rodeo includes special events The legacy
of the rodeo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
for a new rodeo center. • 1968 — Grandstands built in Rumsey Park for 84th Annual Rodeo. With this move, the Rodeo Committee became affiliated with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Editor’s note: Portions of this article are from a 2002 Roundup article by historian Stan Brown and from the book, “Rodeo 101 – History of the Payson Arizona Rodeo 1884-1984” by Jinx Pyle and Jayne Peace Pyle, published by Git a Rope! Publishing, Inc., with the authors’ permission. The latest book by Jayne Peace Pyle and Git a Rope! Publishing, Inc., is “The Women of the Pleasant Valley War.” It is available for purchase at the Northern Gila County Historical Society Museum gift shop in Green Valley Park and Western Village, 1104 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson.
The 2014 World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo is Thursday, Aug. 14, Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Payson Event Center arena. The annual Rodeo Parade is on Payson’s Historic Main Street, starting at Green Valley Park on the west end. The route will bring the parade east on Main to Sawmill Crossing. At each of the three main rodeo performances, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night there will be special events preceding the contests. The Cowgirl Historical Foundation drill team and the Varga draft horses will present special programs before each performance. The Varga draft horse demonstration includes a barrel race. The CHF will also perform during the two evening rodeos, the Friday night show is in keeping with the Tough Enough to Wear Pink theme, while Saturday night, the group will have a patriotic program, which is the focus of that evening’s rodeo. SCHEDULE
Thursday, Aug. 14: event center gates open at 5 p.m., performance at 7 p.m. — Cactus Series Women’s Professional Barrel Racing (and more) — admission is a can of food for area food banks Friday, Aug. 15” event center gates open at 5 p.m. — Tough Enough to Wear Pink performance at 7 p.m. — funds will be donated to cancer support groups and research for every member of the audience and cowboy wearing pink Saturday, Aug. 16: Rodeo Parade starts at 9 a.m. at
Green Valley Park, west end of Payson’s Historic Main Street, ending at Sawmill Crossing, at the intersection of Highway 87 and Main Saturday, Aug. 16: event center gates open at 11 a.m. — ASU Appreciation performance at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16: event center gates open at 5 p.m. — Patriotic Night performance starts at 7 p.m.
OTHER EVENTS
Payson Amnesty International picnic, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16, Rumsey Park, chapters from around the state visit and guests are welcome to the free event at which food will be provided. Wyatt Althoff Cowboy Scholarship Fund lunch and raffle, noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16, Rumsey Park, barbecue pork with beans, rolls, a dessert and drinks; $8 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. The raffle includes: a Savage 300 WSM Rifle with Scope, a live beef/steer, horse tack, Fast Back team roping package, Flying Z leather goods and more. Rodeo After Party and Dance, 9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 16, free admission for family fun and live music by the popular local band, Moonshine Mafia. RODEO ADMISSION
Adults – $18 Seniors – $16 Children, 8 to 12 – $10 Children, 7 and under – no charge Preferred Section – $22 Active Military Card – no charge For more information, call Rodeo Boss Bill Armstrong at (928) 474-9440.
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Welcome Rodeo Fans!!! Enj
oy yo
y t n u
o C ur stay in Gila
Thank You for your participation in Arizona’s Rodeo Heritage
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Keith Morris photo above, contributed photo at left
No matter how many years pass since his glory days, Harry Shill remains a bull rider. At the age of 75 he still gets up on his bucking machine — named Wooly Booger — to survey the garden behind his Strawberry home. In his days of riding the real thing, Shill would sometimes parachute into the rodeo arena to give the audience an extra thrill.
