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Archives for December 2022

Clarence Elmer Pierce, Jr.

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Clarence Elmer Pierce, Jr., 65, of Clarendon died Friday, December 2, 2022, in Clarendon.

Clarence “Junior” Pierce

Memorial services with inurnment at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon will be held at a later date. Cremation & Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Junior was born January 7, 1957, in Clarendon to Clarence Elmer “C.E” Pierce, Sr. and Mary Holman Pierce.  He went to school at David G. Burnett Elementary in Houston, Humphrey’s Highland Elementary in Amarillo, Woodland Acres Elementary in Houston, Travis Junior High in Quanah, and Clarendon Junior High.  Junior worked for Wondell and Mark Luttrell for years at the welding shop.  Cutting, welding, and fabricating on all sorts of equipment for the locals, farmers, and ranchers.  Before that, he also worked for Wondell Luttrell at the cotton gin. he put in many years at both places and enjoyed his work.  Jr. also worked at the tire shop for Henson’s.  While working there, he also took care of setting up for the turtle races around the 4th of July and always had a hand in putting up the decorations for the store.  He also worked for Gary Barnhill at the Sandell Drive In and worked for D. Grant who ran a water well service.  There are other jobs Jr. had, too numerous to count.  He was multi-talented and truly a jack of all trades.

Junior’s hobbies were actually more of a lifestyle.  What he really enjoyed was fishing.  His favorite places were the dike at Texas City, Texas and, San Luis Pass on Galveston Island surf fishing for shark.  His favorite place of all was fishing off the rocks at Lake Kickapoo near Wichita Falls for crappie with Dad.  He always enjoyed his fishing trips and never came home empty handed.

Jr. was married twice in his life, first to Bobbi Jo Carmichael in August 1977, they had a son, Michael Shane.  Later on he married Faye Vargas.  Jr. was truly blessed with grandchildren.  Kortny Marie and Chance Michael Blackwell, Austin Pierce, Dylan Costner, Lathan and Jaydon Pierce all of which reside in North Dakota and Idaho.  He is also survived by his sister, Linda Lincoln and his brother, Rick Pierce.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com

Casper snags small NFR check Sunday

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CC alumnus Wyatt Casper rides Miss Ellie during NFR in Vegas Sunday. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

By Ted Harbin, TwistedRodeo

LAS VEGAS – Saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper is riding well, but his pocketbook isn’t showing it just yet. In four nights at the National Finals Rodeo, he has placed twice and collected just $3,886.
That’s less than stellar at ProRodeo’s grand finale, which pays go-round winners nearly $29,000 per night. In both instances, he finished in a tie for sixth place – it was a three-way tie during Round 2 and a two-way tie in Sunday’s fourth go-round.
The latter came after an 82-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Miss Ellie, and Sunday’s round featured the eliminator pen of saddle broncs. Miss Ellie was the perfect fit in that category as one of the hardest-to-ride horses in ProRodeo.
“It seemed like the ride was pretty decent,” said Casper of Miami, Texas. “It seemed like maybe I was a little behind, and she was kind of beating me up. The hardest thing about her is keeping your shoulders square. She really wants to work you into your right stirrup. It’s a little tougher on a right-handed guy than it is a left-handed guy, but it worked out and we’re happy.”
In comparing his earnings, the money he’s made in Las Vegas doesn’t quite add up. If he were to finish sixth by himself, it’s worth $4,664, but every dollar counts, especially at the NFR.
“It’s nice to sneak out of that round with a qualified score,” he said about getting on the rank bucking horses, which tossed four cowboys to the ground; those that did ride weren’t posting high-marked rides. “It keeps you in the average for that big bonus check in the end, and it’s nice to get a little round money out of it, too.”
Out of the 15 bronc riders in the mix, Casper is one of just 10 that have ridden all four broncs so far. He sits eighth in the average, with a four-ride aggregate score of 326.5 points. If he were to hold that position through Saturday night’s final round, he would earn a $7,000 bonus.
The objective, though, is to win a world championship, if possible, but he’d need some big things to happen. He trails the world standings leader, Montanan Sage Newman, by more than $170,000. That’s where the bonus comes in handy. The average champion will pocket more than $74,000. With high-paying go-rounds, Casper still has a big chance in the final six nights of the 2022 season.
“The goal when you come here is to ride 10 horses the best you can,” Casper said. “I feel like I’ve done that. Hopefully I’ll start drawing the top of the pen and we’ll start winning some go-round checks.”
The random draw that matches a cowboy with his animal is an important factor. Half the score on a 100-point scale is on how well the animal bucks. The rest is up to the contestant.
“At the end of the day, horses are horses,” he said. “To every pen, it is the National Finals, but you still are going to have a top end of that pen, which is a horse that is really going to show and you can really show out. It all has to come together and work for you.”

