The interview of a lifetime

Someday in the next few days, this story will run in the Guymon Daily Herald, gdherald.com. I hope you enjoy. And for those questioning, not everything on here is rodeo-related.

But when you get a chance to conduct such an interview, you have to make that information public for all to see, not just those in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

Merry Christmas, y'all.

By TED HARBIN
Daily Herald Staff Writer

For those who think Santa Claus just makes one trip around the world, the jolly old elf wants everyone to know that is not the case.

"This is a job that keeps me going all year-round" Santa said this week. "First off, the logistics of the Christmas Eve delivery system are a nightmare, but we've got a pretty good system going. Still, many people aren't always at their homes on Christmas Eve, so you've got to come up with another game plan."

It's those travelers that create a dilemma for St. Nick. Billions of people served each year means he must develop contingency plans for each household. What about those special children that might be at their grandparents' homes for the holiday?

"That's sometimes tricky, I'll tell you what," Santa said. "I try to adjust things per child and what that child might want.

"Let's say little Bobby is leaving a couple of days before Christmas to spend the holiday at his grandma's house. We might load up the sleigh with just a few of his presents and drop them off at his home before his family leaves for grandma's, then we'll make sure to stop by his grandma's house on Christmas Eve so that he has something from me then."

Still other children want all their gifts from Santa on Christmas. That's OK. His routine and time frame allows for adjustments to be there for the little ones as they need him.

"OK, let's be honest here," the elf said, his pipe clenched firmly between his teeth as he talked. "There are times I need to be in two places at the same time. I have learned how to make that work."

The other issue, he said, is that many families share very different traditions. For instance, the Joneses might need Santa to show up before the children go to bed on Christmas Eve, while the Smiths need Santa to deliver his goods sometime after the kids are down for the night.

"We have circumstances like that all over the world, and Guymon is no exception," Santa said. "We'll make at least two trips to Guymon this weekend, and there's a better than likely chance it could be more than that."

It takes a team to make each Christmas run smoothly for Santa, and Mrs. Claus is no exception. In fact, she takes on greater duties in the days leading up to the holiday.

"I'm the primary cook and coordinator of all our little helpers, so I've got my hands plenty full," Mrs. Claus said as she held her husband's hand. "And this guy, he eats like a bear. I'd bet he can eat in one day more than seven or eight elves combined.

"But just like a bear that hibernates in the winter, Santa Claus gets plenty of fuel in the months leading up to Christmas to help him stay fueled up, because he'll go three or four days with only cookies and milk to get him by."

And lest those who write to Santa think he doesn't celebrate the holiday named after Jesus Christ, he's here to tell you differently.

"These aren't magical powers I have where I can tell if children are good or bad or whether they're sleeping or awake," Santa said. "These are God-given talents, and I'm thankful He gave them to me.

"The gifts I provide each year are in the name of Jesus Christ, who was born on this day, the only son of God. It is only because of Him that I am given the opportunity to do this. I thank God for the people of earth, and I celebrate Jesus' birth."

Good ol' Shaner

The following story was published in The Oklahoman in August 2003. At that time, Shane Drury had been deemed healthy by his doctors after battling cancer. He was back to riding bulls.

Since then, Shane has learned he is losing his fight against cancer, but he continues to battle. He will begin his next level of treatments two days after Christmas. May God bless him, his family and all his friends.

By Ted Harbin
The Oklahoman
Aug. 6, 2003
Life threw bull rider Shane Drury some tough breaks the last two years. A rare type of cancer formed near his chest, threatening not only his career but his life.

Sickening treatments and surgery left Drury questioning his fate. Through it all, he still had Hope.

"I couldn't have done it without her," Drury said of, Hope, the woman he married in December 2001, four months before he was diagnosed. "She's with me every minute of the day, through all the ups and downs.

"And there have been a lot of downs."

Drury's comeback continues this week when he competes in the Rangers Rodeo, a key stop on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit, east of Lawton at the LO Ranch.

To get to this point, Drury used all the science available to ride through the turmoil, from chemotherapy treatments to surgery to more chemo. He was already sick, and he became more ill in the process of defeating the tumor.

All along, Hope was there offering all she had. They met as students at Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, and she was with him when he was one of the best bull riders in the PRCA.

He qualified for the 2000 National Finals Rodeo and barely missed in 2001, all while riding through some intense pain on the left side of his back. After numerous doctors visits, the Drurys learned what was causing all that pain.

Cancerous tumors were found in the back of Drury's chest cavity and diagnosed as Ewing's sarcoma, which usually develops in or near the bone and is often in children between the ages of 10 and 20.

"I know it was tough for him," said his oldest brother, Jesse. "Of course, he has wonderful Hope. She's a phenomenal person and has been a blessing for him. For all of us, really. I'm not sure how we'd have done this without her."

A big heart
Shane Drury is not a big man. He's 5-foot-2, and bulked up he tops the scales at 130 pounds.

Those closest to him knew he'd beat cancer, and they knew he'd return to the rodeo arena. Most just didn't know when.

He answered that question July 17, when he attempted to ride his first bull at a PRCA rodeo in Pretty Prairie, Kan. Drury was bucked off before making an eight-second qualified ride that night and the next, but that didn't last long.

"I don't think anybody, including myself, thought he'd be riding this summer," said Corey Navarre of Weatherford, one of Shane's best friends and a former traveling partner. "He just got off chemo, and he went from laying on the couch every day being sick, having no muscle and not being in shape back to riding bulls within just a few weeks."

On July 19, Drury was the only cowboy to hang on for eight seconds at the Woodward Elks Rodeo. He finished the four-day event tied for sixth place and won $850.

"Shane's one of those people who never gives up," said Case Drake of Sayre, another friend. "I saw him get knocked out five or six times our rookie year, but he never gave up. I just admire that about him."

As soon as he could, Drury began running and lifting weights. His last chemo treatment was in April, and by the end of June, he was running up to three miles a day.

"He's good at whatever he wants to be good at; he's got that kind of attitude," Jesse Drury said. "If I could describe him with one word, it would be try. With life in general, he's got more try and faith — faith not only in himself, but in God, too. But that's what it takes."

There's been no easing back into rodeo. Shane rode last week in Dodge City, Kan.; Kearney, Neb.; Hill City, Kan.; Phillipsburg, Kan.; and Abilene, Kan. He just missed making the short go-round in Dodge City.

This week, Drury was in Iola, Kan., on Tuesday and is in Sikeston, Mo., tonight. Thursday he competes in the first round at Lawton, then will head to Dalhart, Texas, on Friday. He hopes to return to Lawton on Saturday for the short round.

The top 12 contestants in each event after preliminary rounds qualify for Saturday's short round. The top 12 in points at the end of the 10-rodeo tour qualifies for the tour finale in Omaha, Neb., which has a $500,000 purse.

A family affair
The Drury boys were raised around rodeo. Chad and Shane rode calves, then steers, then bulls. Jesse roped. All three attended college on rodeo scholarships, Chad and Shane at South Dakota State-Brookings and Southwestern Oklahoma State and Jesse at National American University in Rapid City, S.D., their hometown.

Each qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo — Jesse in calf roping and team roping, and Chad and Shane in bull riding. Chad finished third in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association in 2000, the year Shane qualified for his first NFR.

All three are members of the PRCA — or at least were. Jesse hasn't roped in competition since the best year of his brothers' careers. In September 2000, Jesse Drury fought for his own life after falling asleep at the wheel and rolling his pickup.

"I was in a coma for five days," Jesse said. "I crushed my leg, and below the knee it was pretty much shattered. I'm able to walk, but they tell me I'm lucky to be able to walk."

The wreck happened in the early-morning hours of Sept. 15, as Shane was preparing to compete in the short go-round in Pendleton, Ore. When Shane learned of the crash, he tried to get back to Rapid City to be with his brother. But the earliest flight out was that evening, so Shane finished the rodeo.

Shane finished second. The final round was televised, and Hope noticed something on the screen about her husband.
"The telecast of that rodeo aired on ESPN, and on it you can see after Shane got off his bull, he had tears streaming down the dirt on his face," Hope wrote in an e-mail. "His mind was not on the arena that day, but obviously some angels were taking care of he and Jesse both."

When Shane became ill, the roles were reversed. Jesse made regular trips from Rapid City to North Platte, Neb., where Shane was undergoing treatments.

"In the back of your mind, you expect the worst," Chad said. "But as determined as Shane is, I never had any doubt that he could beat cancer."

Said Jesse, "He's my little hero. After my accident, he was there for me. When we found out he had cancer, I was just in disbelief. I've had a lot of emotions. Mostly it's a fear of the unknown. I would've rather had it than have him go through it."

Supporting cast
The Drury clan is an extension of the rodeo family. Friends conducted a bull-riding event for Shane's benefit last October in Weatherford, raising more than $30,000 to help the Drurys' medical expense. A portion of the money raised went to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, which also helped with finances.

"You don't realize how good things are until something like this happens," Shane said. "You don't realize how supportive the rodeo community is until something like this."

Phone calls, letters and e-mails have flooded Shane and Hope's Nebraska home.
"It's all him fighting," Navarre said. "All I could do, or anybody could do, was call him and check on him and constantly keep him in prayer."

Lonnie Carpenter of Wichita, a Prairie Circuit bull-riding champion, did a little more. He and Drury developed a special relationship when they were traveling together.

"I'm not the easiest person to get along with, and we started getting along good," Carpenter said. "We've been best friends ever since, mainly because he's real positive and really up. That's what I like."

Carpenter wrote, called and visited when he could.

"When Shane was losing his hair, I went ahead and shaved my hair off," Carpenter said. "I wanted him to know that he's not alone, and I didn't know how else to express it.

"I kept that head as bald as a baby's butt for a long time."

And through it all — the pain, the chemo, the surgery, the family, the love, the return to competition — he's had his friends, his family and Hope. That continues.

"I've learned that the little things are little things," Shane said. "There are so many things you take for granted.

"I became a lot closer with God. That's helped me more than anything."

May I explain?

The Guymon Daily Herald's young sports person -- I shall not call him an editor until there is proof he understands that task -- has posed numerous questions about the rodeo season in recent days, and I've tried to explain it to him. Still he has no clue.

Of course, I've also tried to explain using correct pronoun tense, basics of grammar and how to spell names correctly, and none of it has sunk in. But, alas, I've just finished my second full week at the Herald, and Rome didn't have its shitholes torn down and rebuilt into useable buildings in a day.

So for those who don't know, the rodeo season is cyclical, meaning one season encompasses another. For example, the 2005 regular season in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association ended the second week of November, and the National Finals Rodeo began the first week of December.

In the weeks between, hundreds of contestants competed in rodeos that count toward the 2006 season. Heck, even a few of the NFR qualifiers routinely use those events as tune-ups for ProRodeo’s championship. Not many, but a few.

So even before the 2005 world champions were crowned, there already was a 2006 leaderboard. So what if Billy Etbauer won $120,000-plus in Las Vegas, he’s already trailing someone somewhere for the lead in saddle bronc riding for the ’06 season.

Now the PRCA is just putting the finishing touches to all the events that have taken place – from Jake Barnes’ severed thumb to Matt Austin breaking a single-season earnings record to Ryan Jarrett unseating three-time defending all-around champion Trevor Brazile. The ProRodeo Sports News’ extremely small staff just put to bed the year-end edition, which will be distributed in the coming weeks.

So just because the newest results aren’t yet in and available, that doesn’t mean things aren’t already happening. The first big events of 2006 are within weeks of beginning, including Bullnanza: A Tribute to Freckles Brown and Lane Frost, which takes place Jan. 13-14 at the Lazy E Arena southeast of Guthrie, Okla.

It will feature the top bull riders in the PRCA. Also that weekend is the first of 12 ProRodeo winter tour events in Odessa, Texas. The National Western, traditionally the kickoff for the new season, begins Jan. 22 in Denver.

So if you want see some terrific athletes – both human and animal – check out a rodeo near you. It’ll be well worth the time and money you invest.

And you can tell your friends what I hope the Herald's young sports person will someday learn, the rodeo season is year-round.

Better news

The Harbin clan has a new cowboy in the corral. Great-nephew Colton Allen Harbin became the next hombre to help pass along the family's gene pool -- since I haven't done my part, anyway -- when he arrived in the afternoon of Dec. 13, 2005, weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces. He is 22 inches long. As nephew Brady said, "He came out fully grown."

God definitely has a way to keep you on an even keel.

A sad tale

It's a very sad night for me and many friends of Shane Drury, a bull rider who is losing his fight against cancer.

http://www.realezsites.com/pers/shanedrury/about.php

I was fortunate enough to tell his story a few years ago, back when it was the heroic fight to return from cancer to again ride rank bucking bulls. If I can locate it, I'll post it.

But I ask this of you, my friends: Could you please say a special prayer for my friend, Shane, and his family? He's 26 years old and has been battling cancer on and off for almost five years now. As he prepares for his next journey, he, his friends and family could use all the prayers they can get.

Record-breaking performance

The following is a story that was written for publication in the Guymon Daily Herald, but, alas, the sports editor that is just months out of college decided to cut the story where it ended on the page instead of editing the story down to size. He's young and inexperienced, but this is basic editing 101 that the boy should've learned in college. I guess they don't teach that at the University of Kansas.

So in order to get the rest of the information out there, I'll file it here, too. I hope you enjoy.


Billy Etbauer broke a National Finals Rodeo earnings record, but Jeffrey Willert broke the bank.

Etbauer earned $120,775 after 10 days at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to better the mark of $117,745 he set at last year’s championship. Then the 23-year-old Willert one-upped the veteran Etbauer by breaking the season earnings mark en route to the world championship.

For his part, Willert also surpassed the NFR record set last December, pocketing $118,630. That, combined with his regular-season best $159,539, allowed the Belvidere, S.D., cowboy to finish 2005 with $278,169.

“I don’t think it has really sunk in yet,” said Willert, who surpassed the $236,031 Canadian Glen O’Neill set in 2002. “It is hard to beat Billy (Etbauer) and Cody (DeMoss) and them guys. I am sure that my dad, grandparents and the whole town of Belvidere is excited, but it really hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Etbauer spent time in the Oklahoma Panhandle during his 18-year ProRodeo career, traveling with brothers Danny and Robert and friend Craig Latham, who all still live in Goodwell. Willert attended Panhandle State from 2000-03, where he was a stellar athlete.

“He could’ve easily won the college championship, but he went to the (ProRodeo) tour finale instead of the college finals that one year,” said Latham, Panhandle State’s rodeo coach. “He just blossomed early, and there’s no doubt in my mind he could’ve won the college title. But he was looking to make the NFR that first year, and he eventually did.”

Like the Etbauer brothers, Tom Reeves and countless other bronc riders, Willert made his way from South Dakota to this region to ride bucking horses.

“My freshman year in high school, my cousin and I went down there to the bronc riding school,” Willert said last week from Las Vegas, referring to the Deke Latham Memorial Bronc Riding school that takes place each spring in Goodwell. “That was when I decided I wanted to go there.

“That’s what every young kid needs is getting on practice horses like we got on. I didn’t go there for school. I went there to learn to ride broncs and rodeo.”

He’s still a young kid, especially compared to Etbauer, the 42-year-old five-time world champion who finished this season No. 3 in the final standings. Only Louisianan Cody DeMoss stood between him and Willert.

“I just finally figured out I couldn’t keep up with that Billy,” said Latham, who has stepped away from competitive bronc riding to focus on his coaching duties. “It’s no wonder I had a hard time beating him. To still be going that good at his age … he’s amazing. He’s somebody you pattern yourself after.

“In my opinion, there’s not a more aggressive guy in bronc riding ever.”

Willert agreed.

“Billy is the main guy, just because he’s still going,” Willert said. “He’s still riding better than anybody else.”
Bret Franks, a three-time NFR qualifier from Goodwell who served as rodeo coach at Panhandle State for some time, recognizes the similarities between Willert and Etbauer, world titles not withstanding. Both work hard, and both are extremely talented.

“When he started at school, Jeff had the talent to ride broncs quick,” Franks said. “He rode good right from the start.
“I think ol’ Bill’s the best bronc rider that ever lived, and I want him to have more titles than anybody else.”

Etbauer’s five gold buckles trail just two other cowboys, Casey Tibbs and Dan Mortensen, who both have six bronc-riding world titles. Mortensen, 37, is still competing. Willert has played on ProRodeo’s grand stage three years, so there’s a good chance he could reach those lofty heights.

And he’s got good reason to stay out on the rodeo circuit chasing those dreams.

“This is what I love and what I want to do,” Willert said. “I want to ranch for a hobby and rodeo for a living. And my family’s behind me. My dad would rather see me out rodeoing instead of being back home haying or calving cows.”

Ah, employment

OK, so it's been four months since I was gainfully employed. Just had to leave the last job. It was killing my health and my sanity.

My passion has been rodeo, and I enjoy it thoroughly as I hope you can tell from the posts on this blog. Great people. Better stories.

But living in No Man's Land, I've found a place to play for pay at the Guymon newspaper. My first assignment, which I gave myself, was a quick hit from the National Finals Rodeo. I'll have NFR stories the rest of the week. That'll work for me.

It's not the dream job I've hoped to find, but it's going to pay the bills -- until I win that damn Powerball lottery.

Back to rodeo, though. My buddy, Cord McCoy, spent three days on the shelf after separating his shoulder Sunday night. He probably shouldn't ride again for a month or so, but the NFR offers a paycheck unlike any other in ProRodeo. He returned Thursday night and scored an 83-point ride.

I sent him a text message: "You are a cowboy!" Tough, I say, to strap your body to another bull when your shoulder is so severely damaged. His response? "OUCH."

Whether he'll continue to compete has yet to be seen. I'll attach an update as soon as I know.

He's not the only cowboy in the field who's trying to compete with an injury. Calf ropers Cody Ohl and Mike Johnson have torn groins, bull rider Jason McClain suffered a concussion in Round 3, bareback riders ... well, they just hurt all the time at this point of the 10-day affair that wraps Sunday.

Let's put it this way: If ANY of these injuries would've happened to professional basketball, football or baseball players, they'd be on the injured list still picking up their hundreds of thousands while laid up on the sidelines. Cowboys only make money when they win, and they can't win if they don't compete.

Tune in to ESPN and ESPN2 this weekend to see these tough suckers compete.

Let's talk about sex

In ProRodeo, two sanctioning bodies control things in and out of the arena. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association controls the men's events, and the Women's Professional Rodeo Association controls barrel racing.

Seems odd to those not in the know, and it's kind of odd for those in.

Either way, each organization has its own way of doing business, and they don't always see eye to eye. But barrel racers compete at virtually every ProRodeo and are members of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. There have been conflicts between the two groups in recent months, but it looks as though a plan has been set to keep the girls with the men for years to come.

Now let's get down to the dirty of the National Finals Rodeo, which will have its seventh of 10 go-rounds tonight (Thursday) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. A young lady I've gotten to know through a few interviews has had a tremendous NFR, winning three of six go-rounds and earning nearly $60,000.

Shali Lord placed in the opening round, then won the next three before somewhat stumbling in Rounds 5 and 6. She and her trusty mount, Slider, have rounded the cloverleaf barrel pattern better than most anyone, even on the nights she finished out of the top 10. You see, in barrel racing, cowgirls are blanketed with five-second penalties when they knock over one of the three barrels in the pattern.

Lord has banged a barrel each of the last two nights. Had she not done so, she would've won both those rounds -- her time minus the penalty would've been faster than all the rest.

Shali was born in Guymon, Okla., and spent her early childhood 20 miles away near the town of Texhoma on the Oklahoma-Texas border in the Panhandle -- that's where her parents, Jim and Leslie Nichols, were raised, too. Jim, by the way, is a higher-up in charge of special events for the men's rodeo association, the PRCA. But he's a supporter of rodeo. And why not, his little girl and her stead are having the runs of their lives in Las Vegas.

A little insider's take on the two runs with penalty: Barrel horses are not only tremendously fast, they're also pretty darn smart. By the fifth go-round, ol' Slider'd been on that pattern quite a few times considering practice and the earlier rounds. He was already anticipating those turns around the barrels. That's just one of the things that comes with racing these equine athletes around sharp corners.

But check out tonight's seventh go-round, because I reckon Shali will complete a clean run and win a round for the fourth time this week.

And Slider will virtually smile as he sprints out of the arena.

OUCH! That hurts

Jake Barnes knows the feeling of being a world champion. He's earned seven gold buckles in his distinguished rodeo career.

He won't win an eighth this year, even though he and team-roping partner Kory Koontz were having a fabulous National Finals Rodeo.

No, Jake Barnes is leaving Las Vegas without a world title this year. And he might be leaving without a thumb. The 46-year-old roper had his thumb severed during Tuesday night's fifth go-round at the NFR. He was transported to the hospital with hopes of having the digit reattached.

This is nothing new in the world of team roping. Cowboys roping either the head or the heals will, after securing the loop, dally the tail of the rope around the saddle horn. When two loops are securing a steer in team roping in a matter of four seconds, things happen quickly. Barnes' thumb disappeared just as quickly.

Of all the rodeo events, team roping seems to be the most popular activity. Anybody wanting to learn can team rope, and there are events nationwide that allow for a handicapping competition -- top ropers compete against top ropers, while beginners rope against beginners.

Heck, it's the one rodeo activity I can see myself trying, because you are still allowed to be athletic -- roping well is like being a good 3-point shooter in basketball, except you're on a galloping (or sprinting) horse chasing a steer. And you don't have to dismount to complete a run. My knees just couldn't take what steer wrestlers and calf ropers do.

But I type for a living, and I don't rightly believe I could do so without each of my 10 digits.

Now Jake Barnes will have to relearn many of his own skills with limited use of his thumb or without it altogether. And while this happens regularly among team ropers, it seems strange that a 25-year ProRodeo veteran and seven-time world champ had it happen as he competed for the championship.

Koontz will continue competing this week, roping with three-time all-around champ Trevor Brazile. While Brazile can still win go-round money, none of the cash he earns over the final five rounds will count toward a world title, and he could use it. He leads the all-around race again this season, but NFR newcomer Ryan Jarrett is about $12,000 behind and closing fast.

Brazile qualified in calf roping, so only money he wins in that event will count toward the standings. Jarrett, though, is competing in calf roping and steer wrestling, giving the Georgia cowboy twice the opportunity to win money.

But none of that matters when one of the best ropers in the game is laid up in the hospital hoping to get the feeling back in his thumb.

Oklahoma proud at the NFR

The National Finals Rodeo continues on, the fifth round begins at 9 tonight (Tuesday) central time. It's been quite interesting.

But, alas, I saw just the first round in person. Sure I would've liked to have been in the Thomas & Mack Center for every round, but that just wasn't feasible. Being there for the first round was, quite honestly, awesome. The two previous trips to the NFR, I was in the house for the final five rounds, which is pretty awsome in its own right, since championships are decided then.

But the opening night was tremendous. It was a downright Okie celebration that had even a transplanted Okie like me gettin' all emotional. ProRodeo Hall of Fame announcer/former legislator/current lobbyist/wonderful man Clem McSpadden helped open the show as the NFR celebrated its 20-year run in Oklahoma City, where Clem served as the NFR general manager.

He gave the Cowboy Prayer he wrote, performed his touching tribute to the flag and even nearly broke up as he introduced an act he hired to sing the Star Spangled Banner in 1974. Then Reba McEntire belted out the national anthem that sent chills to all 17,000-plus in the arena. I was so thankful to be there.

As the rodeo began, the love of my life noticed that in the suite directly behind our seat was that famous Oklahoma redhead -- no, not Cord McCoy, but Reba herself. I cowboyed up and tipped my hat, telling the starlet that I know her beautiful sister, Susie, and the Luchsinger family rather well. My sweety later returned to retrieve Reba's autograph, which is now on one of our NFR tickets.

That night also marked a first for me at the NFR, as the three of the four representatives from No Man's Land ventured to the Gold Coast Casino for the nightly buckle presentation. I'd heard about the event, but since my previous trips included trying to make a deadline back in OKC, I never even attempted to make it to the Gold Coast.

That night, we celebrated with friend Garrett Nokes, who went to Panhandle State University with my honey, after he won steer wrestling. We had premium seats thanks to Montana Silversmiths, who presented the nightly buckles to the go-round winners. But truth be told, we spent some serious jack at the Thomas & Mack. Good tickets run $56 a pop. Throw in a few brews and some dinner -- we left for the rodeo at 4:30 p.m., so we ate at the arena -- and the money goes quickly.

So Saturday night, we made it to the Gold Coast even before the rodeo began. We took in the rodeo via closed-circuit broadcast, sitting in those same Montana Silversmiths seats. It was just fine, but it doesn't compare to being in the arena anf feeling the atmosphere.

We made it to Las Vegas' McCarron Airport in time to catch the live broadcast of Sunday's third round, but, alas, there just weren't enough cowboys among the throngs of folks flying out of Sin City that day to warrant changing channels. Then our flight was delayed an hour and a half, so we didn't land in Amarillo until after 1 a.m. central time.

Still, it was quite worth it. I can't wait until next year's event.

A champion's tale

LAS VEGAS – Billy Etbauer is from Edmond, Okla., by way of South Dakota. He and brothers Robert and Dan have made Oklahoma their homes for the last couple of decades – the other two near the Oklahoma Panhandle burg of Goodwell.

Robert led the way to No Man’s Land, where he attended Panhandle State University on a rodeo scholarship. The others followed suit so they could rodeo with their big brother. Together, the three teamed up with Craig Latham to make what might be a holy quartet of saddle bronc riders. They all obtained sponsorship from Express Ranches near Yukon, Okla., so their matching blue shirts have made them quite recognizable to rodeo folks near and far.

All told, the quartet has dozens of National Finals Rodeo qualifications and seven world championships – Robert got the first two, then Billy’s won five, including the 2004 championship. It was during the final round of last year’s NFR that Billy had what’s been considered the greatest bronc ride in the history of ProRodeo by many insiders. Matching moves with the ProRodeo bronc of the year, Billy and Kessler Rodeo Co.’s Cool Ally scored 93 points (out of a possible 100).

That tied an arena record, and many who saw it said the score was about three points low – a 96 would’ve been a better fit and would stand alone atop in the record book for many years to come.

Billy’s one of the most humble people you’ll ever meet. He’s 42 years old and still rides broncs better than kids half his age ever will.

Heading into tonight’s first go-round of the 2005 NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center, Billy Etbauer is seventh in the world standings. He’s $70,000 behind the leader, Jeffrey Willert, another South Dakotan who transplanted to the Oklahoma Panhandle to ride broncs in college.

But with go-rounds winners earning $15,738 and the cowboy with the best cumulative score at the end of the 10-day event earning $40,360, that ground can be made up quite easily. At last year’s NFR, Etbauer earned nearly $118,000.

When he’s not rodeoing, Billy and his wife, Hollie, have their hands full with two boys, Kord and Treg, and a girl, Jacie. They also raise and train horses.

Billy Etbauer’s all cowboy and despite his excellence in the rodeo arena, his humility carries him through everyday life. His phrases are peppered with “yes sirs” and “no ma’ams” and as soft-spoken as he is, he’s still a great representative of our game.

This afternoon, somewhere in Sin City, Billy Etbauer’s in front of a television camera having a satellite conversation with David Letterman. That’s scheduled to air tonight, so if you want to see a humble man with a tremendous athletic gift, tune in.

It might just be worth your time.

Sinfully delicious

LAS VEGAS – As always, Sin City is bubbling with bodies and events and … just about everything you can imagine. This week’s been the annual convention for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, something that happens in the days prior to the start of the National Finals Rodeo.

The convention shuts down today (Friday), and the rodeo opens its 10-day run tonight. Meetings and talk of rodeo, with me trying to get my business, Rodeo Media Relations, off the ground, have kept my love and I going at a fast pace. But if it helps, I’m all for it.

So there’s reasons No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 I haven’t been able to update in a few days. Earlier this week it was packing and preparing for the trip. We landed in Vegas at about 8 p.m. local time Wednesday. A $25 taxi ride to The Mirage, and we made like quick-change artists so that we could scoot over to the Rio for the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days party.

Boy, they threw a good’n, renting out the Voodoo Café at the top of the Rio for a couple of hours – free drinks, rodeo talk and, for me, networking. Even after the party ended, the three of us Okies – my girlfriend and another fella from No Man’s Land – stayed around and enjoyed the sights and sounds of joined partying. There were gay couples and cowboys with cowgirls all dancin’ and havin’ a ball in the same room.

Go figure. This is Vegas, after all.

I might’ve updated sooner, but The Mirage likes to charge $11 a day for Internet access. Bullshit, I say, but whataya do? Still, this is a business venture in the fun capital, so I’m not complaining.

More to come soon from Las Vegas, and maybe even a quick run over why I enjoy this so much.