The Rim Country’s parachuting bull rider BY KEITH MORRIS ROUNDUP SPORTS EDITOR
No matter how many years pass since his glory days, Harry Shill remains a bull rider. At the age of 75 he still gets up on his bucking machine — named Wooly Booger — to survey the garden behind his Strawberry home. And each time he does so, he’d love to be back in the action. “I don’t have anybody to pull the rope,” he says with a grin. His willingness to compete was on full display when he rode his last bull in 2009 at the age of 70. “A friend of mine, Frank Kelly, has a rodeo school in Queen Creek and he was selling his bulls and said he had one bull left and I could probably ride him,” Shill recalled. “But he was crazy. I lasted about six and a half seconds and I was flat on my back.” Like any veteran bull rider, it’s a position he’s familiar with. He brought a camera along and asked someone to catch a shot of his final ride. “The girl that was taking my picture wasn’t able to, so that was a heart-breaker,” he said. “I didn’t get a picture of my last bull ride. I guess she didn’t know how to work the camera.” His brief ride in Queen Creek in 2009 came 12 years after his last rodeo. He was 58 when he competed in a jackpot event in Casa Grande. Prior to that he rode in the old-timers circuit be-
fore, from the ages of 40-52, walking away from that in 1991. Shill, who served as the Payson Rodeo Ambassador in 2009, got his first rodeo exposure as a youngster living in Payson. “I was in the Boy Scouts and they came up with the Boy Scouts Rodeo and made us all ride,” Shill said. “I must have been 8 or 10. I got hooked on it.” He took second place in steer riding in a junior rodeo in Apache Junction in 1953 and a career that spanned 40-something years began. He briefly gave bareback riding a go, but quickly settled into bull riding. One of the highlights of his career came in 1963 when he finished fifth among 75 bull riders in a Scottsdale rodeo televised on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. He didn’t travel out of state much to compete in rodeos, but did so in 1987 when he advanced to the old-timer finals in Reno, Nev. “I always had a wife and kids, so I didn’t travel much,” he said. He won the Kanab, Utah Rodeo in 1962. Another highlight of his days on the old-timers circuit came in 1989 when he won the Quartzite Rodeo. Shill embraced adventure, parachuting into rodeo arenas eight times. “I started skydiving in 1967 and I was bull riding at the time so I said, ‘heck, why not parachute in,’” Shill said. “The first time I did that was in Mesa in
1967.” He was confident in his ability to land inside the arena instead of on top of someone in the stands. “I knew I could make it in there,” he said. “I’d had about 100 jumps. I landed in the middle of the arena then rode my bull. (The crowd) went nuts. They went crazy.” The last time he parachuted into an arena occurred during an old-timers rodeo in Payson in 1991. He also skydived into rodeos six times in Alaska when he was working on the Alaskan Pipeline. “I worked on that from about 1974 to about 1986,” Shill said. “I made a couple of rodeos in the summer up there in Alaska.” Riding bulls in the years before the helmets and protective vests worn by today’s competitors, Shill has suffered his share of injuries. In addition to a concussion, broken finger and sprained ankle skydiving, he’s also broke a leg and multiple ribs riding bulls, as well as suffering a concussion. “I wouldn’t have been hurt at all if they had the safety vests back then,” he said. “And I just wore a hat because they didn’t have helmets in bull riding. I’m from the old school and it wasn’t around when I was rodeoing.” Shill, who traps bobcats in the winter, is currently taking oil painting classes in college and has “about eight” paintings hanging in the Maverick Restaurant in Pine.
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A rodeo bullfighter’s job isn’t for clowns Rodeo clowns are also known as bullfighters. They work during bull riding competitions trying to protect riders who are thrown or jump off from being harmed by the bull. Originally, a rodeo clown was a person who both protected riders and provided comic relief. However, in many of today’s rodeos these are separate jobs, with bullfighters hired to protect the riders and one or more clowns providing humor as specialty acts. The job remains combined in small rodeos in this country and in many countries outside the U.S. The primary job of the bullfighter is to protect a fallen rider from the bull by distracting the animal and providing an alternative target. They wear bright, loose-fitting clothes that are designed to tear away, with protective gear underneath. Rodeo clowns/bullfighters are often seriously injured, sometimes fatally. Rodeo clowns sometimes still wear makeup and provide entertainment between events, but most bullfighters don’t dress as clowns. The rodeo clown or bullfighter enters the arena on foot before the bull
is released from the bucking chute. They stand on either side of the chute and work as a team to distract the animal. In cases where the rider is injured, their role is even more important and the clown or bullfighter gets between the bull and the rider or uses techniques such as shouting, throwing a hat, running off at an angle to distract the bull so the rider can get to safety. In larger rodeos, rodeo clowns/bullfighters work in groups of two or three, with two bullfighters and a barrel man, a person behaving in a clownish way. The barrel man uses a large, wellpadded steel barrel he can easily jump in and out of for protection from the bull. Bullfighting has grown in popularity so much that it is a competitive event at many rodeos in the U.S. When they’re not protecting bull riders, rodeo clowns perform with bulls and are judged on how well they control and maneuver the bull, as well as their precision in jumping the animal, their contact with the bull and handling of the barrel.
