Western States Ranch Rodeo Association: 2014-10-12

The WSRRA is excited to add this event to the National Finals. Here is a little information about the event:

The event is very unpredictable and very western.

A Wild Horse Race Team consists of three people, positions are known as shankman, mugger and rider, and none of the positions are any easier than the other. The equipment used is a lead shank, halter and saddle.

The event works like this: The stock contractor loads the chutes and the horses are closed into individual chutes. As soon as this is accomplished the contestants and a representative draw numbers from a hat. The number drawn applies to the chute in which they will put halters on their horses. Halters are made of heavy leather with sheepskin lining to protect the horse from injury. A team cannot win if the horse is accidentally injured, so it is important not to afflict injury to the horse. Many of the halters have leather handles making it easier for the mugger to get ahold of the halter instead of grabbing the animal. The lead shank is a maximum length of 16 feet and made of cotton/hemp or braided nylon. Usually the shanks are 1” – 2” in diameter. The shanks being of a large diameter decrease the chance of injury to both animal and contestant.

Now that all is ready, it’s time for the excitement to begin. The whistle is blown, the chute gates are opened and the spectators do not know which way to look. Amongst all the chaos, the shankman holds the horse in a position so that the mugger can move up the shank and grab the horse by the halter. The next moment, the rider sets the saddle on the horse and secures it by the quick cinch. This cinch has a quick release built in so that it may be quickly removed if a problem occurs. The rider climbs aboard the horse and stays on the horse until it crosses a
pre-designated finish line. Most arena races have an imaginary line between the fence and a barrel. The finish is approximately 30 – 35 feet long. In arena races the winning team usually crosses in 30-40 seconds, which other less fortunate teams may take up to the 2 minute time limit. Prepare yourself for the wildest event in rodeo!

Wildes Equestrias Rapidious Celeritous. Properly translated that means “unbroken horses quickly moving” but we just call it a wild horse race. Just because you’ve seen one, you haven’t seen them all. Each race is different, even though the players are the same: three cowboys, an ornery wild horse and dogged determination ---all the ingredients needed for the most exciting race on earth.

Rodeo 100 years ago was Pony Express racing, bronc riding, steer roping and the wild horse race. Cheyenne, Pendleton, Calgary, Prescott, Burwell, Ellensburg, every rodeo that laid claim to a future boasted the wild horse race. Sometimes the streets of town or a line of wagons and later automobiles were enough of a fence to hold a wild horse race, a natural form of western entertainment.

The coming of age and the 20th century brought calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback riding and bull riding to rodeo, but the wild horse race remained constant. A cowboy at the New York Madison square Gardens Rodeo quipped: “I get a bull every third performance and a bareback horse every other, but so many cowboys are entered in the wild horse race, I only compete every 5th performance. It wouldn’t be so bad, but the wild horse race is my bread and butter!”

Everyone entered the wild horse races: Yakima Canutt, Casey Tibbs, Jim Shoulders, Benny Reynolds and Cotton Rosser. Even Larry Mahan, Hawkeye Henson and Gary Leffew tried their hands at the race at one time or another. Then the age of airplanes and the single event specialist dawned. This made recruiting a three-man wild horse race almost impossible.

But cowboys know that tradition is tangible and not wanting to lose a good event, they searched for a new source of contestants. The local cowboys filled the ranks and for years this ploy worked remarkably well. But by the sixties, even cowboys wanting to enter the wild horse race were becoming scarce and beginning to dwindle.

In all of the Canadian and American rodeos at the time, it was hard to find 20 wild horse races. But 53 contestants in a dusty horse barn at Cheyenne Frontier Days refused to let the sport die. The year was 1973 and with the help of contractors, rodeo secretaries, committees and contestants, a plan for the future was engineered three directors elected and a general statement of what the wild horse race should be was established.

In 1976, this body of contestants petitioned the PRCA (at the time it was still the RCA) for the authority to govern and conduct the affairs of the wild horse race event. This was granted and within five years a rulebook was published, national champions were crowned, a national finals was established and a full board of directors steered a course for the future.

