By Susan Kanode

Photo: Mary Burger emerged as the top barrel racer at the Cinch Shootout Rodeo at Cheyenne Frontier Days on Friday. She and her horse Moe stopped the clock in 17.114 seconds in the final round to earn $10,000

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Mary Burger and her buckskin gelding are a duo that is hard to beat in any arena and that was certainly evident at Frontier Park on Friday at the Cinch Shootout Rodeo.

The teamwork between the four-legged animal and the talented barrel racer is something to watch and fans got to see that twice at the opening rodeo of Cheyenne Frontier Days. They were one of eight selected contestants and in the first round had the fastest run of the day at 17.047 seconds.

The top three advanced to the final round where she and Mo again dominated with a 17.114 second run. That was good for a $10,000 cash prize. Burger is quick to give credit to her horse that she got when he was a two-year-old. While Mo be the reason that she is doing so well, he is only part of the equation.

Burger trained the horse and brought him along to the point that he could take the grueling road and different ground conditions and arena set ups found at rodeos. He is now seven years old, just a short 60 years younger than his jockey. They are dominating the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association and are favorites to earn a world championship in December.

Cody DeMoss from Heflin, La., is in the record books here for winning the saddle bronc riding championship three times. He now has another notch to add to his belt. DeMoss had an outstanding ride on Burch Rodeo’s Iron Maiden in the finals for 85.5 points. That earned him the championship and like all of the event winners on Saturday, he got a $10,000 check and he did it aboard a borrowed saddle.

“Things just hadn’t been going like I think they should,” DeMoss said. “My saddle wasn’t feeling like I wanted it to, so I borrowed Brad Rudolph’s. It felt really good today and now I might have to see if I can buy it off of him.”

Each contestant was part of a team sponsored by local businesses. The teams had a bareback rider, steer wrestler, saddle bronc rider, barrel racer and bull rider. Points were awarded for how well competitors did and added together. At the end of the competition, the winning team had Burger as their barrel racer, saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper, steer wrestler J.D. Struxness and bull rider Pistol Robinson as well as bareback rider Casey Breuer.

Breuer, from Mandan, N.D., also finished in first place.  Casper, from Balko, Okla., and Struxness from Appleton, Minn., finished in second. They competed for Holly Frontier and earned a $5,000 check for the Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne.

The second place team was from Cheyenne Regional Medical Center which included steer wrestling champion Luke Branquinho from Los Alamos, Calif. They earned $2,500 for the CRMC Foundation. Third and final place went to the Little America Hotels and Resort team, which included DeMoss. Their charity, Safehouse, got a $1,500 check.

The first performance of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association starts at 12:15 p.m., Saturday.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. —The following are results from the Cinch Shootout Rodeo at Cheyenne Frontier Days, Friday, July 22, 2016. Contestant followed by hometown and sponsor.

Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Jessy Davis, Power, Mont., 86 points on Burch Rodeo’s Pinball Girl. 2, Grant Denny, Minden, Nev., 83.5. 3, Casey Breuer, Mandan, N.D., 83. 4, Tyler Scales, Severance, Colo., 82.5. 5, J.R. Vezain, Cowley, Wyo., 79.5. 6, (tie) Mac Erickson, Sundance, Wyo., and Kenny Haworth, Orofino, Calif., 78 each. 8, Chase Erickson, Helena, Mont., 76.  (final round)  1, Breuer, 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Clownin’ Around, $10,000. 2, Denny, 87, $3,000. 3, Davis, 85.5, $2,000.

Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Luke branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., 6.35 seconds. 2, Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss., 6.53. 3, J.D. Sturxness, Appleton, Minn., 6.74. 4, Nick Guy, Sparta, Wisc., 7.04. 4, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 7.47. 6, Jon Ragatz, Cassville, Wisc., 9.01. 7, Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala., 13.38. 8, Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas, no time. (final round) 1, Branquinho, 10.02, $10,000. 2, Struxness, 14.96, $3,000. 3, Pearson, 15.76, $2,000.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round)  1, Cody DeMoss, Heflin, La., 86 points on Burch Rodeo’s Angel Sings. 2, Wyatt Casper, Balko, Okla., 85. 3, Bradley Harter, Loranger, La., 83.5. 4, Wade Sundell, Coleman, Okla., 81.5. 5, (tie) Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb., and Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, S.D., 81 each. 7, Sam Spreadborough, Snyder, Texas, 79. 8, J.J. Elshere, Hereford, S.D., no score. (final round) 1, DeMoss, 85.5 points on Burch Rodeo’s Iron Maiden, $10,000. 2, Casper, 84.5, $3,000. 3, Harter, 82, $2,000.

Women’s Barrel Race: (first round)  1, Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 17.047. 2, Kristi Steffes, Vale, S.D., 17.339. 3, Mackenzie Scott, Estes Park, Colo., 17.390. 4, Meghan Johnson, Deming, N.M., 17.821. 5, Christy Loflin-Hefley, Stonington, Colo., 18.631. 6, Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 22.309. 7, Kim Schulze, Elbert, Colo., 22.471. 8, Jessica Dunbar, Del Rio, Texas, no time. (final round) 1, Burger, 17.114, $10,000. 2, Scott, 17.254, $3,000. 3, Steffes, 17.443, $2,000.

Bull Riding: (first round) No qualified rides (final round)* 1, Brett Stall, Detroit Lakes, Minn., 87 points on Burch Rodeo’s Smoking Good, $10.000. 2, (tie) Cody Rostockyj, Lorena, Texas, and Eli Vastbinder, Statesville, N.C., no score, $2,500 each.

*Final round qualifiers advanced based on time they rode.

By Susan Kanode

Eight time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo tie-down roping qualifier Matt Shiozawa took the lead in tie-down roping here with two runs totaling 22.8 seconds. (photo by Dan Hubbell)

Cheyenne, Wyo., — Matt Shiozawa from Chubbock, Idaho, is one of the most successful tie-down ropers in the business with eight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifications to his credit.

His success has come at rodeo arenas across the country, but a title that has eluded him in a big competitive field has been at Cheyenne Frontier Days. In 2014, he finished in second place and took home $17,993.

Shiozawa made both of his runs in pre-rodeo competition known as slack. While they weren’t identical in the arena, he stopped the clock in 11.4 seconds each time. His total of 22.8 seconds on two runs is more than two seconds ahead of the man in second place, Clint Cooper from Decatur, Texas. Cooper was the champion here in 2004.

Shiozawa’s success in 2014 and again this year has come with the help of a special gray gelding known to his family as Gray Pony, who is actually owned by his six-year-old daughter Stella. Stella is the oldest of his three daughters. His wife Ali and the girls were all on hand to cheer for their favorite cowboy and watch him ride Stella’s horse. Now they are making plans to return to Frontier Park on July 31 and hope they leave with a new championship saddle from “the Daddy of ‘em All.”

First and second rounds of steer roping were also completed in slack. Three-time world champion Rocky Patterson, from Pratt, Kan., won the first round with a 14.5-second run. The second round saw Lawson Plemons, from Axtell, Texas, at the top of the leaderboard with an 11.8. Each of these men earned $5,959 for their efforts. Unfortunately, neither of them are planning to be here for the championship finals as they had no times in their other runs.

