2 • Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News Locals vying for a million bucks RAM National Circuit Finals set April 6

When the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo FR one of the richest in the United States. (RNCFR) gets underway here at the Silver Winning contestants will get substantial paychecks Arena on April 6, more than 200 rodeo athletes from which for the first time will count in the PRCA and 36 states, plus Canada, New Zealand, Australia and WPRA world standings. Champions in each event four states in Mexico, will gather to compete for and the all-around category will also get a $20,000 national championships as well as $1 million in prize certificate towards the purchase of a RAM vehicle, money and awards. a new Polaris RANGER UTV a champion buckle, The circuit system divides the United States into and new pair of boots. 12 geographical regions where Professional Rodeo Events showcased at the RNCFR include: bareback Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Women’s Profes- riding; ; (heading and sional Rodeo Association (WPRA) members com- heeling); saddle ; women’s pete for points in their designated area to advance and . The first four performances are be- to their circuit finals. The winners of the 12 circuit ing broadcast online on the Wrangler Network. The finals along with the year-end champions in each April 9 finals will air on CBS Sports Network on rodeo event are then invited to the RNCFR. This April 23. year, for the first time, the field also includes two Prairie Circuit (Nebraska, Kansas & Oklahoma) contestants in each event from the PRCA’s Mexican Provided Frank Morton Wright, Kansas Rodeo Tour. More than 200 athletes are trying their hand at $2 With over $1 million in cash and prizes, the RNC- million in prize money and awards in the RAM Final Please see Million, Rodeo. Page 4 Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News • 3 Dueling 1st place finishes for Dawgs

ehind first-place finishes from in 2.2 seconds, a time fast enough to Mikayla Harrison and Kenzie boost her to the top of the average Huffman, the SWOSU Wom- leaderboard. Shanna Simmons added en’s Rodeo Team finished in a fourth-place finish in barrel racing Bsecond place at the Garden City CC with times of 13.22 and 13.16 seconds Rodeo over the weekend. The Men’s on her runs. Team came away from the event with SWOSU’s Men’s Team was led by an eighth-place team finish. Alex Phelps, who gave a strong per- Harrison was consistent as she formance in Steer Wrestling. Phelps dominated , winning each was 5.7 seconds in the long round, round and the average to score a large good for fourth place before winning chunk of the Bulldogs’ team points. the short go in 4.4 seconds to move up Harrison was 6.3 seconds in the long and take second place in the average. round and 6.5 seconds in the short Will Gaillard claimed fifth place in the round, which was enough to win the average of Steer Wrestling and split average by half of a second. Huffman fifth and sixth in the long round of was strong in Breakaway, where she Saddle Bronc for the remainder of the Provided had a time of 2.7 seconds in the long Mikayla Harrison finishes first for the SWOSU Women’s Rodeo Team. round before winning the short round Please see 1st, Page 4 4 • Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News Million •Continued from Page Two Justin Polmiller Weatherford, Okla. Nate Perry Elk City, Okla. bull riding wrestling ing bareback riding Shade Etbauer Goodwell, Okla. Buddy Hawkins II Columbus, Kansas Cody Quaney Cheney, Kansas tie- Emily Miller Weatherford, Okla. saddle bronc riding team roping down roping barrel racing Roper Kiesner Ripley, Okla. saddle Coleman Proctor Pryor, Okla. team Bryson Sechrist Apache, Okla. tie- Tracy Nowlin Nowata, Okla. barrel bronc riding roping down roping racing Riley Duvall Checotah, Okla. steer Billie Jack Saebens Nowata, Okla. Trevor Kastner Sulphur, Okla. bull wrestling team roping riding J.D. Struxness Appleton, Minn. steer Jesse Stipes Salina, Okla. team rop- 1st •Continued from Page Three

Bulldogs team points. SWOSU now gets to return home and perform in front of lo- cal crowd as the Bulldogs host the 45th Annual SWOSU Rodeo this Thursday-Saturday (April 6-8) at the BOP Ram Rodeo Grounds in Weatherford.

Kenzie Huffman Will Gaillard Alex Phelps Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News • 5 Be prepared for 45th annual SWOSU Rodeo

The 45th Annual Southwestern Oklahoma State will be held with contestants from the college teams University Rodeo – featuring many of the best col- competing to raise money to benefit the American lege rodeo teams in the Midwest – begins Thursday Cancer Association and Cowboys for Cancer. evening (April 6) at the B.O.P Ram Rodeo Grounds In collaboration with the City of Weatherford, the at Don Mitchell Arena in Weatherford. SWOSU rodeo draws nearly 500 cowboys and cow- The rodeo is a three-day event, sanctioned by the girls competing for a wide range of prizes includ- National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and it has ing money, buckles, spurs and a berth in the 2017 been named the Central Plains Region Rodeo of the College . Competition will be Year each of the past two years by a vote of contes- waged in nine different events that include team rop- tants and coaches. A total of three performances are ing, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, breakaway scheduled: Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening at roping, goat tying, barrel racing, bareback riding 7 pm with the top 10 finishers in each event return- and bull riding. ing for the championship go-round on Saturday Both of SWOSU’s Rodeo teams are currently night. ranked among the top four teams in the ultra-com- A special “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” perfor- petitive Central Plains Region with three rodeos re- mance is scheduled for Friday evening. Spectators maining in the season. Head Coach Mike Visnieski’s are encouraged to join the performers in wearing squad will compete against 15 regional institutions, Tickets to the SWOSU Rodeo will cost $5 for pink in support for cancer awareness. During Thurs- with the Bulldogs considered to be one of the favor- adults per performance with SWOSU students being day and Friday night’s performances, five hide races ites at their event. admitted FREE with their school ID. 6 • Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News SWOSU’s recent rodeo results

Women’s Team Goat Tying 1. Northwestern Okla., 420 Mikayla Harrison 6.3 sec, 2. SWOSU, 300 1st 6.5 sec, 1st 1st 3. Panhandle State, 210 4. Southeastern Okla., 135 Barrel Racing 5. Kansas State, 70 Shanna Simmons 13.22 sec, 5th 13.16 sec, 3/4 4th Men’s Team 1. Panhandle State, 430 Saddle Bronc 2. Garden City CC, 365 Will Gaillard 61 pts, 5/6 0 3. Pratt CC, 340 4. NEO, 320 5. Western Okla., 290 Steer Wrestling 8. SWOSU, 195 Alex Phelps 5.7 sec, 4th Breakaway Long Round 4.4 sec, 1st 2nd Short Round Average Will Gaillard 7.8 sec, 7/8 Kenzie Huffman 2.7 sec, 7.1 sec, 5th 5th Brett and Cody Custer prep for the 45th annual SWOSU 7/8/9 2.2 sec, 1st 1st Rodeo in Weatherford.

8 • Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News Foundation to award high school scholarship The Reining Horse Foundation and Rodeo Association (NHSRA) began the National Reined Cow Horse As- offering reined cow horse as an event. sociation (NRCHA) are partnering It joined a lineup of bareback rid- to offer a $2,500 college scholarship ing, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, benefiting the competitor marking tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team the highest reining score in reined roping, and for boys; and cow horse at the 2017 National High , barrel racing, pole School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR), July bending, goat tying, cutting, team 17-23 in Gillette, Wyo. roping and the queen contest for girls. The collaboration led to the inaugu- NHSRA, NRCHA and NRHA ac- ral award presented in 2016 to Jayde knowledge that reined cow horse can Atkins of Broken Bow, Neb., riding elevate the riding ability of NHSRA the 2003 gelding Sonitas Last Dual members who choose to learn and (Dualin Jewels x Sonitas Ann x Soni- take part in the event. tas Last). Atkins bested a field of 112 NRHA and the Reining Horse Foun- reined cow horse contestants to win dation anticipate the scholarship may the national championship. entice more students to be introduced She also received the prestigious to reining through the reined cow Morrison bronze courtesy of the horse event. As part of the reined Provided National Reining Horse Association cow horse competition, contestants The Reining Horse Foundation and the National Reined Cow Horse (NRHA). complete a reining pattern, commonly Association are partnering to offer a $2,500 college scholarship at In late 2014, the National High School referred to as dry work. the NHSFR in July in Wyoming. Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News • 9 Foundation stepping up to help fire victims