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Roundup file photo
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Rodeo Parade promotes pioneer heritage BY TERESA MCQUERREY RIM REVIEW EDITOR
The wonderful Rodeo Parade on Payson’s Historic Main Street starts at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 16, but those in the know get down to the parade route bright and early to stake out just the right spot. The theme of the 2014 parade is “Remembering Our Pioneer Heritage,” so you know there will be some great floats making their way from Green Valley Park to the Sawmill Crossing. There will also be clowns and lots of politicians, lots of horses and riders, plus the Payson Longhorn Marching Band will take part in the parade. Local businesses, volunteers, civic
groups, rodeo queens and more will bring a smile to the faces of young and old alike as they march down Old Main. You can also expect to see enterprising folks selling cold water and sodas, cotton candy and souvenirs up and down the parade route. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Zane Grey Country, the parade is expected to end around 11 a.m. The Kiwanis warn that parking is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the Payson Main Street Parade, please contact the Kiwanis Club of Zane Grey Country, P.O. Box 2507, Payson, AZ 85547 or call (928) 468-8527.
Roundup file photos
Rim Country youngsters are a big part of the annual Rodeo Parade, whether they are marching with the cheer squad or band or riding a float representing a group or business.
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130TH WORLD’S OLDEST CONTINUOUS RODEO
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Rodeo a multi-generational tradition for Conway family BY TERESA MCQUERREY RIM REVIEW EDITOR
Rodeo is a family tradition for Penny Conway — a multi-generational tradition. The 2001 World Champion team roping header is the daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother of rodeo competitors. She also has in-laws in the “game” — as she calls it — and is an aunt to another contestant. Conway was scheduled to compete in the 2014 World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo’s barrel racing but had to withdraw. She has a new horse, Dakota, who is young and very good, but he was having trouble with ulcers, so she turned out of eight contests with him, including the Payson event to be held Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 17. However she said she might participate in the Thursday, Aug. 14 Women’s Rodeo event. If all goes according to plan, the family will still have a representative carrying on their rodeo tradition at the Payson event. Conway’s nephew, Shain Sproul of Las Cruces, N.M., is among the team ropers scheduled to compete in Payson. He is her sister Pam’s son. THE TRADITION
Pam, like Penny, ran barrels as a girl and in later years team roped. Their mother, Marie Major Simon, was also a barrel racer before she started raising her family. “But now I can’t drag her to a rodeo,” Conway said. Her mother’s reluctance to return to the heat and dust of the rodeo arena may have to do with the fact that it was her job to take care of a husband and four children on the rodeo road every summer from almost the day school recessed to a couple of days before it started again in the fall. Conway’s father, Milt Simon, and grandfather competed professionally, her brother Jay Simon is a one-time National Finals competitor and her brother Mark Simon is a five-time National Finals competitor. Her father
Contributed photo
Penny Conway — running barrels with her horse Cody here — has been competing in rodeos since she was 8. It is her heritage and her legacy. Her grandfather, parents, brothers and sister all competed. She married a bull rider and team roper. Her children and grandchildren are in the “game.”
