December 2004

UM-Western Rodeo Club Horse Sale Set for November 6, 2004
Wednesday, December 8 2004
DILLON - The University of Montana-Western Rodeo Club's All-Class Horse sale is set for Saturday, November 6, 2004, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Beaverhead Livestock Auction. The sale features outstanding weanlings and yearlings. Current sale consigners include Delbert Carter of Corvalilis, Cal and Brooke Erb of Dillon, Cathy Tash of Twin Bridges, Tash Quarter Horses of Polaris and Dick and Nancy Klick of Augusta. All commissions generously are donated by the Beaverhead Livestock Auction for Rodeo Club scholarships to further students' education. For additional information or consignment details, please call 683-2002, 683-2246, or 683-7539
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Browning Bronc Rider Joins Western Rodeo
Wednesday, December 8 2004
July 6, 2004 -- Jarrett Monroe, a 2002 graduate of Browning High School, has signed an NIRA letter of intent to rodeo for the University of Montana Western, according to head coach Olie Else.

Monroe transfers to Western from Miles Community College. He qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in 2003 in saddle bronc riding and placed third in the nation. Monroe was the Big Sky Region's Reserve Champion in saddle bronc riding.

In high school, he won three District All-Around buckle three years in a row, he won two saddle bronc titles, and one bull riding title. Monroe qualified for the Montana State High School rodeo all four years and won two saddle bronc titles, was the reserve bull riding champion once and the All-Around champion once. He was a two-time qualifier to the National High School Rodeo Finals winning a national championship in saddle bronc in 2002.

"This is a great signing for our rodeo program," said Else. "Jarrett is a great athlete who had his pick of schools to transfer to. We are thrilled that he is coming to Western. Not only is he a top hand, but he is a good kid who will be a fine addition to the Western rodeo family."

Monroe was the saddle bronc champion at the 2003 Indian National Finals at Soboba, California.

In the classroom, he was selected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. He is the son of Hughie and Laura Monroe.
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Western Finishes Strong in Casper
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

June 20, 2004 -- As the books closed on the 2004 Collegen National Finals Rodeo UM - Western put in a strong bid for the national title.

The top placing athlete was Bry Worthen, who finished up the year as the National Reserve Breakaway Roper. Worthen drew tough calves all week long but stuck with the leaders despite a chipped bone in the thumb of her roping hand. Heading into the final round, she was a mere 1.6 seconds behind the leader. Teammate and cousin Maquel Fleming was .5 seconds ahead of Worthen. When the dust settled, it was Worthen in second place and Fleming in fifth. MSU ropers Milee Malone and CeeCee Tryan ended up in 17th and 46th respectively.

Jessie Heggie, a senior from Canada, finished up his collegiate career with a ninth place finish in the Steer Wrestling. Always a strong competitor, Heggie put 2 solid runs together with a second round win to come back to the final round. With a sixth place finish in the final round, Heggie locked himself into his ninth place finish. Dillon native and Western teammate Jabe Anderson didn't make it back to the final round after a disappointing no time in the second round. He still ended up in 21st place overall. Dawson Community College cowboy AJ Franzen posted the highest standing for the Big Sky Region with a seventh place finish.

Freshman talent Mac Erickson made an impressive debut in the Bull Riding. After a no score on his first bull, Erickson recovered and took home second place in the next round. By following that up with a solid third bull, he found himself in the final round at his first CNFR. Unfortunately the bulls proved to be tougher than the cowboys for all but three athletes and Erickson did not make a qualified ride. He ended up in 12th place in the event and 15th in the Rookie of the Year standings. Outgoing Regional Student Director Travis Burian of MSU ended up in eighth place overall and Northwest College teammates Aaron Kafka and Clayton Tucker took home 17th and 20th.

Although Krystal Roberts didn't make it back to the final round, she still ended up in 22nd place overall. MSU teammates Marissa Black and Lauren Watson ended up their years in 21st and 22nd places. Missoula's Gretchen Benbenek, who rodeos for Oklahoma State University, turned in a stellar performance and ended up in third place after everything was said and done.

Western's Chase Erickson turned in strong three rides to end up in 19th overall. Northwest College cowboy Wade Sankey headed into the final round in second place only to have his hopes dashed when he overspurred his horse and turned in a no score in the final round. He ended up a respectable tenth in the nation, but was disappointed in his last ride. Teammate Dale Stoller ended up in 16th.

Although Western didn't send anyone to the rodeo in the Tie Down Roping, there were still three Big Sky athletes to represent the region. Northwest College's Henry Hollenbeck came back to the final round, but a no time placed him in 10th to end out the year. Dawson College's Clint Cobb ended up in 27th and UM's Warren Adams placed 35th.

After a disappointing first run in which her goat got up, Western's Michelle Wock turned in two runs that captured 46th place for her in the Goat Tying. While the rodeo wasn't what Wock hoped for, it was still a great experience for the junior from Butte. MSU's Marissa Black ended up in 22nd, while Northwest College freshman Kayla McInerney placed 25th and Dawson College cowgirl Annie Dillman took home 34th.

Dawson College Saddle Bronc Rider Joesy Hauser was the highest placing cowboy in that event with his 20th place finish. He was followed closely by MSU's Colt Moedl who ended up 24th and Northwest cowboys Shane Proctor and Wade Sankey who ended up 32nd and 33rd.

The highest placing Big Sky Team Roping team was the team from Western, Tate Dempewolf and Mike Mori. The pair ended up in 16th place after being at the top of the standings all year long. They were followed by MSU cowboy Chase Gauger roping with Northwest's Ty Larson in 22nd, Dawson's AJ Franzen and MSU's Colt Tew in 34th and Colt Gorrell and Clint Cobb from Dawson College in 35th.

In the team standings it was all about the Western women. The ladies from Dillon ended up in 2nd place nationally, earning them scholarship money and the honor of being the National Reserve team. The Northwest College ladies ended up in 29th. For the men, it was Western in 23rd place, leading the Big Sky pack. Northwest was close behind in 25th, MSU was 33rd with Dawson College in 54th and UM in 56th.

Overall it was a great week in Casper for all of the competing athletes, regardless of where they placed. The experience they gained through competition and the friends they made will last longer than any buckle or saddle and that really is the philosophy behind the sport of rodeo.

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Montana Athletes Doing Well With 2 Go-Rounds Complete
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

June 15, 2004 -- With almost two rounds completed and in the books, Montana college rodeo athletes are faring well at the 2004 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming.

In the Bareback Riding, Western's Chase Erickson is splitting 13th and 14th place after a score of 73 on his first horse and a 74 on his second. Staying consistent is vital with multiple rides and another ride like this might just clinch a short-round berth for Erickson. Also competing are Northwest College's Wade Sankey, who is in 4th place so far, and MSU - Northern's Dale Stoller, who is splitting 11th and 12th.

Western sent two Breakaway Ropers to the CNFR and both are performing well. Maquel Fleming had a 2.5 second run combined with a 2.7 second run to put her in a tie for 4th and 5th after two performances. Teammate Bry Worthen roped her two calves in 2.4 and 2.9 to put her just behind Fleming in 6th place. Montana State University cowgirls CeeCee Tryan and Milee Malone are also in Casper, with Malone in 25th so far and Tryan not far behind in 37th.

Representing Western in the Barrel Racing is Krystal Roberts, who is currently in 25th place overall. Fellow Big Sky Region competitors Lauren Watson and Marissa Black, both from MSU, are in 13th place and 28th place respectively. Another Montana athlete, who has headed south to Oklahoma for school, Gretchen Benbenek of Missoula is having an outstanding rodeo and is currently sitting in 3rd place overall.

Western didn't send any Tie-Down Ropers to Casper, but for the Big Sky Region Henry Hollenbeck of Northwest College is having a great finals so far. After two runs, Hollenbeck is splitting 4th and 5th place overall. Warren Adams from UM is in 37th and Clint Cobb from Dawson College is in 33rd.

In the Goat Tying, Western stand-out Michelle Wock had a rough go on her first goat. After posting a no-time, Wock turned in an 8.6 second second run. She is currently in 52nd place. Also competing are Annie Dillman from Dawson College, who is in 19th place; Marissa Black from MSU, who is in 30th and Kayla McInerney from Northwest College who is in 38th.