The Cinch Rodeo Shootout will start the performances here on Friday at 12:15 p.m. For a full schedule, rodeo results and more information go to www.cfdrodeo.com.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 21, 2016 — The following are results after Wednesday and Thursday slack competition at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

 Steer Roping: (first round winners) 1, Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., 14.5 seconds, $5,959. 2, Coy Thompson, Whitewood, S.D., 15.5, $5,182. 3, Todd Casebolt, Ryan, Okla., 15.9, $4,405. 4, (tie) J.D. Yates, Pueblo, Colo., and Delon Parker, Worden, Mont., 16.3, $3,239. 6, Darin Suit, Ames, Okla., 17.9, $2,073. 7, Bobby Joe Hill, Mexia, Texas, 17.4, $1,296. 8, Will McBride, Ogallala, Neb., 17.7, $518. (second round winners) 1, Lawson Plemons, Axtell, Texas, 11.8, $5,959. 2, Shay Good, Midland, Texas, 13.0, $5,182. 3, Buck Mekelburg, Yuma, Colo., 13.9, $4,405. 4, (tie) Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas, and Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, 14.5, $3,239. 6, Jarrett Blessing, Paradise, Texas, 14.6, $2,073. 7, Shorty Garten, Pawhuska, Okla., 15.7, $1,296. 8, Ryan Rochlitz, Minatare, Neb., 16.1, $518. (total on two – final round qualifiers) 1, Todd Casebolt, Ryan, Okla., 32.8 seconds. 2, Jarrett Blessing, Paradise, Texas, 33.3. 3, Bobby Joe Hill, Mexia, Texas, 36.4. 4, Delon Parker, Worden, Mont., 37.4. 5, J.D. Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 38.8. 6, Darin Suit, Ames, Okla., 39.2. 7, Troy Tillard, Douglas, Wyo., 41.1. 8, Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 41.7. 9, Coy Thompson, Whitewood, S.D., 42.5. 10, Vin Fisher, Jr., Andrews, Texas, 43.2. 11, Jim Ward, Pendleton, Ore., 43.3. 12, Dan Fisher, Andrews, Texas, 44.7.

Tie-Down Roping: (first round leaders) 1, Billy Hamilton, Stegler, Okla., 11.0 seconds. 2, (tie) Boe Brown, Valentine, Neb.; Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas; and Tyler Thiel, Belle Fourche, S.D., 11.1 each. 5, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 11.4. 6, Cody Quaney, Cheney, Kan., 11.6. 7, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., and J.D. Kibbe, Portales, N.M., 12.0. (second round leaders) 1, Bryson Sechrist, Apache, Okla., 10.3. 2, Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas, 11.0. 3, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 11.4. 4, Stephen McLauchlin, Rockwall, Texas, 12.2. 5, Blake Ash, Aurora, Mo., 29.7. 6, Lane Jeffrey, Wilburton, Okla., 12.9. 7, (tie) Quay Howard, Canyon, Texas, and Cole Bailey, Okmulgee, Okla., 13.0. (total on two) 1, Matt Shiozawa, Chubbock, Idaho, 22.8. 2, Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 24.9. 3, Josh Jennings, Glendale, Utah, 26.1. 4, Quay Howard, Canyon, Texas, 26.3. 5, Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla., 26.4. 6, Brice Ingo, Boone, Colo., 26.4. 7, Boe Brown, Valentine, Neb., 26.5. 8, Lane Jeffrey, Wilburton, Okla., 26.6.

By Susan Kanode

Three time Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo champion Cody DeMoss competes in saddle bronc riding. He is one of 1,216 contestants entered at this year’s rodeo. photo by Dan Hubbell

Cheyenne, Wyo. — Not many rodeos can boast a history as rich as Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Not only has the event been held consistently since 1897, records have been kept throughout the years and for any rodeo contestant, having their name added to the record books is a huge accomplishment. No one knows that more than last year’s champions.

Of the eight individual champions that were crowned at Frontier Park, seven of them went on to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo held in Las Vegas in December. Two finished as reserve world champions there and five of them are entered in this year’s rodeo hoping to defend their titles.

Lisa Lockhart, from Oelrichs, S.D., won the barrel racing here last year on her great buckskin horse Louie. The duo went on to qualify for their ninth NFR and left Las Vegas just short of the world title. Luke Brown, from Stephenville, Texas won the team roping here a year ago roping with Kollin Von Ahn from Blanchard, Okla. Brown also finished as the reserve world champion.