competed as a top bulldogger in 1959 during the very first National Finals Rodeo. Getting to those Nationals meant — and still means — participating in as many rodeos as possible to accumulate points. The Simon family traveled throughout the Western U.S. and Canada, Conway said. And it wasn’t in the style she and her husband, Bill, who was a National Finals Rodeo bull rider, travel today. “When we were kids, we traveled in an old camper. My dad was a great innovator and created a shower for us
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made out of an inner tube,” she explained. Keeping “house” on the road was no easy task for her mother. “I tell her I don’t know how she ever did it,” Conway said. It was all the stuff of great memories for Conway. “There’s a lot of down time in rodeo, so we’d sometimes just camp along a river or lake and go fishing. We went to Yellowstone. Sometimes we’d meet up with cousins and visit.” She and her brothers and sister also played a lot of cards in the camper as they traveled and did more than a little fighting. They’d some-
times get so rambunctious her dad would yell at them up through the open truck door window. Conway also remembers the family was on the road in Canada when the first moon walk was made. “My dad was listening to it on the radio. We didn’t really pay any attention to what was going on, but I remember him telling us to be quiet so he could hear what was being said.” In addition to her husband being a NFR bull rider, so is her brother-in-law Eddie Conway. Bill also did team roping. In fact it was at one of the old
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Four generations of barrel racing women CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
community roping events out in Star Valley that Penny and Bill met. “Over the fence,” she said with a laugh. She was living in the Valley at the time and Bill was a “local” boy. His family has ranched in the Rim Country for more than a century. The couple never roped together though. Her son, Kyle, ropes competitively, but only in winter. He started competing at the age of 5 and did both team and calf roping, and also did steer riding. “I am so thankful he never rode bulls,” Conway said. Young men in High School Rodeo can only ride steers to a certain age. She said when he was done with steer riding, he was done. “He was practically giving his stuff away as he walked out of the arena,” Conway said. Her son was so successful in youth rodeo, he won a college scholarship. Her daughter, Katy, ran barrels and poles growing up. She started competing at about 8. “She wasn’t as competitive as the rest of us. If she won, it wasn’t a big deal. She is much more competitive now, watching her kids in contests,” Conway said. Katy’s daughter Makaia Taylor is in Junior High Rodeo and her other children participate in other sports. Kyle, like his parents, married a rodeo contestant. His wife, Sarah Shober, was a team roper before she started raising their young family. Asked if competing in the same pro rodeos as her son was distracting, Conway said it wasn’t. “It’s really more fun to watch them compete than to compete yourself,” she said. It was a different story, of sorts, when her children were in Junior High and High School Rodeo. “At that time, parents could rope with their children. So there was a lot of pressure to help them win. And parents were always giving up their good rodeo horses to their kids to use,” she said, chuckling. Adding that is some-
cripple and she returned her to the woman she’d bought her from to be used as a brood mare. “It’s a game of perseverance, with highs and lows,” she said. Conway knows what she is talking about. “I’m 58. I started rodeoing when I was 8. I’ve been doing this for 50 years.” She acquired a new barrel horse in November, Dakota, but turned him into a roper too. He was good enough for Conway to go to a $100,000 contest in Las Vegas last fall. She did well, but her partner didn’t. She was partnered with her son, Kyle. “As we were riding out of the arena, I leaned over and said, ‘I still love you.’ He was so mad at himself,” she said, laughing at the memory. THE TRADITION CONTINUES
The tradition of rodeo continues with the Conway family and its assorted branches, but it is also a tradition evident when you look at the names of contestants signed up for the 2014 World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo. Among the Arizonans coming to Contributed photo
Marie Major Simon (above) and Katy Conway Taylor (below right), Penny Conway’s mother and daughter respectively, are two of the four generations of barrel racing women in Conway’s family.