Franks rolls back into NFR money

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Cole Franks rides Free Shipping at the NFR last weekend. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo

LAS VEGAS – The bareback riders at the National Finals Rodeo went from one extreme to another in 24 hours.

It’s just part of the Las Vegas experience, for most visitors, but these men are in town on a business venture. They tried their hands at the hardest-to-ride broncs in the sport Saturday night, then turned around and had the easiest buckers Sunday. That makes everything even and allows the winners to be the cowboys that show off their spur rides the best.

“You’ve really got to try to flash everything up and expose yourself in this pen,” said Cole Franks, who rode Outlawbuckers Rodeo’s Free Shipping for 87 points to finish in a tie for second place in the fourth round. “You’ve got to let go and let it all hang out more than you would on (Saturday) night’s pen or (Monday’s) pen.

“I’d seen that horse maybe once or twice, but I went and watched videos on him last night and was pretty excited about it. That horse is awesome.”

Franks also made Free Shipping look good and added $20,053 too his earnings. He has collected $37,670 in four nights in Las Vegas and pushed his season earnings to more than $154,000.

Of course, it was a much different feeling around the bareback riders locker room from Round 3 to Round 4.

“It is a lot more energetic,” said Franks, 21, of Clarendon, Texas. “It’s a lot more fun. Everyone’s chit-chatting, everyone is laughing and everyone is cracking jokes. (Saturday) night was very tense. Everyone was kind of quiet.

“For the ones we got on (Saturday), you have to almost crave that kind of horse. The ones we had tonight are the ones you want at your house to get on every day.”

Casper gains momentum Friday at NFR

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By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo

LAS VEGAS – Wyatt Casper’s first saddle bronc ride of the 2022 National Finals Rodeo wasn’t significant to most.
He scored 83.5 points on Rosser Rodeo’s California Dreamin and finished 10th in the opening round of this year’s championship. There was no money, and his place in the world standings didn’t really change.
Still, it was an ignition switch for Casper, now competing at the NFR for the third straight season.
“After being off for three months and not being able to rodeo, to be able to come out here and stick my first one was a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Casper, 26, of Miami, Texas. “I was pretty confident after (Thursday’s) ride.”
It showed on a rank horse during Friday’s second round. He posted an 82-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Foul Motion to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place, worth $1,555. It’s not the biggest payday, but it offered a boost of confidence for him to carry through the final eight nights of the ProRodeo season.
“Today didn’t feel really well,” he said of his ride on Foul Motion, one of the harder-to-ride broncs in the second round. “It felt like my (saddle’s) cantle kept hitting me in the butt, and I wasn’t able to set my feet. It was a little fouling through there or something. The Beutlers are known to have some bucking suckers that don’t feel real well. If you stick it to them, you’re going to be some points.”
Casper suffered a pulled hamstring in July and tried to battle through it. The muscle finally gave way the first of August, and he spent the final two months of the regular season on injured reserve. He went more than 60 days without getting on any bucking horses, but in the weeks leading up to the NFR, he got on some broncs to dust the rust off and test out his leg.
“I got on nine horses, but I knew after the first two that it was good and we’re ready to roll,” said Casper, who won the intercollegiate national title in 2016 while competing for Clarendon (Texas) College. “I wish I’d have been able to come back a little sooner and maybe went to some rodeos and got on some more horses.
“It is what it is, and those are the cards we were dealt.”
While his financial return wasn’t what he had hoped for on Night 2, the dollars are vital. Most importantly, he has something on which to build through ProRodeo’s grand finale.
“Money’s money, and that’s a good thing,” Casper said. “Any time you can get another one down, get a little money and stay in that average race, you’re good.”

Franks rides Ankle Biter for 83.5 points

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By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo

LAS VEGAS – At a lot of rodeos Cole Franks went to this season, a $1,555 payday for an eight-second ride was pretty nice.

At the richest rodeo in the world, though, it’s just a nice way to stay in the game. That’s the way it went Friday for Franks, who rode Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter for 83.5 points. He finished in a three-way tie for sixth place in the second go-round and collected his second check of this year’s National Finals Rodeo.