He will be roping here this year with Jake Long from Coffeyville, Kan. They are currently at the top of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s (PRCA) world standings. Also back to defend their titles will be bareback rider Tanner Aus from Granite Falls, Minn.; steer wrestler Nick Guy from Sparta. Wisc.; and tie-down roper Marty Yates, from Stephenville, Texas.

The all-around cowboy title is one of the most prestigious awards earned at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Last year’s champion was Jo Jo Lemond from Andrews, Texas who competed here in steer roping and team roping.

“There’s nothing like the Daddy,” said Cody DeMoss who is a three-time saddle bronc riding champion here. “When you get to add your name to all of those that rode here before you, it’s hard not to get nostalgic. To do that three times is pretty amazing.”

DeMoss was the champion here in 2004, 2010 and 2012. He is among this year’s field of saddle bronc riders. If he would emerge as the 2016 champion, he would be the first in the history of the event to win the title four times. Saddle bronc riding was among the first events here in 1897 with Bill Jones earning the first title.

Rodeo action will kick off with the third annual Cinch Rodeo Shootout on Friday, July 22 at 12:15. This competition features top competitors in bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding as well as steer wrestling and barrel racing. Contestants will be narrowed down to a four-man field where the top score or fast time will receive a bag full of cash.

The PRCA and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel race has seen contestants competing in slack since July 19^th. Slack is held in order to accommodate the large numbers of contestants that want to compete here. A total of 1216 contestants are entered in this rodeo and they are competing for nearly one million dollars in cash and prizes. Additionally, there will be rookie bronc riding and wild horse racers testing their skills against unproven bucking horses each day. Rodeo performances start Saturday, July 23 and run through July 31 where the new champions will be crowned. All performances start at 12:15 p.m.

The Championship Bull Riding organization will be crowing their world champion during Frontier Nights with two nights of action-packed bull riding. Sage Kimzey, the reigning PRCA world champion is in the lead in their standings and hoping to add that title to his resume this week. Their competition will be Monday and Tuesday nights, July 25-26 beginning at 8 p.m.

For a full schedule, rodeo results and more information go to www.cfdrodeo.com.

By Susan Kanode

Sydni Blanchard and Famous Heartbreaker stopped the clock in 17.46 seconds to win the first round of barrel racing at Cheyenne Frontier Days –- photo by Dan Hubbell

Cheyenne, Wyo — In an event that is timed in hundredths of a second, beating nearly 200 other competitors by a tenth of a second is huge.

That happened in the first round of barrel racing at Cheyenne Frontier Days on Tuesday where all of the barrel racers had an opportunity to advance to the second round of competition. Sydni Blanchard from Albuquerque, N.M., had the fastest time of the day at 17.46 seconds. That earned the former college champion and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier a whopping $6,212.

Blanchard’s success came aboard her big sorrel mare named Famous Heartbreaker. Prior to her run in Cheyenne, she was 61st in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world standings with $14,040 in season earnings. If her success at Frontier Park continues, she could make a significant move in the standings and have an opportunity to qualify for her third NFR.

The barrel racers competed in what is known as slack on Tuesday. This gives more contestants an opportunity to compete at one of the oldest and most prestigious rodeos in the nation. Slack continues on Wednesday with steer ropers and tie-down ropers starting their first round.

Action kicks off Friday afternoon with the Cinch Rodeo Shoot-Out, beginning at 12:15 p.m.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 19, 2016 — The following are first round barrel racing results from the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

Barrel Racing: 1, Sydni Blanchard, Albuquerque, N.M., 17.46 seconds, $6,212. 2, Tillar Murray, Fort Worth, Texas, 17.56, $5,324. 3, Mary Burger, Pauls Valley, Okla., 17.69, $4,437. 4, Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 17.70, $3,845. 5, (tie) Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., and Kelly Tovar, Rockdale, Texas, 17.71, $2,662 each. 7, Jana Griemsman, Piedmont, S.D., 17.73, $1,775. 8, Kelly Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 17.74, $1,183. 9, (tie) Jane Melby, Burneyville, Okla., and Megan Swint, Lithia, Fla., 17.78, $739.

