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Archives for December 2021

Franks has come a long way in ’21

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By Ted Harbin

LAS VEGAS – The winter and early spring were a bit dry for bareback rider Cole Franks.

As a PRCA rookie, he was trying to make a name for himself but wasn’t having much luck. He had entered the rodeo in his birth home in Guymon, Oklahoma, but he didn’t get to ride because he didn’t have enough money won to be included in that ProRodeo Hall of Fame event that takes place the first weekend in May.

It seems strange to look back upon now, because he’s been named the 2021 Rookie of the Year and this week is playing on the sport’s biggest stage, the National Finals Rodeo. May was seven months ago, but it may as well be a lifetime in Franks’ season.

“I don’t know if something clicked or if something changed,” said Franks, 20, of Clarendon, Texas, who placed for the seventh time in night nights in Las Vegas. “I was so broke, I was going for broke. At San Angelo, I had $20 to my name after I paid my fees. That’s all I had. I knew I had to win money there, or I’d be stuck at home working all summer.”

Instead, he won the first round, placed in the championship round and finished fourth overall. He pocketed nearly $8,300, and his financial troubles were over. From there, he went on to win bareback riding at the College National Finals Rodeo, claiming national crowns in it and the all-around.

He built on that, then jumped in the rig with Tim O’Connell, a three-time world champion, and Jess Pope, the 2020 NFR average titlist.

“Everything really built up after that,” Franks said. “The college finals is when it burst and exploded a little more. I think that was another big step on the year.

“Tim and Jess are a huge help. They are both really strong-minded and pretty positive. That helps boost you up. It’s hard being down when you are around them.”

He rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s On Your Own for 86.5 points to finish in a tie for third place in Friday’s ninth round. He earned $13,716. Just as importantly, he held on to third place in the average race. If he remains there when the NFR concludes Saturday, he will pocket a bonus of $44,414.

Already, he’s earned $105,614 in Las Vegas cash and moved up to eighth in the world standings with $183,008. Friday’s ride marked the second time he’d been on the Cervi horse; he was 82 points on On Your Own in Cave Creek, Arizona, in 2020. Many things have changed since that ride.

“I was pretty confident I could place on him,” he said. “I had a little better ride today, a little more stuff going on. I felt like I rode him a lot better than I did when I had him last time.”

It showed.

Casper earns 4th NFR payday

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By Ted Harbin

LAS VEGAS – Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Cimarron Jack has been a winner over the years. The big bay has helped cowboys win rounds at the National Finals Rodeo before.

That didn’t happen with Wyatt Casper during Thursday’s eighth round, but it worked well enough for the Texas cowboy. He and Cimarron Jack matched moves for 82 points to finish sixth, worth $4,354.

“He was a lot more rider-friendly for this pen,” Casper said, noting that the eighth round featured the “Eliminator Pen” of bucking horses, the ones that cause havoc. “I don’t think he fit this pen. He is usually better than that. It just wasn’t his night.

“If I was in the average, I’d be happy about it. I’m not in the average, so I’m just trying to go for the rounds. When you don’t have the horse to do it, it is a little upsetting.”

Casper had no-scores in each of the first three rounds and is 10th in the aggregate race; only the top eight cumulative scores at the end of the 10-round championship will earn bonuses. But for all the trouble he had to start the NFR, he has bounced back, pocketing $67,000 in Las Vegas. He is sixth in the world standings with $151,990.

“He was probably top three rider-friendly horse in that pen, but I knew it wasn’t going to be a huge score,” said Casper of Miami, Texas. “I tried to ride him as good as I could, just as I do every horse. It worked out, and we won some money.”

The NFR features a purse of more than $10 million, and he wants to collect as much of that pot as he can over the final two nights of the season. A year ago, he pocketed nearly $176,000 at ProRodeo’s grand finale. Rodeo isn’t always rose pedals and ice cream sprinkles though, and he realizes he’s done some good things this year.

“I wouldn’t make that driving a truck at home, so I’m excited to be here,” he said. “It’s still going to be a good 10 days after this. It’s hard to compare it to last year. I just haven’t had a good go of it. After this week’s over, we are still going to be pretty happy.”

He’s placed in four rounds so far, including the Round 7 victory. He has two more nights to catch as much cash as he can before he leaves Las Vegas. He’ll have good opportunities, thanks in large part to the livestock that’s been selected to buck at the NFR.

“It’s the top (100) horses they bring here, so they are the best,” Casper said. “They deserve to be here just as much as all the bronc riders.”

Casper earns 7th-round victory

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By Ted Harbin

LAS VEGAS – It may have taken three rounds, by Wyatt Casper has found his comfort zone in Sin City.

He’s put together four solid rides in a row, placing in three of them and just missing out on payday on Night 6. He rode Big Bend’s Broken Camp for 89 points to win Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo to collect just shy of $27,000.

Wyatt Casper

“I talked to my traveling partner, Jake Clark, about him,” Casper said, noting that Clark lined out the rein measurement that fit the horse. “He said (the bronc) was going to feel awesome, and he wasn’t lying. I thought he was a little stronger than what Jake put on. Every jump coming around there, he was just getting stronger. I just lifted on my rein a little harder, and it worked out good.”

It’s bronc riding at the most basic level, but Casper and others who have qualified for ProRodeo’s grand finale have perfected it. Lifting on the bronc rein helps the cowboy make a better spur stroke, starting over the breaks of the horse’s shoulders and back to the cantle of the saddle while in rhythm with the horse.

“It all goes hand to hand,” he said. “I think bronc riding is a real basic sport. It might not look that way, but the mental side of it is. I just try to get a good start on every horse I can: Two jumps, spur out and never miss a lick. I feel like that helped me out a bunch.”

It goes with his training, first at the Deke Latham Memorial Bronc Riding School in Goodwell, Oklahoma, as a youngster, then while attending Clarendon (Texas) College while under the training of rodeo coach Bret Franks, a three-time NFR qualifier.

“They all drilled that into my head,” said Casper, who was living in the Oklahoma Panhandle town of Balko as a youngster but has since moved to Miami, Texas. “When I was in high school, I’d go over to Goodwell and practice with (the Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo team). I was over there a bunch.”

Robert Etbauer, a two-time world champion, is the coach at Panhandle State. Even though Casper didn’t attend college there, he learned a great deal at those practices.

“I think Robert says if you fall off, it’s probably because you weren’t lifting hard enough,” Casper said. “Maybe that’s what I wasn’t doing earlier in the week. Finally, thank goodness, I got it figured out.”

He has pocketed $62,688 in seven nights in the Nevada desert and pushed his season earnings to $147,635. He sits seventh in the world standings, but there are three nights remaining in the ProRodeo season, and he has his eyes on the prize.

“It’s been good,” he said. “I’m just trying to get as much money out of here as I can, get a little nest egg to go back to Texas with.”

Late Night Shopping continues Dec. 9

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With Christmas fast approaching, the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce still has three nights of Late Night Shopping and prize giveaways planned providing plenty of opportunities for people to support local merchants.

Chamber Manager Sharlene Bordonaro with last week’s Late Night Shopping winner Beverly McCaskill of Howardwick. Enterprise Photo

Several merchants will be staying open late the next three Thursday nights, December 9, 16, and 23.

This week the First United Methodist Church will hold a Parents’ Night Out on Thursday, December 9, from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. Parents can drop off kids while they take part in late night shopping. The kids will enjoy games and activities while the parents get a Night Out to finish up their last-minute shopping.

Shoppers can register at any “Shop Donley County” merchant throughout the week for the prize drawings on Late Nights. You must be present to win, and the location of the drawing will be at different locations each week. This week’s drawing will take place at Henson’s at Third and Kearney at 8 p.m.

Merchants known to be open past 5 p.m. this week include Floyd’s Automotive until 5:30, Buckin’ Bean until 7:00, Clarendon Outpost until 10:00, Outpost Deli until 8:00, Cornell’s Country Store until 6:00, Broken Road Jr. Liquor Store until 8:00, Country Bloomers until 5:30, Henson’s until 8:00, Every Nook & Cranny until 8:00, Loaded Nutrition / Rambling Ranch Boutique until 8:00, Floatin’ T Boutique until 8:00, and Saye’s Flying ‘A’ Tack until 8:00.

Also this Thursday at 6:30 p.m., the public is invited to attend a ribbon cutting and grand opening of The Savage Agency north of the Mulkey Theatre at 106 S. Kearney.

For updates on Late Night Shopping information, check out ClarendonTx.com/ChamberEvents.

Franks ‘Xplodes’ for second place

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By Ted Harbin

LAS VEGAS – It’s 920 miles from Cole Franks’ place in Clarendon, Texas, to the bright lights of Las Vegas, but he’s feeling very much at home during this year’s National Finals Rodeo.

He’s placed in four of five bareback riding rounds and was just a spur stroke away from winning Monday’s fifth round, scoring 90 points on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies to finish second. He pocketed $21,336 for his eight seconds of work.

“That horse is all there for sure,” Franks said of Xplosive Skies the 2021 PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year. “He blows out of there really hard. He leaves like a train and hits you like a train. You don’t have time to think. It’s going 100 miles an hour, and it’s all directed at you.”

It was a very energetic ride, with each side throwing punch after punch. The young cowboy came out the winner in the end, pushing his NFR earnings to $59,095. He sits 10th in the world standings with $136,489.

“Looking back on it, I would call that one fun,” he said. “It was a little bit different (than the ‘Eliminator Pen’ on Saturday night). It was a totally different kind of feeling than any other kind of horse. I was having fun knowing what I was doing (Monday) night. It was just bare down and let the past year’s work take over.”

The fifth round featured the most electric bucking horses in bareback riding. When he saw the draw after Sunday’s fourth round, Franks knew he had a good shot to earn big points on Xplosive Skies.

“When I saw the draw, I kind of teared up a little bit because of the excitement of it all,” Franks said.

“I didn’t sleep a whole lot last night, just imagining riding that one. It was just pure excitement, ready to get it going.”

He’s the rookie of the year, but he looks like anything but a newcomer to ProRodeo’s grand championship. Each ride has provided him with superior experience. Moreover, each money-making score provides more confidence.

“(Doing this well) pumps you up a little more,” he said. “The last four rounds have been pumping me up for this, and this pumps me up for the next five rounds. It’s just a big balloon getting inflated.

Just as he would if he were working at home, he has his entire family around to keep him motivated and focused. That’s big for the young cowboy, but it’s something he’s experienced for a long time.

“My family is super supportive of everything I’ve done, from playing Little League baseball to this,” Franks said. It’s awesome having them here, knowing they’re sitting in the stands. I can look up and wave at them when I’m putting my rigging on or doing something on the back of the chutes, so that’s awesome.”

Going into Monday he had placed in three of the first four rounds of the National Finals Rodeo and pocketed $37,759.

On Sunday night during the fourth round, the Clarendon man rode J-Bar-J’s Blessed Assurance for 86 points to finish in a four-way tie for third place, worth just shy of $10,000.

Franks is actually one of three cowboys competing at ProRodeo’s grand finale that were part of the Clarendon College rodeo team coached by Franks’ father, Bret. Cole Franks and saddle bronc riders Wyatt Casper and Tegan Smith have all been in the money. Smith won the third round, and that set off a spark in the others.

Candidates start filing for county office

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Citizens interested in running for county offices have until Monday, December 13, to file and secure a place on the Republican or Democrat primary ballots.

Donley County positions up for election next year include judge, treasurer, clerk, commissioners in Precincts 1 and 2, and justices of the peace in both precincts 1 and 2 and precincts 3 and 4.

As of Tuesday morning, the following incumbents had filed for re-election as Republicans: Judge John Howard, Treasurer Wanda Smith, Clerk Vicky Tunnell, Precinct 4 Commissioner Dan Sawyer, and Precinct 2 Commissioner Daniel Ford. Two new candidates have also filed for the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 and 2 position currently held by Pam Mason. Those candidates are Ashley Savage and Kristen Taylor.

Citizens interested in a JP position or commissioner position must live in the precinct served by that office. Other offices are countywide.

City delivers final verdict on old house

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The City of Clarendon Building Standards Committee met last week and took action on a dilapidated home that has bothered city officials for seven years.

The old Neece home, now owned by Linda Lewis, located at Sixth and Bugbee as been the subject of several city agendas and complaints.

During the December 2 meeting of the committee, Jerry Lewis asked the city again for more time and promised to make repairs to the roof of the house within two months. The committee did not agree to that. After listening to the testimony of Code Enforcement Officer Gret Betts and Fire Marshal Jeremy Powell, the committee declared the house as a dangerous structure and ordered its removal within 30 days. If the owners do not demolish the building, the city will take bids to do so and bill the owners.

In other city business, the city council met November 11 for its regular meeting and a short agenda.

Aldermen approved casting the city’s votes for the Donley Appraisal Board for Alderman Jacob Fangman and also approved a motion to reappoint Brandon Frausto, Taylor Shelton, and Jarod Bellar to the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Board.

The council also approved a request from the Chamber of Commerce to close Third Street between Sully and Kearney for holiday events on November 27.

Aldermen also heard from City Administrator David Dockery with reports on the USDA project and the aquatic center.

Lady Broncos win Miami Tournament

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The Lady Broncos flexed their muscles in the Miami Tournament last week and brought home the Championship after winning four games. Overall, the ladies shot just over 60 percent from the free throw line and hit 26 three-pointers for the tournament.

The Lady Broncos won the Championship at the Miami Tournament last weekend. Courtesy Photo

The Lady Broncos easily got by Miami in the first game defeating them 51-30. The ladies played solid offense and clean defense as Miami struggled to get much going. The Lady Bronco defense only committed five fouls in the entire game, which help give them the edge they needed. Finley Cunningham led the way with five three-pointers for 15 points, and Aubrey Weatherton put eight points that included going four for four from the bonus line. Makenna Shadle and Hayden Elam put in seven points each and Jayde Gribble helped with six. Courtlyn Conkin and Madie Smith each added three points.

Highland Park was the ladies’ next draw in the tournament, and they walked off the court with a 43-31 win. A huge second quarter aided the Lady Broncos in their win. Smith led the way with 14 and Shadle had nine. Elam put in eight and Cunningham had six. Conkin, Gribble, and Weatherton helped with two points apiece.

They faced off against McLean in the third round and breezed their way to a 59-25 win. Another huge offensive effort in the second half sealed the win for Clarendon. Cunningham had a big game with 26 and Smith added 16. Shadle had six, Tandie Cummins put in five, and Conkin, Gribble, and Kennadie Cummins put in two points each.

The win over the Lady Tigers put the Lady Broncos in the championship game against Miami and they were never contested in the game winning 60-29. An early offensive surge in the opening minutes of the game gave the Lady Broncos the momentum they needed to get the easy win. Smith finished with 15 and Shadle added 13. Cunningham had nine and Gribble helped with eight. Weatherton put in five, Elam had four and Conkin, T. Cummins, and Gracie Clark added two points each.

Earlier in the week, the Lady Broncos earned an overtime win over Valley at 55-51.
The Lady Broncos held a fairly good lead in the opening minutes of the game, but Valley was able to take advantage of mistakes and missed free throws and close the gap at the break. The Lady Patriots were able to turn a four-point deficit after the third quarter and tie the game at 50 all at the end of regulation. But the Lady Broncos stayed the course and played stronger in the final three-minute period to get the win.

Weatherton put in 17 points and Smith added 13. Cunningham also finished in double figures with 12. Shadle added six, Elam had four, and Gribble put in three.

The Lady Broncos will participate in the White Deer Tournament December 9.

Franks continues his NFR streak

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By Ted Harbin

LAS VEGAS – Cole Franks seems to be a young man on a mission.