Team Ropers from Western Tate Dempewolf and Mike Mori are in 18th place so far with fellow Big Sky competitors Ty Larson and Chase Gauger from Northwest College and MSU in 30th, AJ Franzen and Colt Tew from Dawson College and MSU in 31st, and Colt Gorrell and Clint Cobb from Dawson College in 36th.

Western Steer Wrestler Jabe Anderson missed his second steer, but is still 24th overall. Teammate Jessie Heggie is in 13th after two rounds and AJ Franzen from Dawson is in 8th.

Although Western didn't send any Saddle Bronc Riders this year, the Big Sky Region is well represented. Regional champ Joesy Hauser from Dawson College is currently in 10th place overall after riding two broncs. Northwest College teammates Shane Proctor and Wade Sankey are in 28th place and 35th respectively. Colt Moedl from MSU is in 20th.

Closing out the rodeo with the Bull Riding, Western's own Mac Erickson, after a disappointing no score in the first round, topped the second round with an 80 point ride. This puts Erickson in 11th place overall. Clayton Tucker from Northwest College is in 17th overall with teammate Aaron Kafka in 15th and MSU's Travis Burian is in 12th.

There are 3 places to keep on top of the action in Casper; www.cnfr.com, www.rodeowyoming.com and the Western site. The Western site will only update after each performance is complete, but the other two sites will have daily results and aggregate totals.
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Western Rodeo Teams Travel to the CNFR
Wednesday, December 8 2004
June 11, 2004 -- The University of Montana-Western rodeo teams travel to Casper, Wyoming for the College National Finals Rodeo, June 13-19. Western is sending a complete women's team and a complete men's team to contend for the national title.

The Western women's team finished second in the Big Sky Region, ending a five year streak as Big Sky Regional Champions. The women's team competing at CNFR includes: Michelle Wock, a junior from Butte, Montana, who will compete in Casper for the first time. She is the regional champion in goat tying. Leadore, Idaho junior Maquel Fleming makes her second appearance at the CNFR after winning the regional title in breakaway roping. As a freshman, Fleming was the region's barrel racing champion and All-Around Cowgirl. Rounding out the women's team are senior Krystal Roberts of Geraldine, Montana and sophomore Bry Worthern of Menan, Idaho. Both women are making their second appearance in Casper. Roberts will again compete in barrel racing. At last year's CNFR, she finished 19th in the nation. Worthern went last year as the regional champ in breakaway roping.

"I feel I have an outstanding women's team going to the CNFR," said Western rodeo coach Olie Else. "Two were regional champs and three of the four have CNFR experience. Michelle is the only one without CNFR experience, but she dominated the goat tying all this year and will do just fine. This is a tremendously balanced team, one of the best we have ever taken to the CNFR."

The Western men's team also finished second in the Big Sky Region with one regional champion. The Western men's team competing at Casper includes Junior Tate Dempewolf of Lindsay, Montana who won the regional title as a header in team roping. He will be making his second appearance to the CNFR. Dempewolf was the regional champion as a freshman at Dawson Community College. Also making his second appearance at CNFR is Dillon, Montana junior Jabe Anderson. He finished second in the region in steer wrestling. Anderson, a transfer from Dawson Community College, qualified for the College National Finals in 2002 as a freshman.

Sophomore Chase Erickson of Almo, Idaho is making his second straight appearance at the CNFR. This past season, he finished second in the region in bareback riding, eighth in bull riding, 14th in saddle bronc riding and third in the All-Around. Freshman Mac Erickson of Almo, Idaho is making his first appearance in Casper. He was fourth in the Region in the All-Around standings, fifth in bareback and fourth in bull riding. Senior Jessie Heggie of Raymond, Alberta, Canada is making his third trip to Casper for the College National Finals. He finished third in the region in steer wrestling. Mike Mori, a junior from Elko, Nevada, finished second in region as a heeler in team roping.

"This a great men's team going to Casper," added Else. "I have two great steer wrestlers in Jessie and Jabe and both have CNFR experience. The Erickson brothers had great seasons, both were top ten in the year end All-Around. Mike and Tate are two of the steadiest performers in college rodeo. We are ready for Casper."

Results from the 2004 College National Finals Rodeo will be available on NIRA's web page: www.collegerodeo.com via link to www.cnfr.com.
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Women's Rodeo Team Splits the Win at Spring Opener in Bozeman
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

April 20, 2004 -- It was all about the ladies in Bozeman April 10-12. Western's women were led by Tierani Brusett, Casey Erb and Brittani Brusett in their split decision with Dawson Community College.

Tierani Brusett dominated the Breakaway Roping to take home first place with Amalia Martinez and Maquel Fleming splitting second and third. Older sister Brittani Brusset wrapped up fifth place while Jenny Frerck took home eighth and Traci Bevans ended up in ninth. All in all, Western sent six of the ten women in the short round.

Brittani Brusett also ended up placing in the Team Roping with both of her partners. She and Logan Lund of Western ended up in second while her teamwork with Ty Tash of Western earned them a sixth place finish. Brusett ended up the only competitor from any school to place in more than one event and was crowned the Women's All-Around Champion.

Senior Casey Erb came back in tenth place in the Goat Tying, but turned a great run in the short round into a second place finish. Amalia Martinez ended up in sixth with Michelle Wock right behind her in eighth. Krystal Roberts placed third in the Barrel Racing with two nice runs and Denali Solomon split fifth and sixth while Bry Worthen ended up in tenth.

The Men's team ended up in fourth place overall with only a few men making a stand in the short round. Chase Erickson won the Bareback Riding after several re-rides. Brother Mac ended up splitting fourth and fifth in the event. Coupled with his fifth place finish in the Bull Riding, Mac ended up splitting fifth and sixth in the Men's All-Around. Also placing in the Bull Riding were Chase Erickson, who split sixth and seventh, and Kirby Nemitz who ended up in eighth.

Outgoing student body president Tate Else wrapped up a nice second place finish in the Calf Roping. Teammate Mike Mori ended up eighth in the event. Dillon native Jabe Anderson ended up in sixth place in the Steer Wrestling.

It's off to Glendive for the Western team next. Keep an eye on the site for more updates and news.
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Western Rodeo Hosts Another Successful "Rope and Ski"
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Iola Else

March 9, 2004 -- The annual Western Rodeo Rope and Ski was held this past weekend with the roping on Saturday Night At the Don Harrington Arena. Tyler Holland and Todd Garrison won the roping after a tie breaker rope off. Chase Erickson and Jessie Heggie placed second, Jabe Anderson and Cory Harrison were 3rd and Jess Martin and Tate Else finished 4th place.

The skiing consisted of a downhill slalom race and a race where the skiiers are tied together. Russell Harrison and Tyler Tash had the best combined times to win the skiing. Cory Harrsion and Jabe Anderson placed second, Todd Garrison and Tyler Holland were third and finishing 4th in the average was Shawn Downing and Jesse Peterson.

The average was won by Cory Harrison and Jabe Anderson and they won pullovers donated by Western Rodeo. Todd Garrison and Tyler Holland placed second in the average and were awarded halters by Quality Supply, Russell Harrison and Tyler Tash were awarded caps for third and Chase Erickson and Jessie Heggie finished 4th in the average. The best wreck award went to Jess Martin and he received a pullover donated by Maverick Mountain.

A team roping followed the Rope and Ski roping on Saturday night. Todd Garrison and Jessie Heggie won first with a combined time of 10.1 seconds. Pete White and Ty Tash were second with a total on two steers of 16.3, and Todd Garrrison and Logan Lund were third with a time of 16.5 seconds. Ropers and Skiers had a great time.

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"Dawgfight" Results Are In!!
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Iola Else

March 9, 2004 -- The Straugh Gymnasium was a packed house on Wednesday night for the non alcoholic Western Rodeo "Dawg Fight," sponsored by Harrington's Pepsi and Marv's OK Tire Factory. Mark "Your Spot" Fisher of CSI and Western's Shawn "He's Our Man" Downing were awarded the best fight of the evening. David "DaLaw" Lawson of Western was awarded the best male fighter trophy. Cooper "Clocking" Muraoka of Western was awarded the trophy for the quickest knockout. Cortani "Battling" Brussett from the U of M was the best female fighter.

Shawn Davis, Western Hall of Fame Member, was honored as the Rawhide Role Model. Davis, a native of Whitehall, Montana qualified for the NFR twelve times and was World Champion Saddle Bronc three times. He is currently the General Manger for the NFR, the World Class Horse Show, the Tour Rounds and the rodeo coach for the college of Southern Idaho. Davis was joined at the Smoker by his mother Mary Davis and family. He was presented a painting of Main Hall by Vice Chancellor, Tom Yahraes, for his service to Western. The Montana Youth Challenge presented the colors for the "Dawg Fight," and were honored for making positive life style choices.

Flint Rasmussen was unable to attend the event because of family illness. Don Jesser, Twin Falls, filled in at the last minute as the announcer.

High school boxers from Anaconda, Western Students, CSI students, UM students and Chancellor Karl Ulrich boxed in the fourteen rounds.

Judges for the event were Steve Vezina, Rick Nordahl, and Ed McCarthy. Mick O'Brien of Butte was the referee and the timers were Sharon O'Brien, Floydena Garrison, and Brooke Erb. Ring girls were Bekkie Bowerman, Tammy Eberline and April Lucier.
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UM - Western Rodeo Club Sets Date for Annual "Dawg Fight"
Wednesday, December 8 2004
February 17, 2004 -- The University of Montana-Western Rodeo Club, Harrington Pepsi, Marv's OK Tire and Snake River Tire are sponsoring "The Dawg Fight", a non-alcoholic Rawhide event on Wednesday, March 3, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the Straugh Gymnasium on the UM-Western campus.

The "Dawg Fight" matches members of the UM-W Rodeo Team vs a solid group of cowboys and cowgirls from the Big Sky Region.

Master of Ceremonies is Flint Rasmussen, a Western Graduate and six-time Professional Rodeo Clown Association Clown and Barrelman of the Year, and five-time Coors Man in the Can.

"Dawg Fight" is a night of non-alcoholic fun featuring great boxing, ring girls and boys and special guests. Tickets are $6.00 for Students, $7.00 for General Admission, $8 for Ringside Reserved and $12.00 for Ringside. To reserve tickets or for more information, call (406)683-7539 or (406)683-2246.
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Rodeo Club Banquet Scheduled for April 2, 2004
Wednesday, December 8 2004
February 17, 2004 -- The Annual University of Montana-Western Rodeo Club Banquet is Friday, April 2, 2004 in Western's Keltz Arena beginning with a no-host cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00. The evening's M.C. is Judy Wagner.

The popular annual fund raising event will feature a Prime Rib Dinner, Live Music by Spec-Fire, an Auction and Raffle.

Auction items include Bronzes, Fishing Trips, Pictures, Furniture, Pottery, Clothing, Jewelry, Gift Certificates and many more amazing items.

The silent auction will run throughout the evening with tables closing at various times to allow more time to shop and bid.

Tickets purchased before March 22 will be eligible for three $100.00 drawings.

Tickets are $30.00 for Singles, $50.00 per couple, and $175 for a Reserved Table of eight. For more information or ticket reservations, call (406)683-7539, (406)683-7305 or (406)683-2246. All proceeds benefit the UM-Western Rodeo Team.
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UM - Western Rodeo Club Horse Sale Set for October 18
Wednesday, December 8 2004
October 3, 2003 -- The University of Montana-Western Rodeo Club's All-Class Horse sale is set for Saturday, October 18, 2003 beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Beaverhead Livestock Auction. The sale features outstanding weanlings and yearlings.

Current sale consigners include Delbert Carter of Corvalilis, Cal and Brooke Erb of Dillon, Cathy Tash of Twin Bridges, Tash Quarter Horses of Polaris and Dick and Nancy Klick of Augusta.

All commissions generously are donated by the Beaverhead Livestock Auction for Rodeo Club scholarships to further students' education. For additional information or consignment details, please call (406)683-2002, (406)683-2246, or (406)683-7539.

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Western Rodeo Holds Their Own at Hometown Rodeo
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 29, 2003 -- The Big Sky College Rodeo Region closed out the fall season this past weekend with the UM - Western Rodeo in Dillon. On hand were over 200 student athletes competing for points in 9 events as well as the all around and team categories.

For the teams, it was Northwest College from Powell, Wyoming coming out on top by edging out Western by just 25 points. The women's team title went to Montana State University with Northwest in second and Western in third.

The Men's All-Around title went to Chase Erickson of Western. Erickson racked up 170 points to beat out Jarrett Monroe of Miles Community College by just 10 points. Erickson collected 70 points at the rough stock end of the arena with his performance in the Bareback Riding and 100 points at the other end with a championship in the Calf Roping. For the women, it was Kelle Moore of MSU who took the honors. Moore had 120 points to beat out Annie Dillman of Dawson Community College and Milee Malone, also from MSU, who tied with 65 points. Moore had 80 points in the Barrel Racing as well as 40 in the Breakaway Roping.

Individually, it was Wade Sankey of Northwest winning the Bareback and teammate Shane Proctor coming in second. Western's own Chase Erickson placed third while teammate and brother Mac Erickson took home fourth.

The Saddle Bronc Riding title went to Jarrett Monroe of Miles Community College. Second place went to Billy Hendrickson of The University of Montana and third went to Colt Moedl of MSU. Moedl's teammate Brandon Brooks won fourth.

Northwest College cowboy Clayton Tucker topped a rank bull in the short round to earn 83 points which won him the Bull Riding buckle. Second went to Ross Lewis from Dawson while third place went to Tyler Dellen from Western and fourth and fifth was split by Mac Erickson from Western and Jim Horne from MSU. Also making the short round for Western was James Pihl, who ended up in 7th place.

Western cowboy Jessie Heggie won the Steer Wrestling with a blistering run of 4.5 seconds in the short round. The cattle were tough all weekend and only 4 cowboys made qualified runs on Sunday. In second place was Colt Gorrel from Dawson, while third went to teammate Justin Madsen and fourth went to yet another Dawson cowboy, Mike Gill.

Western took home another buckle in the Calf Roping when all around hand Chase Erickson won the average. In second was Ty Larson from Northwest while third went to Blake Knowles from MSU. Fourth place was won by Warren Adams from UM. Also making the short round from Western was Tate Dempewolf, who ended up in 8th place; Jessie Heggie, who ended up in 9th; and JD Shiner, who placed 5th.

For the Team Roping, the top honors went to Western again! It was JD Shiner and Mike Mori who scooped up two feet in the short round in just 6.6 seconds to win the average. In second was Milee Malone and Brent Konkel from MSU and third went to fellow Bobcats Blake Knowles and Wade Black. Fourth place went to AJ Franzen and Casey Currey from Dawson. Western also sent Brittani Brusett and Jessie Heggie, who ended up 7th; Shawn Downing and Kevin Krist, who ended up 8th; and Pete White and Ty Tash, who placed 6th. In addition, Western's Logan Lund roped with brother Justin Lund from Miles Community College to end up in 5th.

The Goat Tying was won by Kayla McInerney from Northwest by just .5 seconds over Western's Michelle Wock. Wock is currently at the top of the regional standings. In third was Dawson's Annie Dillman while fourth went to Jessie Johnson from UM. Casey Erb from Western ended up in 5th while teammate Amalia Martinez was sixth. Western also sent Amber Woods, who ended up splitting seventh and eighth with Josie Bishop from Miles and Whitney Wines, who ended up in 10th.

The Breakaway Roping honors went to Dillon native Tammy Eberline from Western. Second place also went to Western with freshman Coree Shiner looping two calves in just 6.5 seconds. Jenna Bell from MSU - Northern took third while Stacey Iott from Dawson took fourth. Amalia Martinez from Western took 6th overall while Amber Woods ended up in 10th.

Barrel Racing honors went to MSU, who sent 6 of the 10 to the short round. Kelle Moore from MSU was the fastest around the barrels while Tierani Brusett from Western came in close behind for second. Third went to Marissa Black from MSU and fourth was Danna Jo Whitford from Miles. The only other Bulldog in the short round was Cori Archibek, who ended up in 5th place.

It was a beautiful weekend of rodeo and now the emphasis is on studying and practicing to compete in 5 more rodeos this spring on the road to the CNFR in June. For news and updates, keep an eye on this site or on www.bigskycollegerodeo.com.
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College Rodeo Comes to Dillon!
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 25, 2003 -- This weekend is the annual Western College Rodeo in Dillon. The first performance starts at 5 pm on Friday at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds followed by slack on Saturday morning at 8 am and the second performance at 6 pm on Saturday. The short-round will be held on Sunday morning at 10 am with the top 10 qualifiers being auctioned off at Papa T's at around 10 pm on Saturday (immediately following the rodeo performance. As usual, the college athletes are sharing the fairgrounds with the high school rodeo athletes so it will be a full weekend of rodeo action.

This is the last rodeo of the fall half of the season and so far the race for the CNFR has been a tough one. In the current standings, after 4 rodeos, the Men's Team leaders are Northwest College (Powell, WY) with 1,700 pts, The University of Montana Western (Dillon) with 1,143.32 pts and Dawson Community College (Glendive) with 899.98 pts. The Women's Team standings are Montana State University (Bozeman) with 970 pts, Western with 640 pts and Dawson with 185 pts.

Among the regional leaders from Western are freshman Mac Erickson who is in 3rd in the All-Around as well as in 3/4 in the Bareback Riding and in 4th in the Bull Riding. Erickson is also in 7/8 in the Calf Roping. Older brother Chase Erickson is in 9/10 in Saddle Bronc Riding, 2nd in the Bareback Riding, 15th in the Bull Riding and 9th in the Calf Roping. Junior Shawn Downing is currently in 3rd place in the Calf Roping while teammate Jessie Heggie is in 2nd in the Steer Wrestling. Local boy Jabe Anderson is in 4th in the Steer Wrestling and MSU's Josh Boka, also from Dillon, is in 7/8 in the Steer Wrestling.

For the women, Butte's Michelle Wock is sitting on top of the region in the Goat Tying. The Breakaway Roping is dominated by Western, with only CeeCee Tryan from MSU topping the 6 girls from Western in the top 10. Junior Maquel Fleming is in 2nd in the Breakaway Roping as well as 6/7 in the Goat Tying and 2nd in the All-Around race. The Barrel Racing is Western's toughest event, with Cori Archibek holding the highest spot in 5th.

All in all, it should be an exciting weekend. For more information, call (406)683-7539 or just come on down to the fairgrounds. Keep an eye on www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for all the results.
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Western Rodeo Gains Momentum in Miles City
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 22, 2003 -- It was a long weekend for student athletes in the Big Sky Region this past weekend, with a double rodeo hosted by Miles Community College. With right around 200 athletes taking part in all 9 events, the action was fast and furious but Western rodeo held their own.

In the first rodeo, the Men's Team took second behind a dominant Northwest College team and the Women's Team also took second behind the Montana State Bobcats. Western had 3 men in the All-Around Cowboy race however, with Mac Erickson and Shawn Downing splitting 2/3/4 with Warren Adams from UM and Chase Erickson bringing in 60 points for 6th.

The Breakaway Roping belonged to Western with 3 of the top 4 wearing the red and black. Brittani Brusett swept the rodeo and roped two calves in 6 seconds flat to win the whole thing. In second was CeeCee Tryan of Montana State, but that was all the ladies were allowing. Third place went to Megan Lunak and 4/5 was Coree Shiner and Milee Malone (MSU). Also making it back to the short round for Western was Dillon native Tammy Eberline who ended up 9th overall.

The Goat Tying also proved to be fairly successful for the ladies, with freshman Whitney Wines splitting 2/3 with Kayla McInerney from Northwest right behind Marissa Black from MSU and Bekkie Bowerman taking 4th. Also in the short round was Michelle Wock who had tough luck on her second goat and ended up in 12th.

The Barrel Racing was a rough go for the ladies, with Cori Archibek, Denali Solomon and Bry Worthen making the short round but not being able to hold on against MSU. Solomon ended up splitting 4/5 with Lauren Watson from MSU while Worthen placed 7th and Archibek 8th.

For the men, it was Mac Erickson in the Bareback Riding, splitting 2/3/4 with Brian Carey of Miles Community College and Ryan Beckman of MSU. Clayton Kelly split 3/4 in the long round with Erickson to end up 7th overall, and Chase Erickson ended up in 6th.

Mac Erickson also ended up in a split for 2/3 in the Bull Riding with Clayton Tucker of Northwest College. Chase Erickson split 4/5 with Jarrett Monroe from Miles Community College, Troy Wilcox ended up 7th after winning the long round and bucking off in the short round and Kirby Nemitz ended up 10th.

Two cowboys came back to the short round in the Saddle Bronc Riding, Chase Erickson and Joe Heguy. Erickson ended up in 8th place overall while Heguy took home 10th. The event was won by Wade Sankey from Northwest College.

In the Calf Roping, it was Western's own Shawn Downing who took care of business and won the short round to win the average. Western also took home 4th and 5th with Chase Erickson heading to the timed event end of the arena and Pete White splitting winning the long round with Henry Hollenbeck from Northwest College. JD Shiner ended up in 10th overall for Western.

Canadian bulldogger Jessie Heggie finally lit up for Western by placing 2nd in both the long and short rounds to stay consistent and win the average. Dillon native Ty Tash also placed in the Steer Wrestling and brought home 7th place for Western.

6 of the top 10 teams in the Team Roping had a Western athlete in them, with the team of Tate Dempewolf from Western and Colt Tew of MSU winning it all. Right behind them was the team of Chad Huber of Dawson Community College and Brad Marshall from Western and in third was the all-Western team of Shawn Downing and Brad Marshall. Western also had JD Shiner and Mike Mori end up in 5th and Britt Williams (paired with Chase Gauger of MSU) and Jabe Anderson (with Clint Cobb of Dawson) splitting 6/7 to round out the event.

With the first rodeo out of the way it was on the the second and the news got better for the women. The Western Women's Team squeaked out a win by just 5 points over MSU to take home the title for the rodeo. The Men's Team had a good rodeo, but again it was just out of reach. Even Northwest College, who has dominated the team standings was edged out by Dawson Community College...by 5 points.

Chase Erickson brought home 115 points to earn a 3rd place spot in the All-Around, behind Wade Sankey of Northwest and Colt Moedl from MSU. Britt Williams also earned all-around points to end up in 6th.

It was all about Chase Erickson in the Bareback Riding. Erickson won the long round and took 2nd in the short round to split 1/2 with Wade Sankey from Northwest. Erickson was the only bareback rider to head to the short round for Western.

Saddle Bronc rider Buck Ryan made 2 good rides to end up in 5th overall while Joe Heguy, who took 3rd in the long round, had a rough time in the short round to end up in 9th overall.

For the Bull Riding, it was James Pihl who ended up 3rd overall. Also placing was Troy Wilcox, who came in 7th after a tough short round.

Jessie Heggie came back from his win in the first rodeo to take home 2nd behind AJ Franzen of Dawson in the second. Also earning points in the Steer Wrestling was newcomer Josh Porter. At only his 9th rodeo, Porter split 3/4 with Morgan Strauser from MSU - Northern to end up 5th overall. Dillon native Josh Boka, now rodeoing for MSU ended up 3rd overall.

There was a lot of red and black in the arena in the Calf Roping, with 5 out of 10 cowboys from Western. Rough stock talent Mac Erickson proved that he could hold his own at both ends of the arena by taking 2nd in the short round to end up in 3rd overall. Brother Chase Erickson also showed what the pair from Almo, Idaho are all about by placing 4th in the short round to end up in 5th overall. Jessie Heggie placed 7th in the average while Britt Williams came in 8th. Also competing in the short round was Shawn Downing who ended up 10th overall.

The top team for Dillon in the Team Roping was the Lund boys. Justin from Miles Community College headed for brother Logan of Western to end up 2nd overall. Jabe Anderson and JD Shiner, both from Western, ended up in 4th while Britt Williams and Mike Mori came in 5th. Sixth place went to JD Shiner and Mike Mori.

Junior Michelle Wock took home the title in the Goat Tying after a first place finish in the short round. Freshman Whitney Wines ended up 5th and Kortney Eiker placed 6th.

Maquel Fleming took charge of the Breakaway Roping by winning the long round, short round and average. Freshman Megan Lunak was right behind her in 2nd after placing 3rd in the long round and splitting 2/3 in the short round. Tammy Eberline placed 4th overall while Brittani Brusett came in 7th and sister Tierani Brusett placed 8th. Rounding out the 6 ladies from Western was Amalia Martinez coming in 9th.

Once again MSU dominated the Barrel Racing, with Cori Archibek coming in as the lone representative for Western. Archibek ended up 9th overall.

This coming weekend will be an exciting one with Western hosting their hometown rodeo. The action starts on Friday night. For more information, call Coach Else at (406)683-7539.

In the meantime, keep checking the Western website for updates or check out www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for news and results for the region.
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Rodeo Team Heads to Miles City for a Double-Header
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 17, 2003 -- The Western Rodeo Team is off to Miles City for a double-header weekend September 18-21. Every spring and every fall each school in the Big Sky Region takes turns hosting a double rodeo to make sure that even though the region only has 7 participating schools, the teams get in 10 rodeos.

After a great weekend for the Western women in Havre, Coach Olie Else is excited to see what the women can do this weekend as well as what the men are just waiting to do. "I know that our men have great talent, and I think that it's just a matter of time until the break out. Miles City could be just the place to do that."

After these 2 rodeos, all that's left for Western is their home rodeo in Dillon next weekend. Check back regularly for updates on this weekend and on all the news for Western Rodeo.
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Western Women Take Control in Havre
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 15, 2003 -- It was all about the ladies for Western this last weekend in Havre at the second Big Sky Regional College Rodeo of the season. Coach Olie Else's ladies dominated the competition with points coming from all over to take the team title.

The Breakaway Roping was dominated by Western before the short round even started, with 6 of the 10 women wearing the red and black vests. Sophomore Bry Worthen, from Menan, Idaho, was the winner all the way across the boards. Worthen won both rounds to take the average and top the point leaders with 120. Freshman Megan Lunak and junior Maquel Fleming ended up in a dead tie for the average and split second and third place. Also in the short round for Western were Amalia Martinez, who ended up 6th in the average; Tierani Brusett, who placed 7th; and Jenny Frerck, who rounded out the top 10.

But the women of Western were not finished. California sophomore Cori Archibek took charge and won the average in the Barrel Racing, edging out teammate Tierani Brusett by just .04 seconds. Canadian sophomore Traci Bevans also came back in the short round and ended up in 6th place overall.

In the Goat Tying, it was Michelle Wock in second place behind Kayla Weiss of Miles Community College. Amber Woods also earned points in the event, ending up in 4th place, while Maquel Fleming ended up in 8th overall.

The Western Men's Team wasn't as successful, but still had a good rodeo. The team of Mac and Chase Erickson held firm in the rough stock events with Mac taking home 4th in the Bareback Riding and 3rd in the Bull Riding to earn 92.5 points for the team. Older brother Chase ended up in a tie for 5th and 6th in the Bareback Riding and came in 6th in the Bull Riding. Also competing in the short round was bareback rider Clayton Kelly, who ended up 9th in the field of 15.

Only one Western cowboy came back to the short round in the Saddle Bronc Riding. Nevada junior Joe Heguy spurred his bronc for 70 points to win the short round and end up 4th in the average.

In the Bull Riding, the only other red and black vest was freshman James Pihl who ended up splitting 10th and 11th.

Tie Down Roper Brad Marshall collected 3rd place honors while teammates Shawn Downing and JD Shiner ended up in 6th and 8th respectively.

Western's usual strong event, the Steer Wrestling, was a bit disappointing in Havre. Britt Williams took home 3rd place in a tough event, while Jessie Heggie ended up 10th. The rounds were fast and furious and overall the bull dogging was tougher than usual.

Western shared the honors in the Team Roping with MSU when Tate Dempewolf and MSU competitor Colt Tew took 2nd place. The Western team of Brittani Brusett and Logan Lund came in 4th while Britt Williams paired up with Chase Gauger of MSU to earn the 7th place spot. Tyler Simonson and Tanner Anderson, both from Western, ended up 9th.

The Men's All-Around was dominated by Shane Proctor of Northwest College with 220 points earned at both ends of the arena. Proctor's teammate Wade Sankey ended up second with 95 points, edging out Western's Mac Erickson by just 2.5 points. Britt Williams ended up 5th with 55 points while Chase Erickson took 6th with 27.5.

Only one lady earned enough points to get All-Around honors. Bry Worthen from Western had 120 points when the dust cleared and she was named the Women's All-Around winner.

The Men's Team ended up in a tie for 4th and 5th with MSU - Northern while the Women's Team won it all, beating Miles Community College by 85 points.

Be sure to check www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for all the regional news and results...or for more Western specific news keep an eye on this page!
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It's Off to Havre for UM - Western Rodeo
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 11, 2003 -- Western Rodeo Coach Olie Else is loading up her athletes and heading to Havre for the second Big Sky College rodeo of the season. The action will start on Friday, September 12th and will wrap up on Saturday the 14th.

With the season off to a great start, Coach Else has high hopes for the year. "This year we've done away with the College Rodeo Championship Series as the determiner for the CNFR qualifiers. We're going back to the old format of the top 3 regional qualifiers in each event and then the top 2 teams for the region. I think that our team should be able to do really well and we hope to have at least one person in each event."

Currently, Western is in 2nd place for both the Men's and Women's team as well as leading the Steer Wrestling, Team Roping - Header, Team Roping - Heeler and the Goat Tying. In fact, there is no event as yet that does not have a Western name in the top 7. "We've gotten off to a great start," Else commented, "Our kids went to Cody and really performed. We've got some great talent on the team this year...I really think that everyone could go all the way...but we've also got some kids that are already making the run. Krystal Roberts really came into her own towards the end of last season and she's still showing her stuff. We've also got a real asset in Heeler Mike Mori, a transfer student from Elko, Nevada. With the region being really short-handed for heelers, its great to have the talent at Western...plus Mike is a great kid and a great student athlete. All in all, it's really shaping up to be an exciting year of rodeo at Western."

Be sure to check www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for all the regional news and results...or for more Western specific news keep an eye on this page!

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Western Men & Women Take Second at Cody Rodeo
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 8, 2003 -- The Big Sky College Rodeo season opened this past weekend in Cody, Wyoming. With a roster of 66 student athletes, Coach Olie Else has her hands full with a team with great potential.

Sophomore Chase Erickson ended up in 2nd in the Bareback Riding, 4th in the Saddle Bronc Riding and 6th in the Bull Riding. Overall, Erickson won the Men's All-Around title with 110 points. Erickson's brother Mac, in his freshman year at Western, placed 3rd in the Bareback Riding and 6th in the Calf Roping to end up in 4th in the All-Around race.

Also doing well for Western was sophomore Shawn Downing. After a trip to the CNFR last year, Downing opened his season with a 4/5 split in the Calf Roping and a 7th place finish in the Steer Wrestling. Another sophomore, Troy Wilcox, took home points in the Saddle Bronc Riding with his 6th place finish. Junior Jessie Heggie rounded out the top 4 in the Steer Wrestling but it was Dawson Community College transfer and local boy Jabe Anderson who won 110 points for the team with his success in the Steer Wrestling.

Anderson wasn't the only Western athlete to win his event. JD Shiner and Mike Mori took home the victory in the Team Roping and Maquel Fleming won the Goat Tying.

Also doing well in the Team Roping were Justin McPherson and Tyler Sarrazin (Miles Community College). McPherson and Sarrazin ended up 3rd after the dust settled. Brittani Brusett and Jessie Heggie also posted a 7th place finish.

Tyler Dellen split 3rd and 4th with Dawson Community College's Jim Dyk in the Bull Riding to round out the Men's Team finishers.

On the Women's side, Amber Woods brought home 4th place in the Breakaway Roping while last year's Regional Champion Bry Worthen ended up in a 6/7 split with MSU-Northern's Ashley Buck. Two Western girls did well in the Barrel Racing, with Krystal Roberts ending up in 2nd place overall. Tammy Eberline ended up in 7th place.

Overall, both teams ended up in 2nd place. Coach Else was very pleased with the team. "We knew the talent we had, but sometimes it takes awhile for the team to 'click'. It looks like we've already got the team unity and everyone is ready to win it all! With the College Rodeo Championship Series being out of the picture, we are very confident that Western will be one of the top 2 teams in the region...both of which will head to Casper!"

Results from the entire region will be updated regularly at www.bigskycollegerodeo.com and Western results will always be posted at www.umwestern.edu/athletics/rodeo/results.htm.
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Western Rodeo Team Heads to Wyoming to Open the 2003-2004 Season
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 3, 2003 -- The season-opening Northwest College Rodeo is set to start on Thursday, September 4th in Cody, Wyoming. The University of Montana Western is sending a full roster of cowboys and cowgirls into the Cowboy State to try and start the season off with a bang!

With a large number of returning hands as well as a great crop of fresh faces to the Dillon campus, Coach Iola "Olie" Else has high hopes for the year to come. "All of our kids are standouts in their own rights, but after last year's performances by Bry Worthen, winning the region in the Breakaway Roping in just her freshman year, as well as transfer student Tate Dempewolf's 3rd place finish as a Team Roper-Header, it looks to be exciting!" Coach Else went on to note that, "we also have a number of students who were a little under the radar last year but who really have huge potential. Sophomore Traci Bevans is one person who I really expect to break out this year." In addition to a great batch of kids on the team, Coach Else also has returning senior Chance Bernall as her Assistant Coach. Bernall, last year's regional Calf Roping Champion and Reserve Team Roping - Heeler Champion, brings 4 years of experience in the region to his position and should make tranfer student's transitions easier as well as helping the incoming freshman get their bearings in the collegiate arena.

"We've also got returning cowboys Shawn Downing and Chase Erickson who had great years that ended with a great CNFR." Coach Else commented. "Mac Erickson also joins the team this year and we expect great things from him. Troy Wilcox will also return after having a great summer and he's ready to get back on the college rodeo trail. Also returning is Maquel Fleming. Fans from last year might remember her as Maquel Lufkin, but although the name has changed the talent is still outstanding, and Maquel should have a great year."

All in all, the team is hoping to have a great fall season and to head into the spring on a roll. The last couple of years, Western has had a rougher fall than they'd like and have had to play a little catch-up each spring. With a strong fall, Western's typically strong spring would position them near the top of the standings.

Results will be posted on the UM-Western website, www.umwestern.edu/athletics/rodeo/results.htm and also at the new Big Sky College Rodeo website, dedicated to promoting all of the schools and athletes competing within the Big Sky region of the NIRA.

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Slide N' Slam/Bull Bash Results Are In!
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

September 2, 2003 -- The 2003 UM - Western Rodeo Team Slide N' Slam/Bull Bash was held on Saturday, August 30th at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds. The event, put on by the team to help raise scholarship money, was a big success, with 56 steer wrestlers entered up at $1000 added and 28 bull riders competing for the $2500 added prize money.

After the dust settled and the times and scores were tallied, it was Helena's Nick Stubblefield who earned the top honors in the steer wrestling. In the bull riding, it was Bozeman's Steven Lambert making the only bull ride in the short round to make him the only cowboy to top 2 bulls.

The fundraiser gives Western Rodeo the opportunity to build a strong team for NIRA competition. Without the gracious support of sponsors like Harrington Pepsi, US Smokeless Tobacco, Thompson Distributing and the Southwest Montana Tavern Association events like this would not be possible. Additional thanks go out to Montana Silversmiths for the great buckles given to this years winners as well as to all the Western Rodeo Team members who pitched in just 3 days after arriving at college and all of the Dillon community members who gave their time to help out the team. Pete White and Jessie Heggie worked the arena as pickup men while Chase Erickson split his time between riding the bulls and fighting them.

Nick Stubblefield receives his Montana Silversmiths buckle from Angie Muir

Pickup man Pete White and Angie Muir present Steven Lambert with his bull riding buckle

Slide N' Slam:

Long Round:

Ivan Teigen, Capitol, MT, 4.1 ($561.15)
Dallas Rasmussen, Sidney, MT 4.3 & Nick Stubblefield, Helena, MT 4.3 ($416.02 each)
Rod Paschke, Terry, MT 4.4 ($270.90)
Perry Detton, Missoula, MT 4.5 ($174.15)
Jeff Walchli, Challis, ID 4.7 & Klate Greany, Helena, MT 4.7 ($48.37 each)

Short Round:

Nick Stubblefield ($172.00)
Ivan Teigen ($129.00)
Perry Detton ($86.00)
Jeff Walchli ($43.00)

Average:

Nick Stubblefield ($561.15)
Ivan Teigen ($464.40)
Perry detton ($367.65)
Jeff Walchli ($270.90)
Klate Greany ($174.15)
Dallas Rasmussen ($96.75)

Bull Bash:

Long Round:

Jason Olson, Malta, MT 87 ($636.00)
James Warfield, Helena, MT 82 ($477.00)
Steven Lambert, Bozeman, MT 81 ($318.00)
Troy Wilcox, Absarokee, MT 80 ($159.00)

Short Round:

Steven Lambert 89 ($1590.00)

Average:

Steven Lambert 170 ($848.00)
Jason Olson 87 ($636.00)
James Warfield 82 ($424.00)
Troy Wilcox 80 ($212.00)

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2003 Slide N' Slam/Bull Bash Set for Dillon
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

August 21, 2003 -- The University of Montana Western Rodeo Team, with support from Harrington Pepsi, US Smokeless Tobacco, Thompson Distributing and the Southwest Montana Tavern Association are happy to announce that the annual Slide N' Slam/Bull Bash will be part of the festivities this Labor Day weekend in Dillon!

Saturday, August 30th at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds, some of the best Steer Wrestlers and Bull Riders in the area will compete in head-to-head action to help the UM - Western Rodeo Team. The Slide N' Slam will start at 5:30 pm with an entry fee of $80. There is $1000 added to the jackpot by the sponsors and the top 10 competitors will advance to the Championship Round. The Bull Bash will start at 7:30 pm with an entry fee of $125 and $2500 added money. The top 8 bull riders will compete in the Championship Round. Entries for the Slide N' Slam will be from 4-5 pm on the 30th at the Rodeo Office (at the fairgrounds) and the Bull Bash entries will be from 2-5 pm on August 20th at (877)972-2855.

Admission for the events will be $6.00 in advance or $7.00 at the gate. One ticket will get you into both exciting events and will top off an already exciting day of rodeo in Dillon. For more information, please contact Western Rodeo Coach Olie Else at (406)683-7539. See you there!
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CNFR Wraps Up with a Bang...
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

June 16, 2003 -- The College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) wrapped up a week's worth of performances on Saturday June 16th. On hand were college rodeo athletes from across the nation to vie for scholarship money as well as the national titles.

The University of Montana Western sent 8 student athletes to Casper, Wyoming to participate in Bareback Riding, Breakaway Roping, Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding. The only events Western didn't have an athlete in were Goat Tying and Saddle Bronc Riding.

Chase Erickson ended up in 31st place in the Bareback Riding after receiving a no score on his first horse. Erickson followed up with a 68.5 for an 11th place finish and then came into the 3rd round and placed 3rd with a 74.5 point ride. The freshman was impressive in his first CNFR showing...especially since he only rodeoed for the last 5 rodeos in the Big Sky Region due to an injury! This is only the beginning of this all-around rough stock rider's career. Erickson also ended up in 17th for the Rookie of the Year standings.

Fellow freshman Bry Worthen started off with a great run of 4.1 in the Breakaway Roping. Unfortunately, that run put her in 22nd place overall for the 1st round after a 1.9 second run blew everyone else away. Bry had what could've been a record setting run on her 2nd calf, only to have it end in heartbreak with a no time. She came back in the 3rd round with a vengance, but her catch was off and it took 12.6 seconds for the rope to break free from her saddle. Another young talent, the 36th place finish is not the last we'll hear from this roper!

Senior Chance Bernall stayed pretty consistent at his final CNFR, with an 11.3 in the first round and back to back 9.6 second runs in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. That consistency earned him a spot in the short round tied for 8th and 9th with fellow Big Sky Regional Calf Roper Henry Hollenbeck of Northwest College. Bernall roped and tied his calf in 13.4 seconds in a heartbreaking short round to end up in 9th place for the year in the national standings. The 2003 CNFR was his final appearance in college rodeo, but the professional ropers had better watch their backs as this young superstar heads to the PRCA!