In Oklahoma, more than 310 thou- tions, receipts for veterinary care, sand acres burned causing a wide receipts/estimates for fence repair, variety of losses to livestock, pas- receipts for special feed purchase, etc. tures, hay, fences and facilities. The The application can be accessed at Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation, www.okcattlemen.org. a 501(c)3, immediately set-up a fire “All cattle producers are eligible, relief fund in an effort to aid cattlemen and encouraged, to apply,” Jaronek in the relief process. said. “We’ve received donations literally Applications are due May 1, 2017 from all over the country and 100% of and will be reviewed by a committee donations will be paid out directly to to distribute the funds in an equitable affected ranchers,” said Jeff Jaronek, manner. Coordinator of the Oklahoma Cattle- According to Jaronek, “Assistance men’s Foundation. “Donations are checks will be issued within 90 days of still coming in, but it’s time to start the fire.” the distribution process.” To donate visit www.okcattlemen. The distribution process starts with org or send a check with Fire Relief a simple application. Documentation in the memo to Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Provided should be attached to completed ap- Foundation, P.O. Box 82395, Okla- The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation is readying to distribute plications, such as; USDA-FSA Form homa City, OK 73148. funds donated to aid cattlemen in fire relief efforts. 578, USDA-FSA program applica- 10 • Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News Rodeo ties off week in SWOSU sports The SWOSU Rodeo is golf team who will be Monday: the third and final round Northwestern in confer- finally here and will kick competing in Pensacola, Men’s Golf plays on of the Argonaut Invita- ence play, beginning at Friday: off Thursday evening at Florida at the Argonaut Tiger Point Golf Course tional 3 pm Baseball travels to in- the B.O.P. Ram Rodeo Invitational and both in Pensacola, Fla with Baseball hosts Science state foe Oklahoma Bap- Grounds inside Don baseball and softball. rounds one and two of & Arts (USAO) in a Thursday: tist in Shawnee for game Mitchell Arena here Track & Field also com- the tournament midweek non-conference Rodeo competes in one of the three-game in Weatherford and go petes in their fourth meet contest with a 3 pm first the friendly confines GAC series starting at 6 through Saturday. Other of the season at the West Tuesday: pitch of Weatherford for day pm under the lights sports on the sched- Texas A&M Invitational. Men’s Golf concludes Softball plays a single one of the 45th annual Softball plays at 2 and ule include the men’s their trip in Florida with DH in Alva against rival SWOSU Rodeo 4 pm out at the Athletic Complex against OBU Rodeo continues with day two of perfor- mances

Saturday: Baseball begins their DH with the Bison at 1 pm with the third and final game to fol- low after completion of the second Softball wraps up the series with Oklahoma Baptist with another DH at 1 and 3 pm Track & Field in in Canyon, Texas at the West Texas A&M Invitational for their fourth meet of the season Rodeo finishes their home event with the final evening of per- formances Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News • 11

Provided Winning the inaugural Reining Horse Foundation scholarship presented at the 2016 National High School Finals Rodeo was Jayde Atkins. In 2017, a $2,500 scholarship will be awarded again to the contestant marking the highest score in reining during the reined cow horse event at the NHSFR. Japanese students learning about rodeo team

Provided Recently the SWOSU Rodeo Team had the opportunity to work with some Japanese students. They had a few hands on stations and conducted some roping and riding demonstrations. Elk City native named Bulldog of the Week Mikayla Harrison, average to score 180 and winning the aver- of Elk City, helped points for her team. In age by one-half of a the SWOSU Women’s the long round, Har- second. Rodeo team to a sec- rison had a time of 6.3 Harrison and the ond-place team finish seconds – the fastest SWOSU Rodeo Team at the Garden City of the weekend – to will be at home this CC Rodeo over the win the round by four weekend as the Bull- weekend up in Kan- tenths of a second. She dogs host the 45th sas. She had a stellar followed that up with a Annual SWOSU weekend competing in time of 6.5 seconds in Rodeo on Thursday- Goat Tying, where she the short go, finishing Saturday at the BOP finished first place in first in the round by Ram Rodeo Grounds both rounds and the one tenth of a second in Weatherford. 12 • Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Weatherford Daily News