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The Cowboy Capital of the World

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By Krista Lucas Wynn

It is hard to believe summertime is already over, which means the 2023 professional rodeo season is coming to a close. Each and every year it always comes down to the very last day, Sept. 30, for contestants qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. One of the last rodeos of the season is always the Cowboy Capital of the World pro rodeo, in Stephenville, Texas. This year, the annual event was Sept. 22-24, making its debut at a brand new venue.

Previously conducted at Lone Star Arena, this year’s pro rodeo was at the brand new fairgrounds, just five miles outside of town. It was the consensus with timed event and roughstock contestants alike that the new location was a welcomed change.

It goes without saying rodeo competitors want to be trending upward, not downward at this critical time of year. Bareback rider Kade Sonnier has been doing just that. The rookie, from Carencro, La., won the bareback riding at the Cowboy Capital of the World with a score of 84.5 on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Fox Hole Gunner for $1,545.

This moved him up into second in the world standings, with Leighton Berry hot on his heels. Berry was also right behind Sonnier in Stephenville with a score of 83 points for second place.
Overall, steer wrestling is a big brotherhood, and there is definitely quite a bit of shuffling going on toward the end of the rodeo season in the standings.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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A Memorial Roping

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By Krista Lucas Wynn

The annual Windy Ryon roping was held on Memorial weekend, May 24-26, 2024. The bucket list event, in Saginaw, Texas, featured exciting competition in team roping, breakaway roping, tie down roping, steer roping, and team tying. Miraculously, the weather did not play much of a factor in the arena conditions, and it was a fun time had by all.

The three days of competition was the 50th year for the Windy Ryon, named after the cowboy businessman who founded Ryon’s Saddle Shop and Western Store, located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The arena is conveniently just 10 minutes from the Stockyards, giving fans a full day of western activities. The weekend kicked off Friday, May 24, with an open breakaway roping, women’s team roping and open team roping.

To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Equine

Two Texas Riders Claim Big Titles in Sooner State

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By Savannah Magoteaux

In April, reining horse enthusiasts from across the country and around the globe traveled to Tulsa, Okla., for the National Reining Breeders Classic. The event, one of the largest in the reining industry, made its move to Tulsa in 2023, after more than two decades in Katy, Texas. The move was lucrative, and the event set multiple records, prompting the NRBC Board of Directors to expand the event to 12 days.

When the spin was spun and the final slide slid, the event had awarded more than $1.7 million in prize money alone, plus countless prizes that would fill two rooms – that’s not including the two trophy trailers presented to the Open and Non Pro Champions. The NRBC will return to Tulsa April 15-26, 2025.

Weatherford’s Casey Deary Wins Open Championship on Down Right Amazing
Scores started out high in the NRBC Open Finals and continued to build through the evening, along with the anticipation of the crowd, all waiting for that big run to topple all the previous scores. That ride came to rapturous applause as Casey Deary and Down Right Amazing rode out of the arena to the sound of “The Circle of Life,” the song denoting a new high score at the NRBC.

To read more, pick up a copy of the June issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Women in Rodeo

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By Krista Lucas Wynn

As female sports come under fire in 2024, the same can not be said for the sport of rodeo. The western industry is not short of talented, strong cowgirls. The Women’s Rodeo World Championship, presented by the World Champions Rodeo Alliance and the Professional Bull Riders, is the world’s richest women’s rodeo with a guaranteed payout of $750,000.

The week-long event showcases women competing in barrel racing, breakaway roping and team roping. The WRWC is the culmination of professionals and challengers alike who have qualified by a point system, held May 13-18 at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, and the championship round is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Competitors are nominated at any event throughout the year to earn points leading up to the WRWC.

To read more, pick up a copy of the June issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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