CHEYENNE, WY – July 18, 2016 – Cheyenne Frontier Days™ (CFD), the City of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne Transit Program, Laramie County School District #1 (LCSD1), the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Visit Cheyenne, and the Downtown Cheyenne Business CO-OP are bringing back the Cowboy Triangle, a looped transportation system that connects CFD visitors with Downtown Cheyenne, for a second season.
With the Cowboy Triangle pattern, CFD visitors will be provided bus transportation between the CFD Park-n-Ride lots, Downtown, and Frontier Park, in both directions. Best of all, visitors can park once and travel between Downtown and Frontier Park all day.
The initial Park-n-Ride is $10 per car load to ride to Frontier Park and/or Downtown. The $10 parking fee will allow Park-n-Ride riders access into Frontier Park. It will cost riders $1.50 to ride the bus from Downtown to Frontier Park, or from Frontier Park to Downtown. Riders taking the Cheyenne Transit Program buses to and from Downtown will need to provide the driver with correct change.
This effort was jointly developed in 2015 by the partners to transport visitors easily and efficiently during CFD, and it was deemed a success during its first year in 2015.
“Cheyenne Frontier Days brings over 114,000 visitors from outside of Laramie County. These visitors come from all 50 states and 31 foreign countries over five continents. This visitation results in a $28 million impact from visitor spending to our community during the last full week of July,” said Tom Hirsig, CEO of CFD. “The Cowboy Triangle fits in with the mission of CFD to being a positive economic impact to Cheyenne and make the CFD experience better for everyone who comes to Cheyenne.”
Desirée Brothe, Program Manager for the Downtown Development Authority, said “The Cowboy Triangle is fantastic way to move people from Frontier Park to Downtown and back again. We’re really excited to continue this partnership with all involved entities for a second year, and are equally excited to see faces old and new in Downtown during CFD.”
Mayor Rick Kaysen said the “Cowboy Triangle provides another dimension for our visitors to enjoy what Cheyenne and CFD have to offer. Last year was our inaugural season and it was a great success, and all we heard were compliments about how easy it was to get from Frontier Park to Downtown Cheyenne. We are happy to provide this service again in 2016.”

Taylar Carter | PR Committee Volunteer

If the Cheyenne Frontier Days™ arrowhead and brand aren’t enough, then the widely known organization can be recognized by the two ladies who represent it. Miss Frontier, Jonna Brown, and her Lady-In-Waiting, Rylee Anderson, are the faces of the 2016 Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Western Celebration. These queens travel year round to represent not only the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, but also Cheyenne, Wyo.

Cat Casquarelli, Public Relations committee volunteer and mother of 2016’s Miss Frontier, has been in charge of hosting visiting royalty for the past three years. As the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration, you can only imagine the rodeo queens from around the world who want to come experience it, and we are happy to provide them with a great experience.

In the past, 25-28 queens were the most CFD had hosted. This year there’s a new record high with 39 visiting queens, three of whom are from Australia. Of the 50 states, there are only a few who have a representing queen who is unable to attend in 2016.

Casquarelli described the process, “We have a lot of host homes that have been doing this for years, and it’s a great program. We send them out a letter every year asking if they’re still interested. Once we get the girls’ applications in and find out what dates that they’re coming, we start matching them with host homes, and it’s really their highlight. They look forward to having the girls here every year. They’ll decorate their rooms, or maybe put them in a room that has CFD posters in it. The girls really appreciate that they’re able to do that because they travel out here with their own money.”

Arlene Kensinger started the program many years ago, and she and Esther Moore made it what it is now. One thing that has been a recent, primary focus of the program is crowd interaction. Fans go wild when they see rodeo royalty, especially if it is a queen from their own state. The royalty visiting Cheyenne Frontier Days™ are involved in giveaways during the rodeo. They throw out parachutes with coupons or t-shirts on them. They hide up in the crow’s nest and drop them down into the crowd. This is a neat experience for those who get to watch and participate.