Today the Professional Wild Horse Racing Association (once known as the Wild Horse Racers of America) is organized and energetic. With a well-staffed office in Madras, Oregon, trained judges, a responsible secretary and a hard-working board of directors who double as contestants, the level of competition continues to intensify. Wild Horse Racing cowboys tend to be one-event specialists who love what they do.

Ranches have become fewer and the rodeo fan has become a city dweller, but nothing has really changed. Wild Horse Racers are still a part of rodeo and rodeo is still a part of the American West.

2014 PWHRA BOARD
DIRECTORS:

President: Jason Smith
P.O. Box 389,
Warm Springs, OR 97761 Phone: 541-460-3590

Vice President: Spud Smith Sr.
1523 SW Grizzly Road,
Madras, OR 97741
Phone: 541-410-2990

Sierra Region
Director: “Slim” Peck
6140 Hawthorn Lane,
Garden Valley, CA 95633
Phone: 916-803-6694

Columbia River Region
Director: Butch David
P.O. Box 305,
Warm Springs, OR 97761 Phone: 541-325-2253

Mountain State Region
Director: Joe Fulton
2507 Ledone Ave., Apt# 206, Gillette, WY 82718
Phone: 541-274-0177

Southeastern Region
Director: Jeff Aldridge
2201 SW 28th St. #79,
Okeechobee, FL 34974
Phone: 863-634-3176

Wilderness Region
Director: Brandon Begaye
P.O. Box 182,
Tonalea, AZ
Phone: 928-225-1186

National Secretary:
Sandy Forman
P.O. Box 228,
Madras, OR 97741
Office: 541-475-7828
Fax: 541-475-7239
Email: national_office@pwhra.com www.pwhra.com
Cell: 541-771-0855

#1 Team ~ Jason Smith Team     $18,726.50
Sponsored by: Team Phoenix (Phoenix Enterprises) and
Indian Head Casino (Warm Springs, Oregon)

Jason Smith - Shankman - from Warm Springs, Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Range & Ag Manager in the Columbia River Region. Jason has been a PWHRA member for 31 years, has competed at the PWHRA National Finals for the past 31 years, and has been a National Finals Champion 17 times and 10 times finals winner. Jason for 2013 & 2014 is the President for PWHRA. “Thank you to Our Creator, my wife, family and PWHRA”.

Robert “Bear” Spino – Mugger – from Warm Springs, Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Range & Ag employee in the Columbia River Region. Bear has been a PWHRA member for 4 years with this being his third year competing at the PWHRA National Finals. Winning 1 National Finals Champion and 1 Finals winner and Rookie of the year. “ Thank you to my family, rodeo friends and PWHRA”.

Colton “Gus” David – Rider – from Warm Springs, Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Range & Ag employee in the Columbia River Region. Gus has been a PWHRA member for 4 years with this being his third year competing at the PWHRA National Finals. Winning 2 National Finals Champion, 2 Finals winner. “Thank you to Our Creator, my girlfriend Caitlin, mom & family, Grandma & Uncle”.

#2 Team ~ Casey Heemsah Team     $9,524.69

Casey Heemsah – Shankman – from Wapato, Washington, a Fisheries Technician in the Columbia River Region. Casey has been a PWHRA member for 10 years with this being his second time competing at the PWHRA National Finals.

Clarence Meanus – Mugger – from Celilo, Oregon, self-employed in the Columbia River Region. Clarence has been a PWHRA member for 8 years with this being his third time competing at the PWHRA National Finals.

Johnny LeClaire – Rider – from White Swan, Washington, self-employed in the Columbia River Region. Johnny has been a PWHRA member for 8 years with this being his second time competing at the PWHRA National Finals.

