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Last Updated on Thursday, 15 October 2009 05:05

Written by University of Wyoming

Laramie — University of Wyoming senior Nikki Steffes won the all-around women’s championship at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper after placing second in goat tying, 11th in breakaway roping, and 18th in barrel racing.
        Steffes, of Vale, S.D., is double majoring in molecular biology and medical microbiology in the College of Agriculture.
    Steffes helped lead the Cowgirls to their second national team championship in three years. Teammate Sarah Mulholland, a senior nursing major from Richland Center, Wis., won the goat tying crown and was third in all-around. The rodeo was June 14-20 at the Casper Events Center.
    “This one was a little sweeter because of the quality of the women we had competing for us,” says UW rodeo coach George Howard. “We were knocking on the door last year, and it would have been nice to have it three years in a row – I hate to say it – but they don’t come together like this, and that’s what makes it so special. I’ll probably never see another group of girls like this, all at once.”
      Mulholland is no longer eligible to compete on the team, while Steffes will participate in college rodeos this fall though her points will not count in the Cowgirls’ team standings. Steffes was granted another year of eligibility because she is a student director of the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).
Howard is already speaking highly about the Cowgirls’ opportunity for continued success as he recruited star rodeo athlete Dana Weiser of Wheatland, who placed fourth in the all-around standings at this year’s CNFR.
    Weiser transferred to UW this semester from South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. She is a junior majoring in computer science.
    “Our team will be young but should be very competitive,” Howard says. “Dana is an outstanding young lady, an outstanding rodeo athlete, and that’s a good base to build on.”
    Howard is confident Weiser and the other young athletes will learn from Steffes, who will go down as arguably the greatest all-around Cowgirl in team history. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer and won the regional all-around title in each of her four years at UW.
    The Cowgirls and Cowboys opened their fall season at the Chadron State College rodeo Sept. 11-13 in Chadron, Neb.  
    Upcoming rodeos include: Central Wyoming College, Riverton, Sept. 18-20; Sheridan College, Sheridan, Sept. 25-27; Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colo., Oct. 2-4; and Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, Oct. 16-18.
    UW hosts its rodeo the first weekend of May during the spring season of the NIRA’s Central Rocky Mountain Region.
    For more about UW rodeo, go to www.uwyo.edu/Rodeo.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 August 2011 16:42

Written by Gayle Smith

A sense of pride passes through Randy Dunn as he watches the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. Seated astride various roan horses are dignitaries, the Governor, generals, sheriffs, Pendleton girls and rodeo queens. The calm horses make their way down the parade route, seeming unimpressed by the excitement of the annual event.
What makes Dunn proud is that those horses were born and raised at his Laramie ranch, where Dunn and his wife Laurie run commercial cattle and registered Blue Valentine-bred mares.
“Our family has raised horses and cattle for over 125 years on the same ranch,” explains Dunn. “Consequently, the ‘Running M’ brand is one of the oldest registered brands in Wyoming. Our horses are used in everyday ranch operations, from doctoring yearlings to branding calves, and they allow the upcoming generation of ranchers to improve their horsemanship and cattleman skills. This has proven to produce well-rounded, athletic, gentle-disposition horses that are at home in any situation.”
The couple also has a great trainer on board.
“We are pleased to have Billy Ward ride our geldings for us,” says Dunn. “He is considered one of the ‘greats’ in the rodeo business, and has been to the NFR as a pick-up man for seven years.”
In 2005 the couple entered into a partnership with Ward to exclusively ride and market their geldings.
“The riding and the experience these horses gain make them outstanding arena and using horses,” says Dunn. “The geldings are well broke when we sell them, and they have been hauled to lots of rodeos and parades, have carried flags and have been washed and shod. They have also had many different riders, so they aren’t hooked on one rider.”
“We don’t want to sell a gelding that isn’t well broke, because we don’t want anyone to have problems with them,” he notes. “Through Billy and our sale, we have three world champions riding our horses right now. These are guys who have competed with them at the National Finals Rodeo. Our horses have the bloodlines to be great performance horses, it’s just been a matter of getting them into the hands of capable people like Billy Ward.”
Dunn says it takes continuous work to produce the quality of horses that are in such demand.
“Our family has always raised horses. In the 1930s, they raised remount horses for the U.S. Cavalry. By the late ‘30s they started raising registered Quarter Horses. Over the years, our focus has been to perpetuate the Blue Valentine bloodlines so they don’t die off, because they are such good horses,” states Dunn. “The capacity of their minds is unbelievable, not to mention how easily they can adapt to any situation. When we pull the stallions from the mares, it always amazes people how the stallions can run together the rest of the year. We have 13 studs running together, eating out of the same hay feeder.”
Dunn says the horses, for the most part, have been easy to train.
“Out of the 60 or more horses Billy has taken, there have only been two that took a long time to give it up,” he notes. “We start a lot of them here at the ranch and do some of the groundwork. Some will hump up a little when we first put the saddle on them, but they work through it pretty well. We start most of our fillies, too, because we want to find out what’s in their head before we make a broodmare out of them.”
According to Dunn, the combination of the bloodlines is very appealing to the customers who purchase the horses.
“They can use them many different ways. Some of the horses are world champions in rodeo, while others are used for trail and pleasure. We have a horse right now that is being ridden by one of the Dandies. Our horses make great ranch horses, but they have enough in them that you can take them anywhere and be competitive,” he continues.
Cheyenne Frontier Days has proved to be great advertising for the couple.
“In 2010 we had over 15 horses at Cheyenne Frontier Days involved in the parade, picking up and competing in the rodeo,” says Dunn. “We were proud to have the Governor and the First Lady riding our horses in the parade, along with numerous other dignitaries. You have to really trust a horse to do that – but we’ve never had any problems. I don’t consider any horse totally bomb proof, but I think ours are as close as you could come.”
“These same horses doubled as pick-up horses in the afternoon at the rodeo,” says Dunn. “One of our horses, owned by Mickey Gee, qualified for the short go last year. Being able to compete at Cheyenne Frontier Days shows the quality of these horses. Mickey’s horse even mounted several riders for the steer wrestling.”
The couple handpicks around 25 Blue Valentine horses each year to sell in the “Come to the Source” sale, which will be held at the Albany County Fairgrounds in Laramie on Aug. 27. Although Ward markets many of the geldings throughout the year, he brings some back for Dunn to sell during the annual production sale.
A preview will be held at 10 a.m., with the sale to follow at 1 p.m. Dunn says he has started to videotape his horses at different times to allow people who miss the preview to see what his horses can do.
“People who miss the preview can see my horses on a DVD before the sale,” he explains. “I can forward the DVD right to the horse they want to see, and they can watch it as many times as they wish.”
For more information, contact Dunn at 307-742-4669 or visit bathbros.com. Gayle Smith is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Friday, 30 April 2010 13:49