If there is one thing the queens anticipate while they are here, it’s their flybys after the Grand Entry. They love that they get to be a part of our rodeo and be in the Cheyenne Frontier Days™ arena. Volunteers let the girls borrow their horses so they are able make these flybys happen. It is such a privilege and something they always look forward to.

Aside from rodeo interaction with visitors, they do so much more. They spread sponsor’s names by participating in giveaways; and they attend all the pancake breakfasts, the Thunderbirds air show, and all the parades on horseback. They do autographs after the rodeo, and meet with sponsors from their state. They visit all of the sponsor booths and have lunch at the sponsor tent. They go to Cowgirls of the West and model in a fashion show. These queens are busy throughout their time here.

Rodeo queens are a great way to spread the word to those who are less familiar with Cheyenne Frontier Days™. “They come here and not only do they represent their state, but they come here and they see what we do, and have such a great time here. Then they go back to their states and they’re actually advertising for us. It’s a win-win for everybody involved,” Casquarelli said.

Two big names you can expect to see are Miss Rodeo Wyoming and Miss Rodeo America. Miss Rodeo Wyoming, Nicki Seckman, was formerly Miss Cody Stampede of Cody, Wyo. Seckman will be in attendance July 22-28. Miss Rodeo America, Katherine Merck, formerly Miss Rodeo Washington, will be in attendance for the whole week, except the last weekend. This will be Merck’s fourth year at CFD, and we are excited to have her for such a great length of time. The longest a Miss Rodeo America has previously spent at Cheyenne Frontier Days™ was three days.

In an interview Casquarelli was asked which queen she was most excited about. She pointed and smiled at Miss Frontier, who was sitting right next to her at the time. Miss Frontier, Jonna Brown, just so happens to be Cat’s daughter. Casquarelli is extremely proud of Jonna and has decided to focus primarily on her, as she finishes her Miss Frontier year. Casquarelli has a great group of volunteers helping with queens, including her daughter and Jonna’s twin sister, Gracie Brown. Gracie is stepping up to assist with royalty coordinator duties for 2016.

Casquarelli expressed she was extremely excited for Merck to be here for a fourth year, and that she will be here for her birthday. “I am really excited about that and that she is choosing to stay as long as possible. That just shows what a great program we have for these queens,” Cat said.

Casquarelli recently had a queen call and ask if it was too late to come to CFD. Of course, Casquarelli said no and added one more to the list of visiting queens. “I am excited for all of them to be here, and for all of them to have a wonderful time. I always look forward to Rodeo America because we got to have her the year before, representing her state.”

We want to offer a big welcome to all of the royalty who will be making their way to the 2016 Daddy of ‘Em All®. Make sure you catch one of them for an autograph and a picture!

The band “Rooney” will be opening for “Fall Out Boy” at Frontier Nights® on Saturday, July 23, 2016.

Even in the rumor-fueled Hollywood scene, Robert Schwartzman is surprisingly good at keeping secrets. We haven’t heard much from Schwartzman’s band ROONEY the past six years (since the group’s 2010 album Eureka), but his radio silence meant nothing. Because unbeknownst to his fans, this LA-based musician and Rooney frontman released two solo albums, scored a critically acclaimed feature film, launched an iPhone app for musicians, built a highly sought after live/work recording studio facility, wrote/scored/directed/produced a feature film…oh and made a new Rooney album. This spring 2016, Schwartzman’s going public with Rooney’s newest and long awaited album, WASHED AWAY. In many ways, the seventh release under Rooney represents more than an album or the next chapter; it’s a system upgrade, a reboot.

