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Kendra Santos, 9600 Lazy E Dr, Guthrie, OK (2026)

08/25/2026

Thank you, Dolly, you were an angel on earth.

These two rodeo-loving country girls, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, won my heart a long time ago for being bright-side silver-lining seekers at all times.

Many of you know that Oklahoma- and rodeo-raised Reba got her big break when Clem McSpadden hired her for ten bucks to sing the National Anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo, and that she wore Daddy Clark’s 1957 world champion steer roper buckle when she sang that same song 50 years later at the 2024 Super Bowl.

You also probably know that Dolly grew up dirt poor as one of 12 brothers and sisters in a one-room cabin with no electricity or running water. But instead of complaining, she wrote beautiful music about the tough life that made her who she was and generously shared her hard-earned riches with others.

Dolly did Vegas during the 1992 NFR, and was due back at Caesar’s Palace on the Vegas Strip during this December’s Super Bowl of Rodeo.

Dolly died today at 80. But not before making this world a better place.

>>Thank you, Reba, for the perfect picture.

08/25/2026

You all know how I feel about cowboys and cowgirls making more money in rodeo. Yes, please. The 2026 Utah Pioneer Week Top Hand Award winners have just been announced, and $15,000 bonuses to both the top-earning cowboy and cowgirl is singing my never-ending song.

Congratulations to tie-down roper Joel Harris and breakaway roper Beau Peterson on banking this impressive bonus loot—again, $15,000 each—on an already lucrative run of Utah rodeos. The rules of the game on these Utah Pioneer Week Top Hand Awards program are simple: He and she who win the most at Days of 47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo and Ogden Pioneer Days combined—which are all in a convenient 150-mile driving radius that $2 million week in July—win the cash.

San Angelo’s Harris, who’s currently ranked fourth in the world in his trademark event, had a banner week in Utah to earn his welcomed reward. He placed at all three rodeos for a grand $37,608 total, including $17,641 and the silver medal in Salt Lake City (Buck Calhoun won the gold), the $10,990 title at Spanish Fork and another $8,977 for sixth at Ogden. (Ryder Wright was the second high-money-winning cowboy this year with an impressive $28,871 of his own.)

“I have always loved that week of rodeos,” Harris said. “I love the people in Utah, and love the fans there. You get to go to some of the best rodeos during that week with limited travel.”

Peterson of Council Grove, Kansas is the first breakaway roper to capture this bonus on the cowgirl side. She took a total of $21,873 at the three Utah Pioneer Week rodeos, including the gold medal and $20,697 in Salt Lake City and $1,176 for sixth in the second round at Spanish Fork. (Days of ’47 gold medal barrel racer KariAnn Cross finished a close second for this bonus with $21,147.)

“This is a really unique and special rodeo, and so I’m thankful to be up on the podium,” Peterson said in SLC. “I have never done any good at this rodeo, and have not had any luck the last two months, so this will hopefully get the ball rolling in the right direction.”

As of today, Peterson’s ranked 15th in the world.

“It’s huge to win another $15,000 on top of those rodeos,” she said. “That is a week of rodeos you look forward to, and I am shocked to have won it (the Pioneer Week bonus). I love those rodeos, and will be back.”

Joel and Beau will be presented their fat checks in April at the Governor State of Sport Banquet at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

“It is a true privilege to celebrate our rodeo athletes on the same grand stage in the State of Utah as Olympic and professional sports icons,” said Days of ’47 Executive Director Tommy Joe Lucia, who’s also my co-host on the No Spin Rodeo podcast. “Utah’s pioneer heritage is at the heart of our Western lifestyle.”

Interestingly, there have been no repeat Utah Pioneer Week Top Hand Awards winners since DO47 spearheaded this spectacular set of award bonuses in 2023. Past recipients on the cowboy side have included team ropers Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp in 2023, tie-down roper Marty Yates in 2024 and bronc riding, bull riding all-around ace Stetson Wright in 2025. On the cowgirl side, barrel racers Jordon Briggs (2023), Kassie Mowry (2024) and Carlee Otero (2025) have banked the bonuses.

Congratulations, Joel and Beau, and thank you, Salt Lake City, Spanish Fork and Odgen!!