“I’ve never been on that horse, but I’ve at least seen him a few times,” said Franks, 21, of Clarendon, Texas. I went back and watched videos of (Clayton) Biglow on him in ’19 here, and he was 91.5 on him. I was hoping for that trip.

“He usually stays closer (to the chutes) and circles around and will turn back around at about six or seven seconds. (The judges) have always seemed to like when he does that, and I was hoping for that, but that just didn’t happen.”

It worked out fine, though. He finished in a tie for fifth place in the opening round, so he’s pushed his NFR earnings to nearly $18,000. Now in just his second year qualifying for ProRodeo’s championship event, he’s gaining a strong understanding of what it takes to be successful.

“I feel like last year started off a lot better than I have this year,” he said. “When the time comes, I’ll be ready. There are eight horses left to go. I’m not too worried about it. I’m going to take it on tomorrow and try to win in the (eliminator) pen. If you can do it, that’s doing a lot.”

The third- and eighth-round of bareback horses are the hardest-to-ride broncs in the game. Each of the 15 men in the lineup will be tested. Through a random draw, Franks is matched with Powder River Rodeo’s Dirty Work, a horse that bucked off half the men who tried to ride it in 2022.

“Last year I was almost dreading the E pen a little bit,” Franks said. “It was my first time being here, my first E pen, so it was nerve wracking. I’m looking forward to it now. About halfway through the year this year, I was ready for more of the strong buckers just to test myself a little more, so I’m looking forward to the strong pen.”

It takes that type of mentality to handle the challenges the NFR offers.

Franks gets a bit Dirty at NFR

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Clarendon’s Cole Franks rides Dirty Jacket during Thursday’s first round of the 2022 National Finals Rodeo. PRCA ProRodeo Photo by Phil Doyle

By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo

LAS VEGAS – When Cole Franks was a youngster, he knew there was something about bucking horses that drove him.

His dad, Bret, rode them, competing in saddle bronc riding for years. Bret Franks is a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier who now coaches tomorrow’s stars at Clarendon (Texas) College. Naturally, his sons, including older Cole’s brother Clint, followed suit.

On opening night of the 2022 NFR, the youngest of the Franks boys was matched with one of the legendary horses in the sport, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Resistol’s Dirty Jacket, a top-three bareback horse for four straight years and a two-time Bareback Horse of the Year.

“I love that horse,” Cole Franks said after posting an 85.5-point ride Thursday night to finish in a tie for fifth place. “I’ve loved that horse ever since I was little. He was one of the first horses that I actually knew when I was little. I’d hear Dirty Jacket’s name come on the TV, and it’d pop my attention and I’d be watching.”

The first time the two matched up was during the 10th round of last year’s finale, and they also scored 85.5 points together.

“I was excited tog et on him last year,” he said. “I was a little more excited this time around. It was a different pen of horses, a different standout.”

And it worked out. For his finish, Franks added a little more than $6,000 and pushed his season earnings to $132,489. That’s key; not only does money help cover expenses and pay bills, but dollars equal championship points. The contestants in each event who earn the most money in a given season will be crowned world champions.

“That ride felt really good,” Franks said. “I felt like I got a little behind there at the end, but it was still good. He’s a dream to get on. We just want to keep building on it. Tomorrow I will be shooting for higher, better, more every time. You keep pushing to the top until you get there.”

He’s been close already. In his rookie season and his first trip to the NFR in 2021, he finished third in the world standings. He is 12th on the money list but has nine more nights to cash in. Each night offers a different challenge, and bareback riders will face the top 100 animals from this year’s season.

He will be matched with Rafter G Rodeo’s Ankle Biter on a night when the cowboys will face the semi-eliminator pen of bucking horses. The Round 2 horses will be a big test, but it’s also a stepping stone; the third round features the hardest-to-ride broncs in rodeo.

“I have yet to get on Ankle Biter, but I’m excited for that,” he said. “He’s awesome for that pen, too.”

Lillian Ruth Riddle

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Lillian Ruth Riddle, 97, of the McLean Care Center in McLean, died Thursday, December 1, 2022, in Pampa.

Memorial Services will be held at a later date.

Cremation & Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon, Texas.