To call it a labor of love would be a serious understatement. In fact, Schwartzman wrote, produced, engineered, mixed and performed all of the songs on the album himself, holed up in his recording studio and countless tweaks along the way. “I learned from the Interscope days that if you keep pushing yourself then maybe something better can happen,” he says of the painstaking process making the album. “I feel like if there’s still potential to do it better, then I would rather work on it than call it a day. Cause when it’s done, it’s done.” Rather than succumb to the pressures of today’s near-constant album release cycles or worrying about the barrage of bands who’ve come and gone, Schwartzman intends to make something tangible and long lasting. Consider this a refreshing antidote to today’s disposable alternative/pop music machine.

Rooney’s history dates back to 1999, when Schwartzman was still in high school. After meeting his bandmates through mutual friends and building a loyal West Coast following over the next few years, the group entered a major label bidding war and eventually signed with Geffen/Interscope Records. The partnership led to a series of sales successes—for starters, their 2003 self-titled debut album sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide (even without the help of social media), and their releases thus far classify Rooney in the highly coveted Platinum selling artists catergory. The album’s US singles proved to be radio worthy when songs like “Blueside,” “I’m Shakin,” and “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?” crossed over Alternative radio to Top 40 radio, earning the band high chart positions, as well as significant television explosure. Rooney spent a majority of the album cycle for Calling The World touring and promoting the music internationally, earning the band 3 top 10 radio hits, including a #1 song with “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?.” The band performed on major festival around the world, such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, Summerfest, Rock em Ring, Rock im Park, and Summersonic to name a few, and multiple TV appearances such as Letterman, Leno, Kimmel, The Today Show, Conan, and The Chritic’s Choice Awards. The band’s debut was regarded as one of Rolling Stone’s ‘Band’s To Watch,’ and VH1’s “You Oughta Know” artists, where the music video for “When Did Your Heart Go Missng?” reached #1 most played.

Night show ticket prices will range from $27 to $69, with daily rodeo tickets costing $20 to $35. A $3 discount is offered on rodeo tickets purchased before July 1.

Fans can upgrade to a Frontier Nights® Fast Pass for early admission to the Party Zone, a voucher for best-available same-day rodeo tickets and a souvenir rodeo program. For a full events schedule and profiles of musical acts, visit https://cfdrodeo.com.

2016 Frontier Nights® Schedule

July 22: CINCH Rodeo Shoot-out

July 22: Sam Hunt with special guest Maddie & Tae

July 23: Fall Out Boy with special guest Rooney

July 24: Billy Currington with special guest Ned LeDoux

July 25-26: Championship Bull Riding – World Finals 2016 – The Road to Cheyenne

July 27: Kenny Chesney with special guest Courtney Cole

July 28: Jake Owen with special guest Old Dominion

July 29: KISS with Aaron Watson

July 30: Florida Georgia Line with special guest Cole Swindell

July 23 – 31: PRCA Rodeo action

 

By Taylar Carter | PR Committee Volunteer 

“She is such a delight, and she’s fun to be around…”

This is how Bob Budd, Public Relations Chairman, describes Liz Escobedo. She has shaped the Public Relations committee in so many ways. “Liz would always show up to do her job, and she loved doing it no matter what it was. She was Johnny-on-the-spot. Everything she did, she did for the good of the committee. Liz always had such a great, direct common sense approach to everything,” Budd said.

Mike Martin, a lead on the Public Relations committee, raved about Liz stating that she’s “definitely a driving force for the PR committee.”

Needless to say, Liz Escobedo is a legend not only on the Public Relations Committee, but also as a volunteer for Cheyenne Frontier Days™ . As the 120th “Daddy of ‘Em All®” approaches, Liz has decided 2016 will be her last as a volunteer. On July 14 the long tenured volunteer will celebrate her 90th birthday. The Public Relations Committee celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2014, and Liz has been with the committee since day one. Don’t be fooled though, she’s been volunteering for much longer than 40 years.

Liz moved from New York to Wyoming, where she met her husband, Rich, whom she married in 1963. He had already been a volunteer for Cheyenne Frontier Days™, so she was out at Frontier Park often with him. A friend of Rich’s approached her one day and asked her if she had extra time. He explained to her that they were having trouble getting the hotels to take Cheyenne Frontier Days™ brochures. She agreed to help, and rounded up her nieces, who were young teens at the time, to assist her.