thing you can still hear them saying today. Conway said about the only big conflicts when a family rodeos together is over tack. More than once someone in her crew has demanded of a family member if they took that good bit. “I know of some families where each one keeps their own tack box and locks it up so their stuff doesn’t disappear,” she said. THE SEASON
Last year, Conway started a comeback following knee surgery. She was racing barrels with her mare, Promise. “Running barrels is tougher than roping,” said Conway. For one thing, training a horse to run barrels takes time and patience.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
“When you train a roping horse, you take them out 10 to 15 times in a competition. With barrel racing, you only get one chance,” said Conway. Barrel racing takes a lot out of the horse. Between the intense focus of the running and the repetitive nature of the barrel course, it’s best to run the course full-out only twice a day. Otherwise, “they would get so hot, they would burn out,” said Conway. Following her surgery in the fall, last summer she decided it was time to get back up on the horse — literally. She tested herself — her knees and her horse competing in Window Rock and Taylor. She then hit the road for a tour of 10 different rodeos in late July. Promise, her barrel horse, went
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PAYSON ROUNDUP • AUGUST 2014
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Contributed photos
Among the members of Penny Conway’s family who have lived or are now living the rodeo tradition are her husband Bill (top left), who was a National Rodeo Finals bull rider; her granddaughter, Makaia Taylor (above right), who is racing barrels in Junior High Rodeo, and her son, Kyle (below), who competes in ropings in the winter. The family will be represented in Payson’s 2014 rodeo by Penny’s nephew, Shain Sproul.
A family tradition CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
compete in Payson are the Kieckhefers from Prescott; the Lautarets from Kingman; the Parsons family of Marana — with five members listed among the competitors; the Reidheads; and the Zenkewich duo from Snowflake. New Mexico has some families of contestants heading this way too — the Sullivans of Peralta; the Smiths from Hobbs; and the Runyans from Silver City. Conway said when some of the contestants reach a certain age, starting families, they might not be at a lot of the rodeos, like her son. “I know a lot of top rodeo cowboys who bring their wives and children and you can see them out there during down time helping their kids practice roping. Families still come and compete together,” she said.
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PAYSON ROUNDUP • AUGUST 2014
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Roundup file photo
Team roping, such as this run by Teri James and Jamie Singletary, is part of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Cactus Series contest Thursday, Aug. 14, although the event is tagged with “barrel racing” in promotional material.
With two contestants team roping usually has most competitors BY TERESA MCQUERREY RIM REVIEW EDITOR
The team roping contests at the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo — the August Doin’s — generally fields the largest number of competitors. It is, after all, the one true “team” sport in rodeo; with four athletes, the header, the heeler, and their horses — as well as the steer ... The animals in rodeo are athletes too, specially bred for their high octane, stubborn, competitive natures. One of those team members in the 2014 August Rodeo is a hometown boy, TJ Brown, who is a heeler. Brown is ranked No. 8 in the 2014 Turquoise Circuit Standings, having
won more than $3,000 in contests so far this year. Team ropers work as partners: one header and one heeler who move in precise coordination. They and their horses start in the “box.” When the header nods, the chute gate opens and the steer gets a head start. The header throws the first loop, which must catch the steer’s head or horns, protected by a horn wrap. A good catch can also be around the steer’s neck. Then the header dallies — wraps his rope around his saddle horn — and moves his horse to pull the rope taut, changing the direction of the steer. That gives the heeler the opportunity
to catch both of the steer’s hind legs with his own rope. Most heelers try to time their throws to catch the legs when they are in the air. If the heeler ropes only one leg, a five-second penalty is assessed. The heeler’s job is the more difficult of the two in the event. After the catch, the heeler also dallies, to stop the steer. When the ropes are taut and both horses face the steer, the time is recorded. Times vary widely depending on the size of the arena. Team roping is the only rodeo event where men and women compete equally together in professionally sanctioned competition, in both single-
gender or mixed-gender teams. Cowboys originally developed this technique on working ranches when it was necessary to capture and restrain a full-grown animal that was too large to handle by a single man. As soon as the steer is stretched out, an official waves a flag and the time is taken. The steer is released and trots off. A successful professional-level team takes between 4 and 12 seconds to stretch the steer, depending on the length of the arena. (Information on the event and Brown’s standings are from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Wikipedia).
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Contributed photo
The Cowgirls Historical Foundation will be in Payson for the 2014 World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo Aug. 14 and 15. They are scheduled to present demonstrations before each evening performance and then do specially themed exhibitions during the Tough Enough to Wear Pink and Patriot Night performances, they will also appear in the Saturday parade on Historic Main Street, starting at 9 a.m.