08/24/2026

Today’s the day family and friends of Hayes Hamaker are gathering to say goodbye for now. It will be another tough one.

Cowboy Hayes Hamaker Celebration of Life
August 24 at 1 p.m.
University of Wyoming Cliff & Martha Hansen Teaching Arena
470 WY-230, Laramie, WY 82070

The Hamaker family asks that everyone who can come wear blue in Hayes’ honor, as it was his favorite color.

Sending so much love to the Hamaker and Summit Pro Rodeo family today and every day. Such a beloved bunch of people in our rodeo family, and Hayes lit up so many lives—people of all ages—with pure happiness.

Cards can be sent to:
Ty and Alison Hamaker
3905 E Grand Avenue
Suite 200
Laramie, WY 82070

God Bless Cowboy Hayes

>>That’s Hayes and Django

08/23/2026

It gave me great joy watching the steer wrestlers just go be their all-for-one-one-for-all, may-the-best-man-win selves in the Caldwell short round last night. A record fell and big money won made a major difference in the world standings while Tyler Waguespack and JD Struxness hazed for each other, young Traver Johnson finished second in a pack of wolves and bagged $11,790 (he was also entered in the tie-down roping) for the all-around title to move up to 19th in the world steer wrestling standings, and Will Lummus got dirty before he even ran one pushing his buddies’ steers. But I really had no idea how truly cool it had all played out before I picked up that phone call from Wag a few minutes after the bulldogging ended.

Here I was texting him to confirm that he rode his own horse, Mac, and asking which horse Struxness was riding over on the hazing side when he set that shiny new 3.4-second Caldwell Night Rodeo record. The simple answer to my question was that the hazing horse’s name is Bruno, and he belongs to seven-time NFR steer wrestler Kyle Irwin. But Wag called because it was too much to tell me in a simple text.

Five-time Champ of the World Wag and 2024 Gold Buckle Bulldogger Struxness had never hazed for each other before last night.

Before this year’s rodeo in Caldwell started, the 3.5-second steer wrestling arena record belonged to Irwin.

When Struxness tied Irwin’s 3.5-second Caldwell record to win Round 1 earlier in the week, it was Irwin who helped him do it hazing on Bruno.

The reason Irwin was MIA over on the hazing side in the short round last night was because he was headed home to Westville, Florida to be with his family. He’s gone missing from the rodeo road off and on this year for good reason. His wife Randa’s sister Cami Dewees Morgan—a cowgirl, wife and mom of four—has been courageously battling stage-four metastatic colon cancer. And cowboy Kyle has his priorities straight.

Irwin has no shot of making his eighth NFR this year. And still, he helps his steer wrestler friends while also providing for his family. He’s been doing that on the back of this Dewees-family-raised sorrel star over on the hazing side. And he’s so selfless that when family-first duty calls at home, he entrusts his cowboy friends with the family’s four-legged pride and joy—to help others.

This is the same hazing team—Irwin and Bruno—that helped Riley Duvall win $75,000 at the Calgary Stampede this summer, and has the dynasty dogger headed to his fifth NFR in December.

“Kyle’s busting his ass hazing for us to pay the bills for his family, and flying back and forth to be home to help his family,” Wag said. “This Caldwell short round was the first time JD ever swung a leg over Bruno, and JD and I only hazed for each other for the first time ever in the short round here to fill in for Kyle. He’s been bouncing back and forth to be with his family, make a living for his family and help his friends. Hats off to him for finding a way to do it all. That’s all heart right there.”

The 2026 steer wrestling highlights at Caldwell included Wag setting that new arena record, and Struxness winning $14,044 and his second Caldwell title (Wag and his good buddy Will split third in the average behind JD and Traver).

This’ll all be permanent record in the documentation of the 2026 Caldwell Night Rodeo. But it doesn’t tell the rest of the story—the one that really matters.

Safe journey home and back when it works, Irwin. Love to you and your people, most especially cowgirl warrior woman Cami.