#3 Team ~ Joe Applebaker Team     $5,160.78
Sponsored by: ChilKat Enterprises

Joe Applebaker – Shankman – from Gillette, Wyoming, a Diesel Mechanic in the Mountain State Region. Joe has been a PWHRA member for 18 years winning 1 National Finals and qualifying for 10 times to complete at the PWHRA National Finals Rodeo. “Thank you to my wife, family, Our Lord, Friends of Rodeo and the committees that support PWHRA”.

Joe Hodge – Mugger – from Zillah, Washington, a Horse Shoe from the Columbia River Region. Joe has been a PWHRA member for 7 years, winning Rookie of the Year and this being first year qualifying for PWHRA National Finals Rodeo. “Thank you to my family, friends and PWHRA”.

Tony Cortazar – Rider – from Warm Springs, Oregon, a Equipment Operator in the Columbia River Region. Tony has been a PWHRA member for 21 years, winning 5 National Champions and qualifying for the PWHRA National Finals Rodeo for 12 years. “Thank you to ChilKat, Our Lord, my wife and family”.
#4 Team ~ David Gregory Team $3,511.33
Sponsored by: Marion Ag Service Inc., St. Paul Jaycee’s, Oregon Turf & Tree Farms, Western States Drilling, Work-N-Wear 1950’s Clothing Company, The Bankers Cup, Ernst Irrigation, Doug’s Saddle Shop and Hubbard Chevrolet @ Hubbardchevrolet.com

David Gregory – Shankman – from St. Paul, Oregon, works in Agriculture and is a Firefighter in the Columbia River Region. David has been a PWHRA member for 3 years with this being his first time qualifying for the PWHRA National Finals Rodeo. “Thank you to Tony Cortazar and Marty Little for riding when we needed help! Also to Jason Smith”.

Philip Wurdinger – Mugger – from Silverton, Oregon is a Farmer in the Columbia River Region. Philip has been a PHWRA member for 3 years with this being his first time qualifying for the PWHRA National Finals Rodeo. “Thank you to Tony Cortazar and Marty Little for riding when we needed help! Also to Jason Smith”.

Wrangler Howe – Rider – from Madras, Oregon, a Carpenter in the Columbia River Region. Wrangler has been a PWHRA for 2 years this is his second year qualifying to compete at the PWHRA National Finals. He won Rookie of the year in 2013. “Thank you to David and Philip for asking me to be their rider, and Jason Smith”.

#5 Team – Dustin Suppah Team $3,243.94
Sponsored by: Suppah Ranch’s

Dustin Suppah – Shankman - from Warm Springs, Oregon, a Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Range & Ag employee in the Columbia River Region. Dustin has been a PWHRA for 4 years this is his second time qualifying to compete at the PWHRA National Finals. “Thank you to Suppah Family and Jason Smith”.

Larry Scott Jr. – Mugger – from Warm Springs, Oregon, a Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Range & Ag employee in the Columbia River Region. This is Larry first year being a PWHRA member. “Thank you to Suppah Ranch’s and Smith Family”.

Preston Stevens – Rider – from Warm Springs, Oregon, a student and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Range & Ag employee in the Columbia River Region. This is Preston first year being a PWHRA member. “Thank you to Suppah Ranches, Smith Ranches, Dustin Suppah, Paige Hurtado, Larry Scott Jr.”

#6 Team – Ricky Lyons Team $3,163.78

Ricky Lyons – Shankman – from Pilot Rock, Oregon a Welding Lead in the Columbia River Region. Ricky has been a PWHRA member for 1 year with this being his first time qualifying to compete at the PWHRA National Finals. “Thank you to family and PWHRA”.

Rick Lyons – Mugger – from Pendleton, Oregon in the Columbia River Region. Rick has been a PWHRA member for 15 years and has qualified 13 times to compete at the PWHRA National Finals. “Thank you to family and PWHRA”.

Dakota Lyons – Rider – from Pendleton, Oregon in the Columbia River Region. Dakota has been a PWHRA member for two years with this being his first time qualifiying to compete at the PWHRA National Finals. “Thank you to family and PWHRA”.

Thank you Mary Hyde!

WSRRA National Sponsors: