Arena Premiere Issue

PREMIERE ISSUE

STETSON

WRIGHT

PRCA EARNINGS RECORD

$320,482

P R E V I EW

RODEO ROAD DIARY

RILEY WEBB ROPING ROOKIE

WRIGHT THAT’S RODEO SHARPENS WRIGHT TO ME WITH CLICK THOMPSON

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ARENA

The great sport of rodeo reflects a way of

life that still lives today in the countryside of America. Born from cattleman’s pride and

friendly competition, rodeo has developed

into a spectacle of tradition and pageantry where cowboys and cowgirls gather to duel

for buckles, glory, and a lot of cash. This way of life has remained the same as it is

handed down from generation to generation,

and our focus is to highlight the grandeur of the modern-day version of this sport while keeping an eye on tradition.

Rodeo is an integral part of the American fabric, and we are here to tell its stories and preserve this authentic lifestyle that originated in our great nation. The people,

athletes, and animals are the heart of the industry, but it’s the fans that keep this sport

breathing. Consider this your place to draw close to everything involved in the sport, and we will be your arena pass to this colorful

and wild pastime. Welcome to the epicenter

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for the greatest show on dirt.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 4

STETSON

WRIGHT

6 WRIGHT SHARPENS WRIGHT

18 SHANE + TAYLOR

22 34

RODEO’S DYNAMIC DUO

RILEY WEBB ROPING ROOKIE

THAT’S

RODEO TO ME WITH CHRISTOPHER CLICK THOMPSON

36 KIMZY 38 RODEO ROAD DIARY BUCKAROO

TRAIL TRIO

WITH

LETTER FROM THE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

KEVIN CARMONA thearenapress@gmail.com EDITOR

LILLIAN LANDRETH

thearenapress.editor@gmail.com SALES DIRECTOR

KEN CARMONA

thearenapress.ken@gmail.com SALES

ALISSON VAEIL

thearenapress.sales@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHY

KEN CARMONA

WWW.IMAGEHOUNDS.COM

ASHLEY KENDALL

WWW.ASHLEYKENDALPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON

WWW.CLICKTHOMPSON.COM

MISS MILLER

WWW.MISSMILLERSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

JO HAIGWOOD

WWW.JOHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL

LILLIAN LANDRETH

WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/LILY-LANDRETH

IN THE

P R EV 4

V I EW

STETSON WRIGHT

DOMINATING THE ARENA Stetson Wright is carrying on the Wright family legacy in the saddle bronc riding— and blazing new trails of his own. The 22-year-old from Milford, Utah, just became the winningest regular-season all-around money earner with $282,722 in saddle bronc riding and bull riding.

He overtook Trevor Brazile’s record of $218,852, set in 2015. Stetson is also headed to his third consecutive WNFR, leading the all-around cowboy and saddle bronc rider standings. With $320,482 in all-around earnings for the season, he surpasses Paden Bray, who has $135,143 in second place, by more than double. And as the first of his family to compete in bull riding, Stetson is also the defending 2020 World Champion Bull Rider, sitting second to Sage Kimzey in the standings with $204,100

CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

RYDER

P R E V I EW

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STETSON

WRIGHT SHARPENS

WRIGHT

With two world all-around titles to his name as well, Stetson is yet to win a world title in the saddle bronc riding.

It’s a goal he’s spurred on to by his older brother, Ryder, who’s sitting second in the standings with $181,894. Ryder won the saddle bronc riding in 2020 and 2017. The brothers traveled together this year through mid-summer, before jumping in with other travel partners so Stetson could enter more Extreme Bulls events. Even when they’re not entering together, the brothers stay closely in touch, watching videos or livestreams of each other’s rodeos. They’ll be competing alongside their uncle, Spencer Wright, CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

IN THE

P R E V I EW

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TILDEN

HOOPER

Tilden Hooper is looking to make eight and make history for himself by winning at the 2021 WNFR. This is the 33-year-old bareback rider’s eighth qualification to the Finals, and the first time he’s gone into the Thomas and Mack Center leading the standings.

