Steve Kenyon is on the air!

DirecTV no longer carrying In Country TV’s rodeo coverage

In Country Television has notified the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association that it has been unable to reach a fair and reasonable agreement with DirecTV for continued airing of their ProRodeo coverage.

Officials at In Country remain optimistic that they will find a suitable resolution for both parties, but until that time, the Wrangler Million Dollar Gold Tour and the All American ProRodeo Finals will be seen exclusively on Dish Network.

The PRCA continues to work with In Country regarding potential solutions for expanding coverage.

Dish has a special phone line to assist PRCA fans who would like to convert to their service at 888.216.9987.

ProRodeoLive signs two-year extension with PRCA to air Wrangler NFR audiocasts

Steve Kenyon has signed a two-year contract extension with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to air live audiocasts of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on his ProRodeoLive.com website.

Kenyon, recipient of the 2009 PRCA Media Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, is entering his fourth year of providing live audio coverage of each round of the Wrangler NFR, Dec. 2-11. Clint Corey, the 1991 world champion bareback rider, and Wade Wheatley, an NFR qualifier in team roping, will again provide color commentary.

ProRodeoLive.com also broadcasts live audio webcasts from the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho, the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Rodeo, the Pendleton (Ore.) Roundup, the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo, the Justin Boots Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., and the Justin Boots Championships in Omaha, Neb.

Rodeo clown Nash rolls out the barrel to celebrate National Day of the Cowboy

In an effort to bring national attention to his Bullying Hurts program, veteran rodeo clown Marvin Nash has started walking his 160-pound barrel the 130 miles from Washington, D.C., to the Cowtown Rodeo, where he works each week at Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J.

Nash departed the nation’s capital July 14 and will average 12-15 miles a day so that he arrives at Cowtown on July 24 to celebrate National Day of the Cowboy, passing through Baltimore and Philadelphia on Highway 1 along the way.

The Bullying Hurts program, in its eighth year, enlists local organizations (such as Rotary, Kiwanis or local law enforcement) to act as sponsors for teenagers who mentor elementary school students about the danger of bullying and how to combat it if someone starts bullying them.

PRCA contract personnel make visit to children’s hospital

A couple of PRCA contract personnel brightened the day for a western Minnesota youth during the Hamel (Minn.) Rodeo and Bull Ridin’ Bonanza.

Thirteen-year-old Luke Savage of Murdock, Minn. has acute myelogenous leukemia and will be confined to Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis for six months. On July 9, PRCA announcer Davie Kimm and PRCA bullfighter Anthony Moore took time from working the Hamel rodeo to visit him in the hospital.

His mother and father, Emmy and Doug, said Luke was touched by their visit. “It was a great inspiration to him,” Emmy said. “Being cooped up has been hard. He has family coming in and out, but to have some role models and really great people come in and take the time to share what they do. That’s special.”

Kimm and Moore, along with Hamel committeeman Dennis Vee, brought Luke a Hamel rodeo t-shirt, belt buckle, autographed poster and other rodeo memorabilia.

The eighth-grade student just began learning to rope through the 4-H Western Heritage program and loves rodeo. “He’s always dreamed of doing this kind of stuff,” Emmy said. “He loves rodeo and watching it, so to have these guys come in was fun for him.”
– Courtesy of Ruth Nicolaus

News and notes from the rodeo trail …

On parallel paths: Jake Wright of Hurricane, Utah, leads the PRCA rookie standings in saddle bronc riding, the early favorite to claim the event’s Rookie of the Year Award won last year by his twin brother, Jesse …

More brother stuff: ProRodeo Hall of Famer Roy Cooper’s three sons, Clint, Clif and Tuf, are 14th, 15th and 16th in the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour standings in tie-down roping, separated by $936 …

Brothers III: Utah team roping brothers Kaden and Rhen Richard won their third PRCA title together July 12-18, capturing the Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo in Casper with a time of 11.5 seconds on two head …

After a down year in 2009, attendance at the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo rebounded for its 75th anniversary, drawing about 43,000 fans for its Fourth of July week spectacle …

The World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., and the Tucson Rodeo Parade were the only two events in the state to receive Special Recognition awards from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer July 13 during the 30th annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Tucson, Ariz. …

The Tucson Rodeo Committee has elected Bill Schurg chairman of its board of directors. Schurg, a professor and equine specialist at the University of Arizona, has been a volunteer board member on the Committee since 2003. He will serve a three-year term as chairman …

The Monterey County (Calif.) Historical Society has introduced limited edition note cards honoring the 100th anniversary of California Rodeo Salinas. Each $12.50 packet contains an assortment of 12 California Rodeo photos from the Society’s collection with envelopes. For further information, call 831.757.8085 …

The Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne is displaying 50 photos and posters on the history of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo through Aug. 28. For additional details visit the website wyomuseum.state.wy.us …

A new exhibit at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton, Ore., “Tall in the Saddle: 100 Years of the Pendleton Round-Up,” will be on display through January 2011. It features more than 400 artifacts. For more information, call 541.966.9748 or visit www.tamastslikt.org …

Former Reno (Nev.) Rodeo director and secretary/treasurer John Rhodes died June 24 at age 80…

Canadian roughstock rider Logan Hodson picked up a rare double at the Taber (Alberta) Pro Rodeo, July 15-17, earning wins in both bucking-horse events. Hodson, 25, won the bareback riding with an 84.5-point score on Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Alley Ways and topped the saddle bronc riding with 82.5 points on Kesler Rodeo’s Instant Request.

Injury report: Jason Miller, the 2007 world champion steer wrestler, has a July 26 appointment with Dr. Tandy Freeman to determine when he will be able to return to competition. “He’s either going to release me (to go back to work) or fix me,” Miller said. Miller fractured a bone in his left shoulder and suffered a partially torn rotator cuff June 11 and was instructed by Dr. Freeman to take at least four weeks off during which he should not even ride a horse …

Rod Hay, who leads the PRCA World Standings in saddle bronc riding, had staples removed from his left leg July 12 in a Calgary, Alberta, hospital and his recovery from a shattered femur seems to be on schedule. “I’ll go back and see (the doctor) in three or four weeks, and hopefully I can start putting some weight on it. I can start bending it now.” …

Bull rider Kris Newman suffered a concussion at the Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo in his hometown of Casper, Wyo., July 15 and doctor released out of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo the following night.

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