Category Archives: TwisTed Rodeo

Kipp’s Turn At The Top May Be Right Now By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of Tyke Kipp It’s early June, and Tyke Kipp is in unfamiliar territory. If the season were to end today, he’d earn his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, something every cowboy dreams of when he dreams of being a  Continue Reading »

Pain in the Neck: The Lives of Bareback Riders By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of Click Thompson For decades, rodeo fans have been drawn by the danger of the sport. Optics point to bull riding as the most perilous. The beasts are typically massive, with nearly a ton of bucking flesh. The rides can be  Continue Reading »

By Ted Harbin /Photos Courtesy of Aaron Witt He didn’t want to think it was possible, but Tim O’Connell couldn’t help but wonder if his career as a professional rodeo cowboy was over. “It was frustrating to think my career was over, that I was never going to truly do this anymore and not be  Continue Reading »

New Book Captures Estes Park’s Rooftop Rodeo History By Ted Harbin//Photo Courtesy of Rooftop Rodeo When Howell Wright was in high school, he realized he wanted to write a book on American sports. Influenced by being raised on a cattle ranch in central Arkansas, he began the process by attending his county fair. What started  Continue Reading »

Rodeo Memories Are Unlike Any Other By Ted Harbin/Photo Courtesy of Wade Thibodeaux Sometimes smells trigger it. Sometimes it’s a sound or photograph, but memories are parts of our daily lives. What is a greatest rodeo memory? Maybe it was the first gold-buckle moment or a 25-hour drive in a van loaded with bronc busters  Continue Reading »

A New Pope Has Arrived in Kansas By Ted Harbin Photo courtesy of Jess Pope One of the topics of interest this past weekend in the Oklahoma Panhandle was 2022 world champion bareback rider Jess Pope. How could the three-time Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo champion miss out on an opportunity to win a fourth trophy  Continue Reading »

By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of the Lynette Harbin While working as a journalist covering the 2001 Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, I met the love of my life. I just didn’t realize it for four years. By May 2005, our relationship had grown, and I made my way back to the Oklahoma Panhandle on another  Continue Reading »

By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of Nicole Stevens The bottom line for rodeo contestants always comes down to the bottom line. The dollars must make sense, which is why the newest edition of The Hondo Rodeo was perfect. With a payout of more than $1 million through the three-day rodeo, Caesars Superdome in New Orleans  Continue Reading »

By Ted Harbin Photo Courtesy of James Phifer All-around cowboy Taylor Santos spent more than 24 months on the mend. It’s sometimes a necessary part of rodeo. The rugged sport instigates its fair share of injuries. Ankles sprain. Ligaments tear. Bone spurs develop. Cowboys are known for their toughness, but sometimes the pain is too  Continue Reading »

By Ted Harbin | Photo Credit Ric Andersen Photos Nearly 1,000 contestants had already competed days before last Friday’s opening performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. It’s an extensive change in workload for all involved, with contractors, contestants, arena workers and stock show staff spending numerous hours over four days to help  Continue Reading »