The Carthage, Texas, cowboy won The American and Reno Rodeo this year, among others. Placing in the money at many big stops like Cheyenne Frontier Days and California Rodeo Salinas also helped spur his earnings to $161,952 for the season. His hunt for the gold buckle is followed closely by Tim O’Connell in second place with $156,056.

HIGHLIGHT

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CLICK TO VISIT ASHLEY KENDALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Erick Schwindt in action.

IN THE

P R E V I EW

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JACOB TALLEY Jacob Talley leads the steer wrestling with $117,256.41 as he backs into the

box for his fourth WNFR in December.

The 30-year-old from Keatchie, Louisiana, is among a group of

competitors all positioned to capture their first world titles.

These include Dustin Egusquiza, team roping header

leader, and Tilden Hooper, number one in the bareback riding. Talley won the steer wrestling at The American Rodeo 2021 and led the standings much of the season.

He won a handful of pro rodeos throughout the year and placed in the top five at numerous others. His closest WNFR contenders include Jesse Brown in second place with $92,358.49, and Dakota Eldridge in third place with $81,783.93.

HAILEY KINSEL Hailey Kinsel returns to the WNFR defending her three consecutive barrel racing world titles this December.

The 27-year-old from Cotulla, Texas, hasn’t missed a qualification since her first trip in 2017. She and her awardwinning mare, Sister—trained by the Kinsel family—made the most of each run. From April until the end of the 2021 season, they placed in the top eight of every rodeo entered, except for two. The duo also won eight rodeos, and were the highest money earners among WPRA barrel racers during Fourth of July. The $22,238 won during that time helped drive Kinsel into the number one spot of the WPRA standings at $113,529. Jordon Briggs comes in second with $102,618.

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IN THE

P R E V I EW

IN THE

P R E V I EW

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SHANE + TAYLOR

RODEO’S DYNAMIC DUO Newlyweds Shane and Taylor Hanchey, lately of Carmine, Texas, are coming to Vegas for the first time as husband and wife—and both as roping competitors.

Shane is leading the tie-down roping standings with $175,079 as he enters his 12th consecutive WNFR. The 2013 World Tie-Down Roping Champion started the season strong. He won The American in March, and hardly slowing down, won 11 more rodeos, including the Pendleton Round-Up. Westyn Hughes follows him in second place with $133,336 Taylor ran barrels at the WNFR in 2013 and 2015, but this year her name is on the breakaway roping scoreboard. She felt inspired to start roping again

IN THE

P R E V I EW

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JUNIOR NOGUEIRA Junior Nogueira hasn’t missed a WNFR qualification since he joined the PRCA in 2014. The 31-year-old team roping heeler leads the standings into his eighth Finals with $133,716. Travis Graves follows him in second place with $126,869.

Nogueira, originally from Brazil but a resident of Arizona, competed with headers Cody Snow and Kaleb Driggers again this season. All told, he went to the pay window at numerous rodeos and won eight others, including $7,500 at the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa. Nogueira won the world all-around title in 2016, but continues his pursuit of the heeling world title.

IN THE

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RILEY WEBB EMBARKS ON ROOKIE YEAR Bursting out of the roping box at the WNFR has been Riley Webb’s goal since he started roping as a child in youth rodeo. At 18, the tie-down roper from Denton, Texas, is embarking on his rookie year in the PRCA. The high school senior filled his permit within two months, and already competed in several 2022 season rodeos. “I’m trying to go to all the big ones I can: Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Cheyenne,” says Riley. “I’ll try to get the big stops and get enough money hopefully for rookie of the year.” Riley ropes and rides daily.

He started hauling to some rodeos on his own in a truck and trailer he purchased Riley ropes and rides daily. He started hauling to some rodeos on his own in a truck and trailer he purchased with his earnings. But Riley also enjoys the company of his parents, Jennifer and Dirk Webb. Dirk is the manager of The American Rodeo and Jennifer helps him produce the breakaway and tie-down roping at CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

IN THE

ERICK

SCHWINDT

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CLICK TO VISIT ASHLEY KENDALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Erick Schwindt of Prineville, Oregon, spent just enough time riding steers to know he didn’t want to continue. Instead, protecting the riders hooked him.

At 13, he attended Danny Newman’s bullfighting school, and 18 years later, Erick still loves lacing up his cleats. He competed as a freestyle bullfighter for several years, and earned his PRCA card in 2013. Erick achieved his goal of working the 2021 Columbia River Circuit Finals, and protects riders at the Crooked River Roundup, Omak Stampede, Eugene Pro Rodeo, and many other rodeos in the Northwest. “I’ve also worked Alamosa, Cortez, and Breckenridge, Colorado pro rodeos. My next goal is to make the Ram National Circuit Finals, and maybe one day work the NFR.”

HIGHLIGHT

Jaron Sheehan winning bull ride during the Mesquite Championship Rodeo in Mesquite, TX July 2021

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Photography by KEN CARMONA / IMAGEHOUNDS

HIGHLIGHT

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Gaige Langmaid rides Flaxy of Smith Pro Rodeo during the Mesquite Championship Rodeo in Mesquite, TX on 7.3.2021.

CLICK TO VISIT CLICK THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

PROFILE

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Click here to visit Miss. Millers Photography

BUCKAROO MAKES THREE AND

The 2021 WNFR marks Sage Kimzey’s eighth consecutive year competing in the Finals, and the Salado, Texas, cowboy is leading the bull riding with $264,739.

Stetson Wright sits in second with $204,100.

Sage and his wife Alexis Kimzey have been together through seven years and seventy rounds of the WNFR, both as friends and now as a married couple. Today, they are expectant parents, their little boy due to arrive in early spring of 2022. “Sage has been doing great and training like I’ve never seen him before,” says Alexis. “He’s doing a lot with his mental game, and come back from a CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

CLICK TO VISIT CLICK THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

PROFILE

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By Lillian Landreth

Click Thompson of Decatur, Texas, is a PRCA rodeo photographer and storyteller. His lens captured music concerts for many years, and he worked for the U.S. Department of Defense while living in Virginia.

But in 2010 after attending a PBR event, Click found an art subject that truly captivated him.

Fast forward 11 years and Click is the official photographer of the 2021 National Finals Steer Roping in Mulvane, Kansas. His name is also on the ballot for PRCA Photographer of the Year. Whatever the event, he is mindful of the impact his images have on the rodeo world. “We have to be ambassadors and cognizant of what people see. My goal for the (National Steer Roping) Finals CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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CLICK TO VISIT JO H PHOTOGRAPHY

By Lillian Landreth

Lori Schwinnen is the heart, soul, and hands of her business, Cutter’s Edge Equine Massage Therapy.

Based out of Alvarado, Texas, she travels the Dallas/Fort Worth area to bring a healing touch to her equine clients, who range everywhere from the beloved backyard companion to the fiery barrel racer, hardy eventer, and the kind-hearted therapy horse. studies, and tests to complete the first of her certifications in 2014. Now a plant controller for a big manufacturing company with a 40-hour work week, Lori still organizes her schedule to work on at least 30 horses a month, often in conjunction with veterinarians and equine chiropractors. On weekends, she travels to barrel races such as the BRAT Association and KP

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CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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CLICK TO VISIT ASHLEY KENDALL PHOTOGRAPHY

By Lillian Landreth

Wending their way down the rodeo trails of the Pacific Northwest with camera, bullfighter baggies, and snacks in tow are Ashley Kendall and her family. It’s a lifestyle the PRCA photographer from Prineville, Oregon, never expected to be part of. But when Ashley met her boyfriend, professional bullfighter Erick Schwindt, life— and her camera—quickly focused on the arena.

“Bullfighting is not exactly an easy job. When I’m shooting, I don’t get scared (watching him). I just keep the camera going, says Ashley. Watching him fight bulls is like a dance. Inspired by friends reaction to

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her photos, Ashley delved deeper into action sports

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