She said she piled her station wagon from the floor to the ceiling with brochures. She told her nieces, “Here’s what you do. You go in with the brochures and you smile at them and say ‘Here are the brochures for Frontier Days if you need anymore call Headquarters,’ then run like hell!” They delivered every single brochure she packed into that Station Wagon.

After that, she said they were offering her credentials to get her through the gate. Her response was, “I’ve been coming through the gate for years and no one has ever said anything. They just smile and wave and say ‘Hey, how are you Liz!?’” Liz took the credentials and became one of the first members of the Public Relations Committee.

In 2006 Liz was elected into the HEELS organization. Mike Martin stated, “Everybody knows that she’s the first female elected into the HEELS, so she paved the way for a lot of women in that regard.” However, not everyone liked the idea of having a woman Heel. She described a time when one gentleman walked up to her at her job and said, “What are you doing back there? You’re a new Heel. You get behind the bar!” Liz smiled and replied, “This is the job they assigned me,” and she stayed there.

Anyone who knows Liz knows she doesn’t take negativity from anyone. Bob Budd said, “She’s very bossy; very direct.” Those words couldn’t ring more true. Liz always did her job, and didn’t let anyone tell her differently. Her advice to all volunteers, young and old, is “Do the job you’re assigned.” She explained the older people are so set in their ways, which is why it is important to have more young volunteers.

Liz was a handful, but she was the most joyous person. She left an imprint on each and every person that she met, and touched hearts in ways that cannot be put into words. Her legacy will live on with the Public Relations Committee. One of her favorite written lines is from Jaycee Creed and it states that, “Service to humanity is the best work of life.” It will not be the same without her, but she will never, ever be forgotten.

 

By Taylar Carter | PR Committee Volunteer 

Bob Mathews grew up around Cheyenne Frontier Days™. His father was a volunteer on the Indians Committee for many years when Bob was younger.

He attended East High School, and was enrolled in production and media classes. This experience led him to accepting an offer to film interviews during the 100th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days™ rodeo celebration. Bob couldn’t have been more excited or honored to be a part of the show.

He completed his degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and relocated back to Cheyenne where he then followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Indians Committee. Bob has been volunteering for 12 years and has been an Indians Committee Lead for the past three years. He is the longest tenured Lead and has experience with everything from the Indian Village to the Pancake Breakfast. The Pancake Breakfast is an event he enjoys more than anything else.

Bob’s father has been a part of a bluegrass/comedy band, and he has played at every Pancake Breakfast for over 40 years. Bob wanted to keep the tradition going, and now he and his father are two of four members of their family band called “Country Club.”

The band not only plays during the Pancake Breakfast, but they also play for the Coronation Ball, the July 4 celebration at Frontier Park, and they travel around to different committee houses and play for them during the show each summer.

“Country Club” also does weddings and parties once the rodeo season has settled. Bob has two sons, 9 and 5, who are both learning to play the fiddle, perhaps with hopes to be a part of the “Country Club” band one day.

Bob loves that his two worlds can join together as one. He stated that, “The biggest part for me is what Frontier Days means to Cheyenne as a whole. Frontier Days is a big part of this town and our culture. There is so much history behind it. You don’t have to be a rodeo fan to enjoy it.” Bob was initiated into the Heels program in 2015. He looks forward to this year’s show as well as many more in the future.

 

Friday, June 3, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Register in Person: CFD Headquarters, 4610 Carey Ave, Frontier Park

Register by Phone: (307) 778-7208 Phone number is valid on day of registration only!

Entry fee: $400 per team (cash, check, or money order)

Entries for the first 44 teams will be taken on a first come, first served basis.

Contact Info: Jeremy Fox (307) 286-7296

2016 Wild Horse Race Rules

2016 Wild Horse Race Entry