Drill team brings beauty, talent to Payson’s rodeo The Cowgirls Historical Foundation is a nonprofit organization saddled up for service to increase public awareness, appreciation and preservation of America’s western heritage and equestrian lifestyle. The CHF is proud to support this great sport and honored to participate in Payson’s World Oldest Continuous Rodeo. The CHF is comprised of accomplished horsewomen that come together to promote their love of the western lifestyle. In addition to being a specialty performance drill team that performs at great rodeos across the state, the group has participated in such events as The Tournament of Roses Parade, EquiFest, Fiesta Bowl Parade, Gilbert Days Parade, Arizona Veterans Parade, and many others. You may recognize the Cowgirls for their rhinestone-studded vintage western wear as they participate in a variety of community service activities and support charity events throughout Arizona. The CHF is outfitted with unique educational pro-
grams, workshops, and schedule of events — all designed to intrigue, inform and captivate the public. A program CHF is proud of is one they developed to assist ladies of all ages through life’s journeys. This clinic is open to the public and covers interview and public speaking skills, resumé pointers, poise, horsemanship and more. Children are the focus of an educational play entitled, “Keeping our Western Past Alive.” The play is interactive and fun, and entirely created and produced by the Cowgirls. Each child who attends receives a western history coloring book. The CHF also has a fashion show — guaranteed to hold the audience’s attention. It is the only fashion show if its kind. Each outfit modeled includes a narration that covers the history of the designers, the background of the talents and time to create the outfit, and interesting western heritage and historical facts. As ambassadors for western heritage and the equestrian way of life, CHF members also partici-
pate in a variety of community service activities, team-building workshops and events. Through CHF, members gain life-long lessons that develop character, citizenship and strong foundations for solid futures. The CHF is pleased to support charity events that showcase the good in the community. Hundreds of service hours are invested in community service events annually. Linking up to assist great associations with fashion shows, hostessing, auctions, skits, education programs and more to benefit the community is a great honor for the Cowgirls. It is well known that people who serve others, end up serving themselves with a more content and happier heart. The Cowgirls have been pleased to volunteer with the Phoenix Fire Department, Florence Crittendon, Catwalk for Charity, Kicking Up Kindness Buckaroo Ball, National Day of the Cowboy, literacy and educational programs, Special Olympics, Phoenix Suns Charities and other wonderful organizations.
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Bull riding is rodeo’s most dangerous and popular event Bull riding is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. It involves a rider attempting to stay on a large bull for at least 8 seconds while the animal attempts to buck him off. The rider hangs onto a braided rope with one hand and his free hand must not touch the bull, the rope or himself. Each bull has a unique name and number. The bull and rider are matched randomly before the event, although some riders are allowed to choose their own bulls from a bull draft for selected rounds in Professional Bull Riders (PBR) events. Rides are scored from 0-100 points, with each judge scoring the rider from 0-50 points and the bull from 0-50 points. Scores above 80 are considered excellent and a score in the 90s exceptional. Judges award points based on several aspects of the ride, including a rider’s control and rhythm. A rider must remain on the bull the full 8 seconds to be awarded points. Bulls have more power than bucking horses so their movement is different. Bulls are more likely than horses to spin in tight, quick circles and less likely to run or jump extremely high. A move
unique to bulls is a belly roll or sunfishing, in which the bull is completely off the ground and kicks either his hind feet or all four feet to the side in a twisting, rolling motion. In scoring the bull, judges look at agility, power, speed, back end kicks and front end drops. Bulls still earn points even if the rider doesn’t last 8 seconds. The best bulls are used in the finals so riders have a chance to earn the most points. The five professional bull riding organizations each honor the top bull based on points earned in a season and the number of riders bucked off with the Bucking Bull of the Year award. The award brings prestige to the ranch that raised the bull and owners can charge a lot of money for semen from the top bulls. Judges may offer the rider the option of a re-ride if he scores sufficiently low because of poor bull performance. Bull riders are required to wear a protective vest. Cowboy hats remain the primary headwear for bull riders. Some riders believe that protective helmets and masks can detrimentally affect balance.