Written by Melissa Hemken

Lander – On March 27 HOWL Rodeo Bulls held its latest in the Ultimate Miniature Bull Riding (UMB) event series in Lander, with 24 contestants spread across the Mutton Bustin, PeeWee BullRiding and miniature bull riding divisions.
“Miniature bull riding is gaining popularity as an extreme sport and training aid for aspiring young bull riders,” says Tim O’Neal, owner of HOWL Rodeo Bulls. “Though small, the bulls buck similar to full-sized bulls.”
“I bought our first mini bull two years ago when my eight-year-old son Cole became interested in bull riding,” continues O’Neal. “Now we have 30 head and I have purchased them from as far away as Alabama and Texas.”
The UMB was founded for young bull riders ages nine to 14 and weighing under 130 pounds. The Professional Bull Riders-style events allow members to accumulate points throughout the season to qualify for the UMB Finals.
“We also have a Mutton Bustin for ages six and under, and PeeWee BullRiding for seven- to eight-year-olds,” says O’Neal. “To participate in these events you do not have to be a member of the UMB association. We have a special set of miniature bulls that don’t buck very hard for the PeeWee division. They allow the youngest bull riders to gain experience in the chutes and develop confidence and riding skills.”
According to UMB information, the miniature bulls are more beneficial to aspiring riders than getting on roping cattle or calves.
“Professional bullriders are seeing the benefits of the miniatures as well, with bull riding greats such as Wiley Peterson, Chris Shivers and Matt Austin using them in their bull riding schools,” says UMB. “The miniature bulls are a huge crowd pleaser.”
The American Bucking Bull Inc. registry for bucking bulls also recently began to register miniature bucking bulls. Eventually, mini bull competitions could coexist with full size bulls at PBR events.
As the contestants’ abilities grow they’re able to ride more challenging bulls. These bulls, ranging from 32 to 48 inches tall, have power, speed, kick and spin; all the elements of their full size counterparts. Bulls are available for any level rider, from the first-timers to those ready to move on to full-size bulls.
Brandyn Shane, 9, of Casper, was one of the first-timers at the Lander event. His brother, Jarron Shane, 12, and cousin, Bryan Harrison, 11, also of Casper, are experienced UMB riders at one and two years in competition, respectively.
“I’m excited about riding,” says Brandyn. “Bryan and Jarron, and the rest of my family, have given me a lot of pointers.”
While the miniature bull riders describe their experience in years, those riding the peewee bulls do so in number of rides.
“This will be my 30th time riding a bull,” says Cole O’Neal, 8, of Lander. “My dad has the mini bulls, so I get to practice sometimes.”
“Wylee has ridden five times,” says Cole, referring to his friend Wylee Simonson, 7, of Pavillion.
This is the first year O’Neal has produced a series with a UMB event every month, culminating with the finals at the end of the summer. The top five miniature bull riders in each event advance to the short go, where they draw to ride a second bull. 
The top eight competitors from the UMB Finals will represent Wyoming at the Northwest Miniature Bull Riding Finals in Helena, Mont. in November. Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho will also send their top eight to the Northwest Finals. Contestants have a chance at around $7,000in prize money, as well as about $12,000 in prizes.
“Mini bulls are becoming more well known,” says O’Neal. “I have contracts for mine in Idaho, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming this summer.”
“The kids competing right now have talent,” he adds. “We have about a dozen contestants in the mini bull division this year. Hopefully, we’ll get some PBR stars out of this group.
Melissa Hemken is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 July 2010 10:17