Steer Wrestler Shawn Downing had a great week in Casper, turfing his first steer in 5.1 seconds for a 5th place finish, his second in 8.1 seconds and his 3rd steer in 5.5 seconds. The 3rd round was a fast one, and Downing's 5.5, which normally would've been quite competitive earned him a 14th place finish. The times were enough to send Downing on to the short round, where he was an impressive 4.8 seconds to end up 4th in the round and 8th in the nation for the year. Downing is just a sophomore and we should see him repeat his qualification over the next two years.

Western sent freshman Josh Boka and senior Chance Bernall to Casper in the Team Roping. The week proved rough on the team after a 22.6 second run in the first round followed by two no times. The pair did not make it back to the short round and ended up in a tie for 42nd and 43rd in the nation.

Two ladies made the CNFR in the Barrel Racing, Krystal Roberts and Tiffany Wagner. Roberts, in her first appearance at the CNFR, started off slowly with a 15.41 second run, followed by a 15.06 and a 15.05. She narrowly missed the top 12 with a 19th place finish. This consistent barrel racer will be back with a vengeance!

Senior Tiffany Wagner had a great final CNFR. Wagner, a four-time CNFR qualifier, was the epitome of consistency with a 15.01, a 14.96 and a 15.00 to qualify her in the 8th position in the short round. Wagner answered the call and won the short round with a 14.83 and ended up in 3rd in the nation for the year. Wagner's great horse "Dreamer" captured the hearts of everyone with her performances and "Dreamer" took home the honors of 2003 Women's Horse of the Year. The honor was made even sweeter by the fact that "Dreamer" beat out 2 time NFR qualifier "Cole", owned by Janae Ward, for the title.

Bull Rider Troy Wilcox had a tough week in his first appearance at the CNFR. Wilcox, along with a score of bull riders, found that the bulls brought to Casper were some of the rankest. Wilcox was thrown from all 3 bulls and didn't make the short round. The disappointing finish will only add to his desire to top the standings next year.

All in all, it was a great week for Western, with 3 of the 8 athletes returning for the short round and Tiffany Wagner's 3rd place finish. The Men's Team ended up in 30th place while the Western Women took home the 7th place spot. Be sure to check out www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for pictures and results on the rest of the Big Sky Region.

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Western Sends 8 to the College National Finals Rodeo
Wednesday, December 8 2004
June 5, 2003 -- The University of Montana Western is sending eight student-athletes to Casper, Wyoming to compete in the Super Bowl of College Rodeo, the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 8-14. At the College Rodeo Championship Series Rodeo in Bozeman May 28-31, the Western men's team won the title with the women finishing third.

"With the youth of our team, our goal was to stay patient and get better with each rodeo and have it all come together in the Spring when we need to," said UM Western coach Olie Else. "That is what we did. We were also without some of the kids due to injury or transfer requirements."

Helena Senior Tiffany Wagner finished the regular rodeo season in 2nd place in the Barrel Racing to earn her an automatic entry into the CNFR. Wagner is making her fourth appearance at the CNFR.

"Tiffany and her horse Dreamer are solid in the barrel racing," said Else. "With three previous trips to the CNFR, Tiffany can handle the pressure of the national competition. She is great all-around kid and a great role model for our younger kids."

Geraldine sophomore Krystal Roberts finished in the top five at to advance to the CNFR.

"I am tickled that Krystal is going to her first CNFR," noted Else. "She is one of the hardest working kids on the team."

Freshman Bry Worthen of Rigby, Idaho won the Big Sky Regional Title in the Breakaway Roping to advance to Casper in her first season in collegiate rodeo.

"Bry won the regional title, but had a horrible shootout," said Else. "I am not worried because she has the talent to score points for us at the CNFR."

Libby senior Chance Bernall closed out the season with his second straight Big Sky Regional Calf Roping title to earn an automatic bye to CNFR. After a top five finish at CRCS Rodeo in Bozeman, Bernall and Dillon freshman Josh Boka advanced to the CNFR in team roping.

"Chance is our team captain and making his fourth trip to the CNFR," said Else. "He has bad luck at the his previous trips to the CNFR, but I think this is the year for him. He is strong in both events. For a freshman, Josh has the focus to do very well at the CNFR. Chance and Josh will be one of the stronger teaming roping teams."

Almo, Idaho Freshman Chase Erickson will compete in his first CNFR in Bareback Riding and bull riding, Erickson ended up 6th in the short round of the CRCS in Bozeman, but with the byes earned by regional champs, he will be representing Western at the CNFR!

"Chase is another talented Cowboy," added Else. "He only competed in five rodeos due to inury, but he finished strong. His strong Spring finish is just a sampling of what rodeo fans will see from him over the next few years."

Troy Wilcox, an Absarokee sophomore, also used a top five finish in bull riding in Bozeman to advance to the CNFR next week.

"Troy had a good Shoot-out," said Else. "He is a tough kid because he rode injured in Bozeman and will again in Casper."

Helena sophomore Shawn Downing won the steer wrestling in Bozeman with three speedy runs. The CRCS title sends Downing to his first CNFR.

"Shawn was a state champion in both calf roping and steer wrestling," said Else. "He had a slow season but he worked with Jesse Peterson and worked his way through the slow times. I think Shawn is the premier steer wrestler in the state and proved it at the Shoot-Out. "

Check www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for up to date results and information on all UM-Western competitors.
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College Rodeo Championship Series Determines Big Sky Qualifiers for CNFR
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

June 2, 2003 -- The College Rodeo Championship Series (CRCS) was held this past weekend in Bozeman, Montana, with the top 5 qualifiers in each event heading to Casper, Wyoming for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 8-14. The University of Montana Western is sending 8 student athletes to Casper to vie for the championships in their respective events.

Senior Tiffany Wagner finished up the regular rodeo season in

2nd place in the Barrel Racing to earn her an automatic entry into the CNFR, but she still had the opportunity to compete in the CRCS. After winning the 1st round, Wagner placed 7th in the 2nd round and 3rd in the short round to end up in 3rd place overall. Krystal Roberts will be joining Tiffany Wagner in Casper in the Barrel Racing after turning in three consistent runs over the weekend.

Chance Bernall closed out the season as the Big Sky Regional Calf Roping Champion and also got an automatic bye into the CNFR.

The CRCS was not the rodeo Bernall might have hoped for, with a missed calf in the 2nd round knocking him out of the average race. But Bernall, partnered with local Team Roping talent Josh Boka, did come back to the short go around in the Team Roping. Boka split the Big Sky Regional Team Roping - Header title with Dawson Community College cowboy A.J. Franzen. Boka and Bernall will be representing UMW at the CNFR in the Team Roping as well as Bernall in the Calf Roping.

Freshman Bry Worthen won the Big Sky Regional Title in the Breakaway Roping but had a disappointing CRCS. After using 2 loops on her first calf, Worthen came back to win the 2nd round with a smoking 2.7 run but failed to make it back to the short round. Worthen will head to Casper to rope against the best from each region in the nation and represent Western in style!

Rough stock rider Chase Erickson qualified for the CRCS in both the Bull Riding and the Bareback Riding after missing the first half of the season due to injury. The bulls from the Flying 5 Rodeo Company gave the bull riders a tough go of it all weekend, with only 5 rides in the 2nd round and 2 in the short round. Erickson scored a 78 on his first bull, but failed to make another qualified ride. In the Bareback Riding, Erickson ended up 6th in the short round, but with the byes earned by regional champs, he will be representing Western at the CNFR!

Troy Wilcox also went to the CRCS in the Bull Riding for Western. Wilcox rode his first bull for 7.5 seconds but came back in the 2nd round and the short round with scores of 84 on each bull to earn the CRCS Bull Riding Champion title. Wilcox was all set to get on the "Challenge" bull after the short round was over to earn up to $1050 in scholarships, but an injury on his short round bull kept him from matching up with the infamous bull "Unforgiven". Wilcox will be headed on to the CNFR next week.

Steer Wrestler Shawn Downing blew the competition away with three speedy runs. After placing 2nd in the first round, Downing turfed his steer in 6.2 seconds in the 2nd round. Unfortunately, the 2nd round was lightening fast and a 4.9 won it. The two runs put him in 3rd in the average and after a blazing 3.8 second run in the short round to split 1st with Jason Lawrence of Dickinson State University (North Dakota), Downing came out on top by 4.8 seconds over Lawrence to take home the buckle and the championship.

