Category Archives: TwisTed Rodeo

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 »

By Ted Harbin Bradlee Miller didn’t spend much time in the Texas capital city celebrating his bareback riding victory at Rodeo Austin. Instead, he had more important things to tend to 150 miles east. Not far from his home in Huntsville, Texas, stands the burned skeleton of Branded for Christ Ministry, a church founded by  Continue Reading »

by Ted Harbin It’s a 19-day spectacle with a total payout of $2,518,500, with $65,000 awarded to each of the nine champions. It culminated Saturday afternoon with the finale, which featured 10 contestants in each event battling in the championship round. From there, the top four advanced to the shootout. That’s where the big money  Continue Reading »

by Ted Harbin In a year that the Unites States celebrates its 250th birthday, it’s only natural to look at history. From the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the 1787 Constitutional Convention to the 27 amendments to the Constitution, there’s a patriotic theme that spreads across this land. Rodeo has its  Continue Reading »