Roundup file photo
Bull riders never know which way a bull is going to throw them to the arena floor when the massive animal has decided it has had enough of its cargo.
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PAYSON ROUNDUP • AUGUST 2014
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Roundup file photo
Most horses used in both saddle bronc and bareback riding rodeo events are specifically bred for rodeo use, with those having exceptional bucking ability sold to stock contractors for a high price. Most grow up in a natural, semi-wild condition on the open range.
Bronc riding has two events – saddle and bareback Rodeo bronc riding is divided into two events: saddle bronc and bareback bronc. In both events, a rider attempts to stay on the bronc, or bronco, for 8 seconds without touching the horse with his free hand as the horse attempts to buck him off. On the first jump out of the chute, the rider must mark the horse out, meaning he must have the heels of his boots in contact with the horse above the point of the shoulders before the horse’s front legs hit the ground. Riders managing to stay on the horse for the full 8 seconds are scored on a 0-50 scale, while the horse is also scored on a 0-50 scale.
Scores in the 80s are very good and scores in the 90s are exceptional. A horse that bucks well by jumping high and changing directions will score more points than a horse who bucks in a straight line with no significant changes of direction. A specialized saddle with no horn and free-swinging stirrups is used in saddle bronc. The rider grips a rein braided from cotton or polyester that’s attached to a leather halter worn by the horse. The rider tries to find a rhythm with the horse by lifting on the rein and spurring forward and backward with his feet in a sweeping motion from shoulder to flank.
Neither a saddle nor rein is used in bareback bronc competition. Instead, riders use a rigging made of a leather and rawhide composite piece often compared to a suitcase handle attached to a surcingle and placed just behind the horse’s withers. The rider leans back and spurs with an up and down motion from the horse’s point of shoulder toward the rigging handle, spurring at each jump in rhythm with the motion of the horse. The bucking horse is usually a castrated male horse, called a gelding. They are used because the horses travel in close quarters and are housed in a herd setting and geldings are generally less disruptive and
more prone to get along with each other. Mares are also used. Stallions are less common because they can be disruptive in a herd and may fight if there are mares present. Most broncs used in these events are specifically bred for rodeo use, with those having exceptional bucking ability sold to stock contractors for a high price. Most grow up in a natural, semiwild condition on the open range, although managing, vaccinating and worming them requires some taming. Most bucking horses are at least 6 years old because of the travel and short bursts of intense work required.
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Steer wrestling demands speed, strength and balance Steer wrestling demands coordination between two mounted cowboys — the contestant and a hazer who controls the steer’s direction — and their horses. The cowboys back their horses into the box on each side of the steer. When the contestant nods, the chute gate opens and the steer gets a head start before the cowboy starts to chase him. As the steer wrestler draws even, he dismounts from his horse, which is moving at perhaps 30 miles an hour. He grasps the steer’s horns and digs his boot heels into the dirt to slow down the 500- to 600-pound steer. Then he wrestles the steer onto its side; when all four legs point in the same direction, the clock stops. Times vary widely depending on the size of the arena. Steer wrestling is also known as bulldogging. The event carries a high risk of injury to the cowboy. Historically, steer wrestling was not a part of ranch life. The event originated in the 1930s, and is claimed to have been started by an individual named Bill Pickett, a Wild West Show performer said to have caught a runaway steer by
wrestling it to the ground, according to the Wikipedia entry on the event. There are several versions of the story, some claiming that he developed the idea after he observed how cattle dogs worked with unruly animals. TECHNIQUE
The preferred method of wrestling the steer to the ground is to lean from the galloping horse which is running beside the steer, transferring the weight of the upper body to the neck of the steer, with one hand on the near horn of the steer and the far horn grasped in the crook of the other elbow. One then lets the horse carry his feet by the steer until his feet naturally fall out of the stirrups. The steer wrestler then slides with his feet turned slightly to the left, twisting the head of the steer by pushing down with the near hand and pulling up and in with the far elbow. Finally the steer wrestler lets go of the near horn, and puts the steer’s nose in the crook of his left elbow, and throws his weight backward causing the steer to become unbalanced and fall to the ground.
