BRIEFS:
Riders in the Sky have been nominated for Grammy Awards in two categories: Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Woody’s Roundup” from their release Woody’s Roundup featuring Riders In The Sky and for the category Musical Album for Children.

Merv Griffin’s Wickenburg Inn and Dude Ranch has been donated to Child Help USA, a residential treatment center for abused and neglected children. The 4,700- acre resort will no longer run as a ranch but rather will re-open late this summer or early fall as the treatment center. Ranch manager Charlie Owens said he expected around 20 children initially, and perhaps as many as 80 eventually.

Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), the organization created to promote the sport of single action shooting, will hold its 20th Annual World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting, called “End of Trail,” April 25-29, 2001. The event will be held again at Raahague’s Ranch in Norco, Calif., and is dedicated to the Women of the Wild West. Nearly 600 competitors dressed in late 1800s attire will be vying for the championships. In addition to the shoot-out, there will be continuous entertainment, including a Wild West Show, western music, and dancing, as well as seminars and more than 100 booths of merchandise and services.

CROSSINGS:
Died.Gregg Barton, screen actor famous for his roles as a heavy (villain), of complications following knee replacement surgery, on Nov. 28, in Fallbrook, Calif. He was 88. Tributes to Barton and to George Montgomery (see note below) appear in the Jan./Feb. issue of Western Clippings magazine.
Died. Dr. Lawrence Ray Clayton, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Hardin- Simmons University and member of the WWA, in Abilene, Texas, on Dec. 31, of complications from ALS. He was 62.
Died. Bill Haynes, IPRA finalist and lifelong cowboy, in Oakdale, Calif., of ALS complications, on Dec. 11. He was 58.
Died.George Montgomery, screen actor, star of many westerns, and, in his youth, a working cowboy, in Rancho Mirage, Calif., of heart failure. He was 84.
Died. Sam Savitt, painter known for his equine images, author of several books, and horseman, in North Salem, N.Y., on Dec. 25, of cardiac arrest. He was 83.

NEWS

IPRA Crowns World Champions at International Finals

Bareback rider Michael Cooley from Weatherford, Okla., rode his way to the biggest winnings at the International Finals Rodeo (IFR), held Jan. 18- 20 at State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. The IFR is the crowning event of the International Professional Rodeo Assocation’s season.

Cooley won the first round with 81 points and placed in the other three gos to win the average with 321 points. He also went home as high money winner with $12,031.25. His performance boosted him to No. 4 in the final 2000 IPRA bareback world standings.

Jet McCoy repeated as world champion All-Around Cowboy, finishing with $51,688.43 in the roughstock events.

Other average winners included bull rider Michael Johnson of Muskogee, Okla., who qualified for his first Finals after winning five straight Western Region titles. Johnson had 245 points on three rides and was the only IFR cowboy to ride three bulls. Johnson is originally from Reno, Nev.

Another Western Region cowboy, David Howard from Fallon, Nev., took the saddle bronc riding average title with 311 points on four head. First-time IFR qualifiers Joe Hunnicutt of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., and Mark Blackwell from Checotah, Okla., tied for the average lead in steer wrestling with 15.0 seconds each.

Team ropers J.P. Wickett of Muldrow, Okla., and Ken Bailey from Henretta, Okla., won the average in 25.8 seconds. Betty Roper of Oktaha, Okla., won the barrel racing average in 63.356 seconds while Chris Neal of Muldrow, Okla., won the calf roping average title with 41.8 seconds on four head.

Other 2000 IPRA world champions include bareback rider Scot Mitchell of Cooper, Texas ($34,870.43), steer wrestler Ronnie Fields of Oklahoma City ($25,908.25), team roping header Keven Daniel of Franklin, Tenn. ($30,633.29), team roping heeler Stephen Britnell from South Haven, Miss. ($29,520.24), Roper in barrel racing ($43,443.58), calf roper Walt White of Okmulgee, Okla. ($32,757.27), and bull rider Blaine Whipp from Myersville, Md. ($41,377.85). Roper’s title marked her fifth career IPRA world championship. White tied an IPRA record with his seventh calf roping world title. Fields, Hogin, Whipp, Daniel, and Britnell are all first-time IPRA world champions.

International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) 2000 Final Standings
(Top 3 only)
All-Around 1. Jet McCoy, Tupelo, Okla. 2. Cord McCoy, Tupelo, Okla. 3. Ken Bailey, Henrietta, Okla. Bareback Bronc
Riding 1. Scot Mitchell, Cooper, Texas 2. Raymond Cooper, Hughes, Ark. 3. Rod Hughes, Fort Scott, Kan.
Bull Riding 1. Blaine Whipp, Myersville, Md. 2. Michael Johnson, Muskogee, Okla. 3. Scott Fuller, Westville, Okla.
Saddle Bronc Riding 1. Ron Hogin, Bon Aqua, Tenn. 2. Todd Leftwich, Winfield, Kan. 3. Jet McCoy, Tupelo, Okla.
Calf Roping 1. Walt White, Okmulgee, Okla. 2. Wade White, Okmulgee, Okla. 3. Phil Chapman, Whites Creek, Tenn.
Steer Wrestling 1. Ronnie Fields, Oklahoma City, Okla. 2. Wade Steffen, Richmond, Ill. 3. Cody Brecheisen, Wyandotte, Okla.
Team Roping (Heading) 1. Keven Daniel, Franklin, Tenn. 2. Luke Brown, Charlotte, N.C. 3. Chad Masters, Adams, Tenn.
Team Roping (Heeling) 1. Stephen Britnell, South Haven, Miss. 2. Sam Smith, Athens, Ala. 3. Robert Lloyd, Mooresville, N.C.
Barrel Racing 1. Betty Roper, Oktaha, Okla. 2. Debbie Keim, Wynnewood, Okla. 3. Teresa Alspaugh, Huntsville, Ohio.

Re-Named Hall Kicks Off Endowment Campaign

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, has received a $30 million commitment from Edward L. Gaylord to launch its endowment fund campaign, according to a prepared statement from the Hall.

The goal is to raise $100 million to endow the museum. The museum is fully accredited (by the American Association of Museums) and has completed the much-publicized capital campaign that tripled its size. Speaking of Gaylord’s gift, executive director Ken Townsend said that it would help ensure the continuing high quality of operational standards.

The National Cowboy and Western Museum, located in Oklahoma City, includes 220,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Hampton, Crawford Shine in PWRA Finals

For the first time ever, Professional Women’s Rodeo Association (PWRA) 16-time World Champion J.J. Hampton came into the Women’s National Finals Rodeo, Nov. 3-5, not leading in any event. But strong showings in the tiedown calf roping and team roping lifted her to a fourth all-around title and the 17th title overall in her career. Cowtown Coliseum, in Fort Worth, was the renue.

Hampton, from Stephenville, Texas, competes in breakaway, heading, and tiedown calf roping, and this year added heeling to her resume. She also left the Finals with the calf roping average title but was unable to dethrone Sandy Hodge of North Richland Hills, Texas, for the world title in tie-down calf roping.

The closest race was the breakaway roping, in which rookie Ashlee Miller of Fredericksburg, Texas, entered the finals in ninth place and edged out leader Kim Williamson by only $40.33.

Faith Taylor, of Clayton, Calif., claimed the top spot in the bareback riding for the second time in her career, even though Bobbie Jo Maxwell of Weatherford, Texas, took home the average title.

The team roping pair of Kim Williamson and Patti McCutcheon locked up their first-ever world titles. Williamson, of Queen Creek, Ariz., won the heeling championship and finished third in the all-around standings while competing in the breakaway roping.

McCutcheon, of Alma, Ark., was also honored as Pioneer Woman of the Year for her contributions to women’s rodeo.

Ben Wheeler, Texas, cowgirl Dedee Crawford dominated the bull riding, placing first on all three of her bulls. She also rode two of her bareback horses to win the all-around average during the finals, putting the pressure on year-end All-Around Champion Hampton.

Nebraska Outfit Ropes WRCA Honors

The Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) held its fifth annual World Championship Ranch Rodeo (WCRR) and for the fourth consecutive year the Wilson Cattle Co./Jamison Ranch of Arthur, Neb., took home the top honors. Fourteen ranches from nine western states qualified for the 2000 World Championship Ranch Rodeo, held Nov. 9-11 in Amarillo, Texas.

The three performances included bronc riding, cattle doctoring, calf branding, wild cow milking, team penning, and the wild horse race. The winning team also walked away with top honors in the bronc riding and wild cow milking, thanks to team member Brad Wilson, who was also named the rodeo’s Top Hand. His ranch horse “Tee” was awarded Top Horse honors. Other Wilson Cattle Co./Jamison Ranch team members included Kelly Wilson, Ainslie Nielson, Jeremy Corefield, Chip Wilson, and Dan Lindsay.

The Hard Luck Cowboy award went to Jason Bowman, of the Thompson Ranch, Munday, Texas, who suffered a collapsed lung after being stepped on by a cow during the wild cow milking. Held in conjunction was the fourth annual Working Cow Horse competition. Bob Moorhouse from the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Co. in Guthrie, Texas, won the Senior Division on his horse “Tex.”

The Junior Division, for horses five years and younger, was won by Bill Smith, of Espuela Cattle Co. in Spur, Texas, on his horse “Possum.” The pair also took the overall championship.

NRHA Futurity Marks Richest Event Ever

The 35th Annual National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity, held Nov. 24-Dec. 2 in Oklahoma City, proved to be the richest and biggest futurity to date.

Todd Sommers, of Whitesboro, Texas, topped the field of 437 Open Futurity entrants on Von Reminic, owned by Frank Bolea of Gilroy, Calif. This was not the first trip to the winner’s circle for Sommers and Bolea. They teamed up in 1991 for the same honor, but it was the first time a pay-off of $150,000 was awarded to the Open champion. Altogether, 34 finalists vied for more than $1.3 million in prize money pay-offs.

Bolea had purchased Von Reminic as a yearling for $92,000. He is the son of Reminic out of Von Freckles, and has been ridden and trained by Sommers since he was purchased by Bolea.

The 2000 NRHA Futurity also paid tribute to Hall of Fame members and held a special ceremony for the NRHA’s first $2 million sire, Hollywood Dun It, owned by Tim McQuay and Jennifer Easton.

PRCA Standings

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) /Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Standings
(top 5 only) as of Jan. 16, 2001

Bareback Riding: 1.) Kelly Wardell, Bellevue, Idaho 2.) Deb Greenough, Red Lodge, Mont. 3.) Kenton Randle, Fort Vermilion, Alberta 4.) Trevor Lavalley, Snyder, Texas 5.) Rick Bradley, Brentwood, Calif.
Steer Wrestling: 1.) Mike Garthwaite, Merritt, B.C. 2.) Trigger Pugh, Ponoka, Alberta 3.) Christopher Peterson, Turlock, Calif. 4.) Tom Hansen, Dunn Center, N.D. 5.) Chip Salmon, Union Island, Calif. Saddle
Bronc Riding: 1). Guy Shapka, Alix, Alberta 2.) Rod Warren, Valley View, Alberta 3.) Glen O’Neill, Water Valley, Alberta 4.) Gray Mapston, Arlee, Mont. 5.) Travis Autrey, Mountainair, N.M.
Calf Roping: 1.) Marty Becker, Manyberries, Alberta 2.) Alwin Bouchard, Altario, Alberta 3.) C.R. Bradley, Stillwater, Okla. 4.) Mark Nugent, Water Valley, Alberta 5/6.) Trent Walls, Stephenville, Texas 5/6.) Ross Gomez, Imperial, Calif.
Team Roping (Header): 1.) Mark Nugent, Water Valley, Alberta 2.) Murray Linthicum, Glentworth, Saskatchewan 3.) Chris Branham, Canyon Country, Calif. 4.) Wade Wheatley, Stephenville, Texas 5/6.) Jay Mattson, Deadwood, S.D. 5/6.) Blair Stroh, Elkwater, Alberta
Team Roping (Heeling): 1.) Steve Sherwood, Queen Creek, Ariz. 2.) Kyle Lockett, Ivanhoe, Calif. 3.) Jake Nelson, Creighton, S.D. 4.) Caleb Twisselman, Santa Margarita, Calif. 5.) Murt Stewart, Big Pine, Calif.
Barrel Racing: 1.) Cheryl Daines, Innisfail, Alberta 2.) Evelyn Hohn, Sioux Falls, S.D. 3.) Kody Himes, Stanton, Texas 4.) Shellee Shaw, Cardston, Alberta 5.) Martha Wright, Dublin, Texas
Bull Riding: 1.) Robert Bowers, Brooks, Alberta 2.) Scott Schiffner, Stettler, Alberta 3.) A Kevie, Los Molinas, Calif. 4.) Kelly Armstrong, Big Valley, Alberta 5.) Blue Stone, N Ogden, Utah
Steer Roping: 1.) Guy Allen, Santa Anna, Texas 2.) Bucky Hefner, Chelsea, Okla. 3.) Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas 4.) Mark Milner, Elida, N.M. 5/6.) Mike Beers, Powell Butte, Ore. 5/6.) J Wickett, Sallisaw, Okla.

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