Still two months away from his 21st birthday, the bareback rider from Clarendon, Texas, has placed in three of the first four rounds of the National Finals Rodeo and pocketed $37,759. On Sunday night during the fourth round, he rode J-Bar-J’s Blessed Assurance for 86 points to finish in a four-way tie for third place, worth just shy of $10,000.

Cole Franks

“They’ve placed in every round they’ve been on that horse at the NFR,” Franks said. “He was a good one to get on in this pen.”

He’s had some good fortunate, but he’s also earned his money eight seconds at a time. Riding bareback horses is no easy task. The riggings are cinched tightly to the animal’s back, and the cowboys wear specially designed riding gloves with binds, then wedge their hands into the rigging. They are virtually locked onto the horse.

It can take a toll on the body, even on the easier to ride broncs. That’s what the bareback riders faced in the fourth round, the “Hopper Pen.” Unlike the “Eliminator Pen” they face in the third and eighth rounds, the horses out Sunday night were more user-friendly. It was a spurring contest, and it was difficult to judge the rides for the ProRodeo officials, which is why there were four cowboys tied for third.

“I just have to keep it going, just keep rolling,” said Franks, a second-generation NFR cowboy whose father was a three-time qualifier in saddle bronc riding. “It’s awesome to keep picking up checks. It makes you feel like you belong here a little more with all these guys.”

He’s actually one of three cowboys competing at ProRodeo’s grand finale that were part of the Clarendon College rodeo team coached by Franks’ father, Bret. Cole Franks and saddle bronc riders Wyatt Casper and Tegan Smith have all been in the money. Smith won the third round, and that set off a spark in the others.

“I went to the buckle presentation for Tegan (Saturday) night, and it made me think like, ‘I’m going to be here at the South Point for this,’ ” Franks said. “I was shooting for it today, but it didn’t quite work out. Just seeing those guys come in here and compete, it is just as awesome as coming in here and doing it by myself.”

Casper scores big in NFR Round 4

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By Ted Harbin

LAS VEGAS – In the City of Lights, something finally clicked for saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper.

Wyatt Casper

“I was excited for the first round, and it didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, and neither did two or three,” said Casper, who suffered no-scores in the first three rounds. “I feel like we’ve been in Vegas for a while. Getting this, I think, will spark a light in me.”

This was an 89-point ride on Vold Rodeo’s Sun Glow to finish second in Sunday’s fourth go-round of the National Finals Rodeo. That paid $21,336. It was a great way to get on the roll he needs at ProRodeo’s grand finale.

“I knew by having that horse, I was plenty capable to win the round today,” he said. “I’m tickled with 89.”

He wasn’t so tickled in the first three nights. He was bucked off his first and third horses, and he was flagged with not making his markout – securing the heels of his boots over the breaks of his horse’s shoulders – in the second round. It all added up to no scores and no money.

“It’s hard,” said Casper, the 2016 college national champion from Miami, Texas. “It feels like everyone might think you forgot how to ride broncs. I’ve just not been looking at all the negativity, just put it in the back of my head and forget about it.

“I just needed to remember how I got here, and that’s riding every horse the best I can every time. That’s what I tried to do tonight, and it worked.”

This is Casper’s second straight NFR qualification. He finished the 2020 season as the reserve world champion. Still, this is his first time to compete at the championship in its typical home in Las Vegas.

“This experience is really cool,” he said. “This is what I always dreamed of, riding here in Vegas. To finally come true, it is awesome. The crowd is energetic. It feels like they are right on top of you, and they pretty much are. There is a lot more pressure in this arena.

“I just go into each night … I feel the dirt. It feels like any dirt in any other arena.”

It’s also a bit different for his wife, Lesley, and their two children, Cooper and Cheyenne.

Having them with him during this 10-day championship is a valuable tool for the bronc buster.
“They’re good to have here,” Casper said. “They are a good distraction from the rodeo. It’s been good having them around.”

They bring normalcy to his life, which is anything but normal in the Nevada desert. They also make him realize that a few no-scores mean very little in the grand scheme of things.

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