~

Thank You, Cypress Creatives📸 Las Tunas Performance Horses

08/22/2026

After breaking his back at the rodeo in Logan, Utah on August 6, Cooper Filipek busted out of the Intermountain Health Logan Regional Hospital on August 12. But after undergoing two surgeries there to stabilize the shattered L5 vertebra in his low back and clean up bone fragments in the L4, L6 and L7 areas around it, he wasn’t exactly free to go home. Fact is, he’s only made it two miles so far.

“I got out of the hospital on August 12, and came straight to a nursing home they call Sunshine Terrace right down the road from the hospital in Logan,” Cooper said. “It’s an old folks home, and I’m in the wing with patients who are here to heal up in the short run, because they can’t handle what they’ve got going on alone at home.

“I’m going crazy in here, and it feels like prison. But I have to heal up enough to make the flight or drive home to Gillette (Wyoming), and when I left the hospital, I couldn’t sit in a car more than 10 minutes, if that.”

Cooper had his first surgery on August 7, the day after that horse rolled over on him at Logan. He was in terrible pain afterwards, and when X-rays revealed that one of the rods had shifted, he had a second surgery on August 9. He now has three incisions on his back that are six to eight inches long. That second surgery also included putting a screw in his right hip.

“I get pretty sore, especially where they put the six- or seven-inch screw in my hip because my right hip was trying to pull away from my back,” he said. “The surgeon broke three screw drivers trying to get that thing in there. When they replaced that second rod in my back, they tied it into that extra pin in my hip.”

The long-lasting nerve block finally wore off four days ago, and that’s actually given Cooper some relief.

“The incisions were painful, but they’re getting way better,” he said. “It’s pretty bearable now. And my sutures are supposed to start dissolving by about Sunday (tomorrow). I’ve been walking around the building, and up and down a few stairs, and I just put my walker down a couple days ago. I’ll wear a back brace for about three months, and it restricts me from doing anything too crazy. Movement is pretty limited even when the back brace is off, just because I’m weak everywhere.”

Cooper has his next set of X-rays this coming Tuesday, August 25. If they look good, he’s hoping hard to be released to head home to Gillette on Wednesday by either private jet or car.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to my own home and my own bed,” he said. “And seeing some familiar faces. Phones are great and FaceTime is cool, but it only does so much.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to my silversmithing—I have a full shop set up in Gillette, and make bits, spurs, bracelets and pendants. And Marvin (Garrett) has six ba****ck riders recruited (at Gillette College, where Cooper was rodeoing when he won the 2025 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association ba****ck riding title), school’s starting back up and I’m looking forward to getting back home so I can help Marvin help them. I’ll probably crack my fiddle back out. I played it fourth grade through my senior year, then picked up a guitar. It’ll be cool to make some music and write some songs.”

Cooper’s been playing for the old folks and nurses in his temporary home. In fact, the medical staff’s been wheeling a group of memory-care patients out to get some sun and song from Cooper. It was the first time he’s ever sung into a microphone, and he was a huge hit.

At 23, Cooper faces an uncertain rodeo future. The doctors say it’ll take his fit young athlete’s body a full year to heal from the trauma of that wreck.

“The doctor here told me I’d never ride again,” he said. “The fire is there, it’s just hard to think about right now. First things first, and that means getting healed up and taking it from there.

“I’ve had a lot of support from so many people. It’s been pretty crazy, really. A lot of people I didn’t even know that well—dads and moms from my high school rodeo days included—have reached out. I sure appreciate people being so nice, it means a lot.”

~

Because so many of you have asked how we can help Cooper, I’m giving you my two favorite options for ways that don’t involve companies taking a cut.

Venmo: -filipek
Last four of phone number: 4024
(Please always remember to input it exactly so as not to risk benefitting the low-life scammers who pop up with similar log-ins.)

For those of you who prefer to send a good, old-fashioned card and check:
Cooper Filipek
P.O. Box 1811
Rapid City, SD 57709

Thank you all for staying hooked and rallying behind Cooper. Our rodeo family is unmatched when it comes to helping our own.

08/21/2026

Six weeks after the July 7 practice-pen run that almost cost Walt Woodard his right thumb, the 70-year-old two-time world champion team roper is back at it. It’s slow going, and the end of his thumb is numb. But it’s an amazing start.

“I’ve roped for five days now,” said the 1981 and 2007 world champ. “I started back with a head rope, but have used a heel rope the last two days. I don’t have enough swing speed or hand strength to keep up with them or get ahead of them, and my hand doesn’t work properly yet. The first day back when I tried to feed my rope it flew out of my hand. But I have graduated to a softer-than-normal heel rope, and as I keep using a stiffer rope every day has gotten better.”

The two pins that were used to fix the break when South Dakota surgeon Dr. Kelly Purcell reattached his thumb on July 7 have since been removed. Five days after having those taken out, he started roping again on Monday of this week (August 17th).

Simple moves, like buttoning his jeans or the top on the left collar on his shirt, are still a challenge. But Woodard’s not about to complain.

“I feel very grateful,” he said. “I’m still working on my strength, and nerve healing can be slow. But the feeling in the end of my thumb will hopefully return.”

Give this guy a goal, then never bet against him. Woodard’s been heeling slow steers at home behind guys like Manny Egusquiza (shown here), but has his sights set on returning to full contact in time to enter Tee Woolman’s Last Hoorah Team Roping (which is a $75,000-added PRCA standalone and counts toward the 2026 world standings) at the 377 Arena in Stephenville, Texas on the last day of the regular rodeo season, which is September 30, with Logan Olson.

“It’ll be a world-class competition on four tough steers that will be strong and run, and all the best ropers will be there,” Walt Woodard said. “That’s what I’m working to get ready for. I’m not 100% yet—not even close. My hand isn’t doing what my mind is telling it to. But I’m improving, and I’m going to keep roping every single day to get ready.

“I love the game, and I love the people who do it. I relate to General George Patton saying, ‘I want to be killed from the last bullet from the last soldier in the last war, because without war I have no reason to live.’ That’s 100% how I feel about roping. Roping defines me.”

Las Tunas Performance Horses

08/20/2026

I am proud to this year have the torch of president of the National Rodeo Hall of Fame Advisory Board passed to me from my loyal lifelong friend and five-time World Champion Bullfighter Rob Smets. At this year’s spring meeting at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City we voted unanimously to start recognizing rodeos of historical significance and lasting impact on the sport.

Having lived my entire life and career in this cowboy sport, I could not have personally hand-picked two more deserving rodeos to receive the inaugural Rodeo Legacy Award than the Pendleton Round-Up and California Rodeo Salinas. I come from a five-generation ranch and rodeo family, and Salinas and Pendleton are old-school cowboy contests that have stuck to their guns and never compromised when it comes to upholding the unique traditions that make them one of a kind.

Pendleton and Salinas are both celebrating their 116th annual rodeos this year, and both receive the same cowboy and cowgirl compliments today as they did from the greats a hundred years ago.

In the words of a couple of my favorite cowboy friends…

“Salinas and Pendleton are both great rodeos,” said seven-time Team Roping Champ of the World Clay Cooper, who’s won them both. “They’re very rich in tradition, and their arena styles are unique as well. They care about their legacy, and it shows. From a contestant’s point of view, I think they’re great—the epitome of what rodeo is—with all the differences, nuances and tradition of it all.

“We’re losing the people who were instrumental in keeping these great traditions alive for years and years daily, and it’s not always easy to hold on to traditions. But the extra effort is worth it—it’s what sets these rodeos apart. Salinas and Pendleton are old school. They’re just cool. And you can spot one of their buckles from across the arena, because they’re one-of-a-kind, too.”

To Salinas, Derrick Begay says, “Please don’t ever change.” As for Pendleton, “People talk about Heaven being a perfect place. Heaven is a perfect place. I think Pendleton is Heaven on earth. The only difference is the grass is a little taller up there.’”

Three generations of my family enjoyed Big Week in Salinas last month, and three generations will Let ’er Buck at Pendleton next month. Thank you both for being great then, now and forever.

08/17/2026

Hayes Ryan Hamaker comes from a long line of real deal ranch and rodeo cowboys, and was the proud continuation of that Hamaker brand of handy. We lost Hayes last Friday, August 13, in a tragic ranch accident.

While we’ve all been reminiscing about the great Phil Lyne’s legendary life and legacy, we know he had one heck of a 79-year run and left this world ahead of the loved ones who’ve come behind him, as he would have wanted. We all do.

We have not had that same consolation with Hayes, who joined the angels at 6. These are the impossible losses in our rodeo family, when love and prayer for peace in every broken heart is all we have.

I have waited for Ty and Alison to gather enough strength to announce The Celebration of Life for Cowboy Hayes. They did that today, so here it is.

Hayes Hamaker Celebration of Life
1 p.m. on Monday, August 24
UW Cliff & Martha Hansen Teaching Arena
Laramie, Wyoming

If you can make it, Alison and Ty ask that you wear blue, as it was Hayes’ favorite color.

If any of you have photos of Hayes to share with his family, please email them to [email protected].

God Bless Hayes, and the Hamaker and Summit Pro Rodeo family.

08/15/2026

Phil Lyne 1-18-47 ~ 8-14-26
One of the greatest ranch and rodeo cowboys of all time headed to Cowboy Heaven last night with the passing of the great Phil Lyne at 79. (And “one of” might be a stretch, as I lost count decades ago of the legendary cowboys who told me they considered Phil THE greatest cowboy ever.)

The 1969 Overall Rookie of the Year won five world championships in the history-making rodeo career he cut short by choice.

Phil was the world champion all-around cowboy and calf roper in both 1971 and ’72, and returned from rodeo retirement to win the 1990 world steer roping title by $85 over Guy Allen.

This four-time Linderman Award winner—Phil won that coveted honor by being handy at both ends of the arena in 1970, ’71, ’72 and ’76—pulled up in his prime and went home to the ranch and hunt in Cotulla, Texas, where he and Sarah Kay raised their daughters, Amanda and Samantha.

Phil won back-to-back NFR calf roping averages in 1971-72, the NFR bull riding average in 1972 and National Finals Steer Roping averages in both 1983 and ’86. He was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in 1971, and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs with the inaugural Class of 1979.

The feat Phil and Ace Berry pulled off at the 1972 NFR—winning NFR average championships at both ends of the arena—will likely never happen again. And they did it together, Phil winning the NFR in the calf roping and bull riding, and Ace winning the ba****ck riding and team roping.

There was a special bond between them for life after that rare rodeo feat, which has never been duplicated. Naturally, when I got word of Phil’s passing, Ace was my first call.

“We just went on about our business like always,” Ace reminisced of that 1972 NFR. “We were both there to win, and Phil did one hell of a job of it.”

Like Phil, Ace is a man of few words—a quiet, humble champion. Having known and looked up to Ace all my life, and I’ve loved sharing a birthday with him on January 13. But I never knew before now that Ace and Phil were born the same week back in 1947—Ace on January 13, and Phil five days later on January 18. What a monumental week in rodeo history.

“Phil Lyne was by far the best all-around cowboy I’ve ever seen in the rodeo arena,” Ace said, pausing to gather his thoughts between a few tears over the news of his old friend’s passing. “He was just so versatile. Phil could do anything. I saw him ride ba****ck horses, broncs, bulls, rope calves, bulldog, team rope and rope steers. Phil worked every event there was.

“He was good at every event, and a hell of a good guy on top of it. Most people with that much talent would be on their high horse. Not Phil. He was the same every day. Phil was the greatest cowboy. We shared a lot of good times, and they’re great memories now. Vaya con Dios, my friend.”

There will never be another Phil Lyne. Ever.

Rest in Peace, Cowboy.

Love to Phil’s family.

08/14/2026

I'm all about the cowboys (and cowgirls). He comes at it from a producer's point of view. This is the great rodeo debate also known as No Spin Rodeo.

In this Ep 108 conversation, I voiced my opinion that there's no way that purposely putting the best guys on the best horses and bulls at the end of the buck order does not affect the outcome. In my book, it's a straight advantage.

Tommy J. Lucia contends that if the judges are doing their jobs, buck order should not impact scores and final outcome.

As always, we respectfully agree to disagree when we don't.

(If there comes a day when we literally put on boxing gloves and step into a ring, bet on me.)

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/3f6ade8b-52f5-435e-9a8d-ce7d2f4ae64a

Kendra Santos

08/25/2026

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08/24/2026

08/23/2026

08/22/2026

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