Overall, Western's teams ended up in a tie for 3rd and 4th for the Women and ended up winning the Men's team championship. From here its off to Casper for Coach Olie Else and her kids. Hopes are high and talents are great so it should make for a spectacular CNFR! Be sure to check www.bigskycollegerodeo.com for up to date results and information on all Big Sky Region competitors.

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Western Wraps Up the Season in Style!
Wednesday, December 8 2004
by Rainey Smith

May 5, 2003 -- After a tough fall season and an environmentally challenging spring, things really clicked into place in the deep mud of Missoula this past weekend.

In a double-header weekend, Western's women took 1st place as a team in the first rodeo and took 2nd in the second rodeo by a mere 20 points to Montana State University. The men took home 3rd place in the first rodeo and edged out Montana State University by only 5 points to take the team championship for the second.

In the first rodeo, standout performances were turned in by numerous Western athletes, with Tiffany Wagner, Chance Bernall and Blaise Black placing first in their events. Wagner dominated the Barrel Racing by winning the long go-round, the short go-round and the average. Her time of 18.35 seconds in the long go was the fastest of the rodeo and her closest competitor for that round was an 18.75! Chance Bernall ended his recent dry streak by winning the short go and the average in the Calf Roping to take home the title for Western. The last couple of rodeos had been disappointing for Bernall and this was just what he needed to end his senior season. Blaise Black heeled for Sarah Scott from Northwest Community College and they scooped up a win in the Team Roping.

In the second rodeo, it was Maquel Lufkin and Shawn Downing who took the titles in their events. Lufkin, a transfer from The University of Montana, took home the Barrel Racing title as well as a 3rd place finish in the Breakaway Roping to earn her the Women's All-Around title on her 20th birthday! Shawn Downing turfed his two steers in 9.7 seconds to win the Steer Wrestling for Western. His time was over 2 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher TJ Wetherbee of Northwest Community College who had an 11.8 on two head.

At the close of the season, the student athletes cast their votes for Horses of the Year and for the Walt Garrison Award. The Walt Garrison Award goes to a student who is a hard worker and this year's award went to Travis Burian. Burian is also the Big Sky Regional Student Director and he rodeos at both ends of the arena for Montana State University. Horse of the Year honors went to Chance Bernall of Western for his great calf horse "Runt" and to Tiffany Wagner of Western for her barrel horse "Dreamer".

With the results for the entire Big Sky Region season in the books, it looks like the Regional Shoot-Out will be exciting. Set for May 28-31 in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the campus of Montana State University, this rodeo pits competitors from the Big Sky Region against the top 10 from the Great Plains Region and the Central Rocky Mountain Region for the top 10 positions to head to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 8-14 in Casper Wyoming. The top 2 from each event receive an automatic entry into the CNFR as long as they compete at the Shoot-Out. From there, the top 5 positions (with leeway given if the top 2 regional athletes are in the top 10) in each event at the Shoot-Out head to Casper.

Thanks to the many sponsors of Big Sky Regional College Rodeo!!!

Below are the qualifiers for the Big Sky Region from Western as well as the rest of the region:

Men's Events
Event Contestant School Points
Team Standings Montana State University MTSU 3240
Northwest Community College NWC 2150
The University of Montana Western WMTC 1960
The University of Montana UMT 1753.3
Dawson Community College DAWS 1715
Miles Community College MILES 1295
MSU-Northern NMTC 1047.5
Bareback Riding Andy Bolich MTSU 915
Wade Sankey NWC 450
Dale Stoller NMTC 445
Nathan Graves NWC 230
Chase Erickson WMTC 200
Casey Bachand DAWS 135
Randy VandenBos MILES 130
Casey Gruber MTSU 115
Mike Gill DAWS 90
Ryan Beckman MTSU 90
Saddle Bronc Riding Doug Kallenberger NMTC 577.5
Jarrett Monroe MILES 522.5
Brandon Brooks MTSU 357.5
Andy Bolich MTSU 270
Clifford Aly NWC 240
Colt Moedl MTSU 230
Joesy Hauser DAWS 200
Wade Sankey NWC 165
Joe Heguy WMTC 102.5
Bobby Kittson WMTC 70
Bull Riding Billy Burt UMT 548.33
Mike Gill DAWS 290
Jarrett Monroe MILES 285
Travis Burian MTSU 190
Steven Lambert MTSU 155
Troy Wilcox WMTC 150
Jim Dyk DAWS 145
Clint Weeding MILES 135
Nick Anderson NWC 118.33
Chase Erickson WMTC 110
Steer Wrestling Henry Hollenbeck NWC 420
T.J. Wetherbee NWC 350
Jabe Anderson DAWS 290
Ross Eickhoff UMT 225
Shawn Downing WMTC 215
Jessie Heggie WMTC 195
Calvin Peterson UMT 180
Brent Dolezal DAWS 135
Mike Gill DAWS 110
A.J. Franzen DAWS 110
Calf Roping Chance Bernall WMTC 415
Coley Frerck MTSU 330
Andy Bolich MTSU 270
Blaise Black WMTC 200
Casey Currey DAWS 190
Scott Reiger MTSU 185
Colt Moedl MTSU 155
Henry Hollenbeck NWC 145
Warren Adams UMT 140
Tyler Larson NWC 90
Ross Eickhoff UMT 140
Team Roping - Header A.J. Franzen DAWS 160
Josh Boka WMTC 160
Tate Dempewolf DAWS 137.5
Tyler Larson NWC 130
Scott Reiger MTSU 117.5
Sarah Scott NWC 110
Troy Ruhkala UMT 80
Ed Hawley MTSU 65
Robert VanderVoort MILES 62.5
Brittani Brusett WMTC 60
Team Roping - Heeler Colt Gorrell DAWS 130
Chance Bernall WMTC 127.5
Casey Currey DAWS 125
Ross Eickhoff UMT 115
Coley Frerck MTSU 115
Clint Cobb DAWS 112.5
Blaise Black WMTC 90
Kyle Allshouse NWC 75
Travis Dempsey MTSU 47.5
Clint Weeding MILES 40
All Around Andy Bolich MTSU 1497.5
Jarrett Monroe MILES 852.5
Henry Hollenbeck NWC 585
Chance Bernall WMTC 542.5
Mike Gill DAWS 490
Coley Frerck MTSU 445
Jabe Anderson DAWS 430
Colt Moedl MTSU 402.5
Chase Erickson WMTC 325
Tyler Larson NWC 315
Scott Reiger MTSU 232.5

Women's Events
Team Standings Montana State University MTSU 1919.9
The University of Montana Western WMTC 1250
The University of Montana UMT 1050
Northwest Community College NWC 745
Miles Community College MILES 355
MSU-Northern NMTC 305
Dawson Community College DAWS 225
Barrel Racing Bobby Jean Jones MTSU 660
Tiffany Wagner WMTC 360
Maquel Lufkin WMTC 300
RaeLynn Roesler MTSU 265
Lauren Watson MTSU 170
Krystal Roberts WMTC 170
Allison Konkel MTSU 150
Kirby Watt MTSU 120
Kelle Moore MTSU 90
C.J. Moedl MTSU 80
Meaghan Houlihan UMT 80
Breakaway Roping Bryant Worthen WMTC 310
Jaley Wacker NMTC 240
Sarah Scott NWC 225
Milee Malone MTSU 215
Tracey Currey MTSU 205
Heidi Wilkinson UMT 195
Brittani Brusett WMTC 190
Tierani Brusett WMTC 185
Maquel Lufkin WMTC 130
Bobby Jean Jones MTSU 105
Megan Ruhkala UMT 105
Goat Tying Kirby Watt MTSU 338.3
Sarah Scott NWC 280
Tara Krell DAWS 270
Heidi Wilkinson UMT 255
Kayla Weiss MILES 245
Tracey Currey MTSU 215
Joey Fleharty UMT 195
Desiree Downing WMTC 175
Stacey Williams ULETHB 150
Michelle Wock WMTC 135
All Around Bobby Jean Jones MTSU 908.3
Sarah Scott NWC 615
Heidi Wilkinson UMT 500
Kirby Watt MTSU 458.3
Tracey Currey MTSU 435
Maquel Lufkin WMTC 435
Joey Fleharty UMT 295
Brittani Brusett WMTC 250

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