Roundup file photo
The cowboy competing in steer wrestling dismounts a moving horse, grasps the steer’s horns and digs his boot heels into the dirt to slow down the 500- to 600-pound animal. He then wrestles the steer onto its side. When all four of the steer’s legs point in the same direction, the clock stops.
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Cowboy and horse team up in tie-down roping BY TERESA MCQUERREY RIM REVIEW EDITOR
Tie-down roping is sometimes also called calf roping — in fact to differentiate it in the contestant listings, it is abbreviated CR, standing for calf roping, instead of TDR. Some contestants who compete as team ropers also show their skills with a lariat by vying in the tie-down roping event. Among the early registrants for the 2014 World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo there are four cowboys signed up for both tie-down roping and team roping — Seth Hall, Albuquerque, N.M., Luke Jeffries, Hermiston, Ore., Rick Kieckhefer, Prescott, Ariz., and Bryce Runyan, Silver City, N.M. To start this sprinting event, the tie-down roper and his horse back into the box; the cowboy carries a rope in one hand and a “piggin’ string” in his mouth. When the cowboy nods, the chute opens and the calf gets a head start. The cowboy follows and throws a loop over the calf’s head; his horse stops and pulls the rope taut while the cowboy jumps off, dashes down the rope, lays the calf on the ground and uses the piggin’ string to tie any three of its legs together. Then he lifts his hands to show he is finished, and the field flag judge drops a flag to stop the clock. The horse is trained to keep the rope taut until the cowboy remounts and moves the horse toward the calf, giving the rope slack. If the calf’s legs stay tied correctly for 6 seconds, it’s a qualified run and the time stands. Top professional calf ropers will rope and tie a calf in 7 seconds. The world record is just over 6 seconds. The event derives from the duties of actual working cowboys, which sometimes required catching and restraining calves for branding or medical treatment. Ranch hands took pride in the speed with which they could rope and tie calves which soon turned their work into informal contests.
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PAYSON ROUNDUP • AUGUST 2014
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Barrel racing not as easy as it might look BY MICHELE NELSON ROUNDUP STAFF REPORTER
By the time a barrel racer performs in the Payson Rodeo, they have hours on the saddle making each turn look effortless, smooth and skillful. On her website, Martha Josey, a rodeo competitor since 1964 and founder and co-owner of the Josey Ranch Barrel Racing Clinic, gives numerous reasons why riders and their horses don’t mesh. Barrel racers who over shoot the barrel, panic and jerk their horse’s head around can cause the horse to take a tumble. Saddle position can affect the stability of the horse. When a rider leans too much, the horse struggles to balance its own weight and the rider’s. If a rider has the wrong or faulty equipment, it can keep them from controlling the horse. Reins too long will have the rider pulling them up past their ears. This removes the connection between the rider’s touch controlling the horse’s movements through its mouth. Stirrups incorrectly adjusted throw of the balance of rider and horse.
A buckle that pinches a horse or a bit too low in the horse’s mouth can keep him from making the best run. The rider can hold their hands incorrectly and either have too heavy a hand with the horse thereby confusing him, or being so light with the touch, the horse has no idea what to do. Some riders simply have no rhythm with their horse. They are separate entities, one goes one way, while the other goes another. Nor does it help if the rider gives the horse inconsistent cues. Consistent cues make for a consistent ride. Some easy mistakes include missing the first barrel with poor planning. A horse needs enough time to prepare for the turn. Running all out straight at the barrel leaves little time to set-up the turn. Another easy mistake, slowing down as the horse reaches the finish line. Any unnecessary slow-down can keep the rider off the winner’s podium. Watch at the Payson Rodeo, the difference between the winners and losers can come down to a fraction of a second.
Roundup file photo
Barrel racing competitors work hard to train their horses to master the course patterns with speed and grace, creating one of the most beautiful events in rodeo.
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