Lillian was born September 5, 1925, in Brownwood to Thomas Harry Broad, Sr., and Lola Ruth Oden Broad.  She had lived in Spokane, Wash., in 1948, Olean, New York, in 1949, and moved to Tulsa, Okla., in 1950 where she met and married Bruce E. Riddle.  She had lived in Tulsa until 2017 when she moved to Howardwick to be closer to her son.    She had worked as a school teacher in Tulsa from 1952-1991 when she retired.  Lillian’s hobby included painting, which she did for many years.

She was preceded in death by her mother in 1963; her father in 1969; a son, Garth Peter Kent Riddle in 2001; and her brother, Thomas Harry Broad, Jr., in 1977.

Survivors include her son, Eric Riddle and wife D. Ann of Howardwick; her grandchildren, Erika Thomas and husband Jarod of Muskogee, Okla., and Kevin Sean Riddle of El Paso; and her great grandchildren, Madison Thomas of Weatherford, Okla., Brinley Thomas and Weston Thomas both of Muskogee, Okla.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be sent to the Donley County Senior Citizens in Clarendon.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com

Kenneth Ray Bryley

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Kenneth Ray Bryley, 63, of San Jose, Calif, formerly of Clarendon, died Thursday, November 17, 2022, in San Jose, Calif.

Kenneth Ray Bryley

Services will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 10, 2022, in the First Baptist Church in Memphis, Texas, with Elder Roy Williams, Pastor Jeff Riles, and Pastor Harry Williams, officiating.  His final resting place will be in Fairview Cemetery in Memphis.

Local Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Memphis.

Kenneth was born in Dequeen, Ark., to Ray and Pearlean (Deary) Bryley.  From Arkansas, they moved to Memphis, where he would later graduate high school.  He later met and married Faye Bryley and they had seven kids.  Kathy (Missouri) of San Antonio, April (Raymond) of Franklin, Rich (Tiffany) of Lufkin, and  Shequitta, Shekia, Glory, Lynzee (Will), all of Clarendon,.  He eventually became Deacon Bryley under Rev. Roy Williams and would later work for the City of Clarendon before moving to his final home in San Jose.  He took work with Tesla, where he was still employed at the time of his death.

He was a die-hard Memphis Cyclones and Dallas Cowboys fan.  He enjoyed fishing (so much so that he bought a boat so that he could finally get a catfish), spending time with his family, and barbecuing (he swore he made the best ribs anyone ever had), watching sports, and working and enjoying the results of his garden.  Kenneth had such an infectious smile and the most beautiful handwriting one ever saw.  He leaves a hole in our hearts, and will forever be missed.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Pearlene; and a brother Bill.

He leaves behind his beloved cat, Max, seven kids, 16 grandkids, four great grandkids, sisters Ann and Gloria; brothers, Bob and Charles; Aunt Mary; and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and friends.

Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com

Truck stolen in Clarendon found near Dallas

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A truck stolen from a Clarendon business over the weekend was recovered Tuesday morning, November 29.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said a Ford F-550 with an auto-crane was taken from Wallace Monument Co. probably on Saturday night.

“It was there Saturday afternoon and gone on Sunday,” Blackburn said.

No arrests were made, and no suspects have been identified. The culprit was likely a transient who took it for transportation, the sheriff said. The truck was found abandoned in Lewisville, Texas, near Dallas with the keys still in it.

Chamber’s first 2022 holiday cash drawing to be Dec. 2

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The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce wants to put money in the pockets of folks who shop in local stores this holiday season.

“Shop Small Big Christmas” is the promotion from the Chamber that will put a grand total of $550 in Chamber Christmas Cash in the hands of lucky winners who shop with local merchants.

Sign-ups are now underway for drawings that will be held for $100 on December 2, 9, and 16; and the big $250 giveaway will be held December 23.

Participating merchants include Amanda’s Country Soaps, Country Bloomer’s Flowers & Gifts, Every Nook & Cranny, Henson’s, J&W Lumber, Mike’s Pharmacy, Rambling Ranch Boutique, Saye’s Flying A Tack, Whistle-Stop, and Wicked Fast Attire

To enter, shoppers will fill out an entry at local participating merchants. The Chamber will gather them up each Friday morning, and hold the drawings live on the Chamber’s Facebook. Enter as many times as you shop locally, so shop often. Entries stay in the hopper each week, so those who enter will have multiple chances to win.

According to small business advocates, every $100 spent in locally-owned stores returns $68 to the local community through taxes, payrolls, and other expenditures. That same money spent in another town or online returns nothing to your local community.
Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong.

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