Josh Edwards isn’t one to settle for less than the best Retirement comes at the pinnacle of pickup man’s career Josh Edwards and his trusted horse “Wiggles” were recognized at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo as Edwards announced his retirement from working in the arena. | FWSSR photo by James Phifer.  I’m on a break from being at rodeos in 2024. I’m very grateful for the work that I’ve had at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in Denver and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. I did the math and was physically at 41 performances from Jan. 6 until Feb. 3. It seems fitting that t ..read more

By Susan Kanode It truly is the time of year when all roads lead to Vegas. We are counting down the days and soon hours to the first championship competition to complete rodeo’s 2023 season.  I am so grateful for the women in rodeo, from those that volunteer on the committees, to the secretaries, timers and behind the scenes personnel — there are a lot of women that make this sport tick. The barrel racers and breakaway ropers are some of my heroes and my view from behind the scenes wouldn’t be complete without them.  The Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) kicks off two ..read more

By Susan Kanode So there are lots of factors that make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo special in every event. That is especially true in the timed events. It takes fast times to win with the short score and small arena.  Contestants talk about the start all the time. At some rodeos, when they discuss it, they talk about how much of the steer or calf they want to see come out of the box before they cue their horse. It all changes in Las Vegas.  The Thomas & Mack Center prepares for the 2022 Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas. | Photo by Tom Donoghue Some of the greatest moments of ..read more

By Susan Kanode I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. I went to a performance as a ticketed fan the final year it was held in Oklahoma City. And I was there the second year it was held in Las Vegas.              That was in 1986. I’ve missed a few and haven’t actually kept track of all of them, but it’s safe to say that I’m closing in on 35 years of being at the event. Most of those I’ve been at all 10 performances. I could say I’m blessed to have witnessed rodeo’s greatness 350 t ..read more

Sometimes you work for it, sometimes you are born with it. Most of the time it’s a lot of both.  Zeke Thurston has a quiet confidence that has helped him win three gold buckles in the saddle bronc riding. It’s always there, surrounding him like dust from the arenas that he has played in since he was a child.  Zeke Thurston during Round 6 of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. | Photo by Steve Spatafore There have been plenty of those arenas. His father, Skeeter Thurston, is a six-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier in saddle bronc riding. His mother, Lynda Thurston, ha ..read more

            The people that have been around for my whole rodeo career have become life-long friends. ProRodeo Hall of Famer Gary Leffew is one of those.  Our first interactions came at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. He had a stuffed bull for people to get their pictures taken on.              Before the rodeo started, they had a party for media and sponsors. I convinced the National Western that having Gary’s stuffed bull there for photos would be a hit ..read more

Kelsie Domer is a fierce competitor.  Just ask any of her fellow breakaway ropers.              “Looking at the breakaway roping, I think Kelsie Domer has the best mental game of any of us,” said Lari Dee Guy. “You can tell that she really works at it.”              That’s high praise coming from the legendary cowgirl who has earned nine world titles in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) and qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Ro ..read more

If competing in rodeo events is really 90% mental, how does that work in team roping? What if partners aren’t both on the same page and one of them is struggling while the other one is at the top of the world.  This journey into the mental side of rodeo has taken me to some unexpected places. I was in Idaho at the Caldwell Night Rodeo. I saw my friend Patrick Smith and asked him who he thought had the best mental game in team roping. He thought for a minute and said, “I think Tyler Wade has as strong of a mental game as anyone. I saw him go through two weeks this summer that no one wants ..read more

By Susan Kanode              It’s no secret that bullfighters put their lives on the line every day protecting bull riders. Theirs is not a battle for scores, fast-times or first-place paychecks. It’s a battle of inches where rewards are contestant’s health and wellbeing.              A job well done sees a bull rider walking out of the arena, a stock contractor happy and a committee wanting you back another year. Since he joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assoc ..read more

By Susan Kanode              After more than 30 years of working with rodeo committees, writing press releases and feature stories, I’m starting to wonder when I might retire or what my “golden years” might look like.              I have a hard time saying no when I know the outcome is for the betterment of our sport, the Western lifestyle and the people that work so hard to put on events. I’m often asked what my favorite rodeo is, and I rely on Leon Coffee’s commen ..read more