Written by Christy Hemken

Douglas – This year’s Wyoming State Fair ranch rodeo competition will include heightened stakes, as the State Fair will now be the state finals for ranch rodeos held in the Cowboy State that choose to be affiliated.
In addition, the State Fair has partnered with the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) in Billings, Mont. and will send the top two Wyoming ranch rodeo teams to the finals in Montana in October 2010.
Although the event is still in the process of affiliating Wyoming’s local ranch rodeos, Ranch Rodeo Coordinator Larry Bentley of Thermopolis says a possible 10 are already on board, out of a goal of 12 qualifying rodeos.
“We’re getting close to that, and there’s some real interest in the state,” says Bentley, saying those already affiliated include four events in the Big Horn Basin, as well as one, and possibly two in Crook County. They’re in the process of contacting events in Lusk, Glendo, Glenrock and Newcastle.
“We’re working on it, and it’s coming together well,” says Bentley, adding the whole thing was kind of an accident. “It’s something I’ve been working on for a while, but on a much smaller basis.”
Bentley has been involved in the Thermopolis ranch rodeo on a contestant or organization basis for the last 20 years.
“I’ve wanted to put together a regional finals for a while, but didn’t have the vehicle to get it done,” he says. “I was up at the NILE last fall and talked to them about it a little bit, and we got to talking and this thing fell together last spring. One day it all came together.”
Wyoming State Fair Director James Goodrich is also involved in putting the event together, and he explains that those interested need to affiliate with the State Fair and adhere to a uniform set of guidelines to ensure consistency through the qualifying process.
Goodrich explains there are five events that will be held at the state finals – the same five held at the NILE finals – and that local ranch rodeos in the state need to include at least three of them in their competitions. The five events from which to choose are ranch bronc riding, wild cow milking, team trailering, team doctoring and team branding.
“We did that so if the local rodeo has some traditional events, they can still hold them and we’re not forcing them to include five new events,” says Goodrich.
Of the cost of affiliation, Goodrich says there are no up-front membership fees, just a $10-per-contestant fee included in the State Fair Ranch Rodeo entry fee for the winning team that qualifies and chooses to compete at the state level.
Goodrich says State Fair Ranch Rodeo prize winnings are yet to be determined, but he does know the purse will be 80 percent of entry fees given back in a jackpot. The stock contractor and other producer positions are also yet to be determined.
Bentley says he and Goodrich are considering bringing a judge from Montana to oversee the finals, to avoid conflicts of interest, and one of the judges at the Montana finals will be from Wyoming.         “The finals will pay to four places, and jackets will be given to the winning team and vests given to the reserve team, with cash awards going down through fourth place,” explains Goodrich, adding there will also be Top Hand and Top Horse awards.
For local ranch rodeos that may be interested in participating in the state finals, Goodrich says the cutoff for qualification in the 2010 state finals event is local events held more than six days prior to the finals, which are Aug. 15.
Affiliated rodeos must be held in the state of Wyoming, and all team members must be legal residents of Wyoming. Also, qualifying rodeos must have been held within the 2010 calendar year for this first event. If the event has already come and gone this year, the rodeo can qualify as long as they held three of the five qualifying events.
“We’re working on it still, but James and I are both pleased with how it’s coming together,” says Bentley. “If anyone’s interested, they can contact me and I’ll send them a copy of the rules and talk about the qualifications and how this will work.”
“I think this is an up and coming thing,” adds Bentley, speaking of local-level ranch rodeos. “Even though people love to go see professional cowboys compete in PRCA rodeos, we don’t have many of those rodeos because we don’t have the purses for the big names. Ranch rodeo has local teams, and now they have a chance to go to a finals, and our top two teams in the state get to go compete in Montana at the NILE, and to me that’s pretty exciting.”
For more information on the ranch rodeo state finals, contact Larry Bentley at 307-867-2555 or 307-921-9665, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Christy Hemken is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .