|
PONCANS TOP RODEO STARS
Long before RCA rodeos became an established September event here,
Ponca City was known throughout the rodeo world as the home of some of
the top professional cowboys in the sport.
Last year five of them participated in the 101 Ranch Rodeo and
spectators are looking forward to seeing them again this year.
They are Bob Wegner, Buck LeGrand. Bob Williams, Merle Davis and Tom
LeGrand.
Wegner, always among the top 10 in bull riding, this year is the leading
money winner. So far, not including last week, Bob has pocketed $14,187
in this one event.
Buck LeGrand one of the biggest names among rodeo clowns, will have his
brother Tom working with him in the 101 Ranch Rodeo this year. Tom
entered as a bull riding contestant last; year, but failed to score.
Some of the gravest wounds occur after the cowboy has been thrown from
his bull, when the enraged animal may turn and trample or gore him.
The clown, or bullfighter, risks injury to lure the bull from the fallen
rider. He is the top athlete in rodeo.
Merle Davis is both a 'dogger and a roper, but roping is his specialty.
That he is successful in national competition is evidenced by the many
saddles he has won, the numerous belt buckles and cowboy hats, a
handsome hand-tooled leather wardrobe case — and prize money.
Bob Williams says rodeo is the "greatest sport in the world." So far,
this has been his best year. He is a three-event entrant competing in
bull riding, bareback bronc and doggin'.
Two weeks from today the 101 Ranch Rodeo of 1964 will
be over.
Before then thousands will have been thrilled and chilled by the
daring skill and many spills of the more than 100 cowboys expected
to participate.
Tuesday is the day to Go Western! For the nest two weeks cowboy hats
and boots, jeans, western shirts and pants will be the style of the
day for men and women, little cowgirls and cowboys.
First performance of the three-day 1964 rodeo will be 8 p.m.
Thursday, September 10th.
All seats will be reserved for each performance. Those expecting to
attend on Thursday or Friday evening can save 46 cents by purchasing
their tickets from one of the seven queens, Ponca City retail
merchants or grocers. There is no reduction in price on Saturday
night tickets.
Miss Sandi Prati of El Paso, Miss Rodeo America, will arrive in
Ponca City a week from today. She will visit the schools and be
guest of honor at civic club luncheons.
Jim Shoulders, holder of more championships than any other
professional cowboy, as stock producer will bring the untamed,
bad-tempered stock so necessary if a contestant is to make a good
score.
Clem McSpadden, announcer for National Finals Rodeo and televised
rodeos, will be behind the microphone explaining each ride and with
his vivid descriptions adding color to an already colorful event.
To further entertain the crowds will be entertainment by the western
movie hero, Tim Holt; fast moving comedy by Beeswax Moore and his
taximeter mule and spectacular riding of the Castillians. The
familiar and always popular Shetland pony hitch will be seen
galloping around the arena.
Composed of amateurs, but playing like professionals, will be the
direction of Pete Long, supervisor of music for the public schools.
Members of the Big Blue Band of the Senior High School vie for the
opportunity to play at the rodeo.
RODEO FANS SEE FINAL REPEATED
Steer wrestling and bull riding were practically a National
Finals Rodeo re-run at the opening performance of the 101 Ranch
Rodeo Thursday night.
Draws for Friday and Saturday nights promised rides as good. Ponca
City's own Bob Williams will have an opportunity to make rodeo
history when he boards Tornado, the bull of Jim Shoulders stock
which has never been ridden.
In steer wrestling seven of the 10 contestants qualified for the
National Finals Rodeo last year. One, Willard Combs, who threw his
steer in 7.3 seconds, was world champion in 1957 and was second
behind his brother Benny in 1955. Benny failed to throw his steer
Thursday evening.
Money winner Thursday night was Marvin Cantrell of Ardmore who threw
his steer in five seconds flat in the after-rodeo.
There were six men who have qualified for NFR in the bull riding
event, including Bill Kornell of Palm Springs, Calif. world champion
last year. He now holds a slight lead over Bob Wegner for the 1964
top money.
Roping tonight will be Don McLaughlin of Fort Collins, Colo., pro
rodeo's biggest winner ever with a rope and tie string. From 1946 to
the end of the 1963 season. McLaughlin's speed and precision earned
him $253,836.
Don, who literally grew up with a rope in his hand, holds five world
championships and has been in the top five money winners four other
times, he was only 18 when he turned to contest roping.
Gary Garner of Lubbock, on Red Bird, made the top bare back bronc
ride with a score of 53, with Jim Moore of Balmorhea, Tex., crowding
him with a 52 for his ride on Down Under.
Best time in roping during the performance Thursday was turned in by
Lon Chaney of Copan, who often has been seen in the 101 Ranch Rodeo
arena. Chaney threw and tied his calf in 15.5.
Jimmy Gibbs, granddaughter of the late Zack Miller of the 101 Ranch,
was second in girl’s barrel racing, turning the barrels and riding
home in 19.4. Nola Mae Morgan was go-round winner with a 19.3.
Billy Hand of Loxahatchee, Fla., who has twice made the national
finals in bull riding, stayed aboard Tornado for almost four
seconds, one of the longest rides to be made on this twisting
Brahma.
ROMAN RIDER TO PERFORM HERE.....WARVELS PRESENT NEW, DIFFERENT RIDING ROUTINES
A
unique act, only one of its kind on the road today, will be seen at
each of the three 101 Ranch Rodeo performances.
 Jim and Jan Warvel will come to Ponca City from Toronto, Canada,
where they are to
appear at the world's largest outdoor fair. The husband and wife
team puts together their ideas of the present and the history of the
Spanish Castilians.
Jim Warvel, trainer and manager, has created a new and different
routine in Roman standing riding plus a second breathtaking number
that features White Feather "the Wonder Horse.”
In the first act Jan will ride Roman style upon one white horse and
one black horse in a different manner than has been previously
presented. For the outstanding entry of this number, a new style was created.
It is called the Jan Warvel Roman Mount and was originated by Jan.
It is taken from the commancheros south of the border.
There they ride alongside a bronc and leap from their mount to the
back of the wild horse and attempt to ride it. In the act to be seen
in the 101 Ranch Rodeo arena, Jan will do somewhat the same, except
she will use her trained Roman team and mount from one to the other
in Roman style.
Another outstanding feature of this act is Jan breaking through a
paper which is mounted on a large picture frame. From a horse's
viewpoint this is the same as going through a solid wall.
Along with this act Jim will ride his Roman Shetland team in a
mockery of Jan.
In the second outstanding act, White Feather jumps over a
convertible while Jan rides without bridle or saddle.
Jan isn't a newcomer to show business. She has ridden Roman teams
professionally for 15 years and traveled in almost every state in
the U. S.
It has been said that she has ridden horses more miles standing up
than the average rider has sitting down.
Jim Warvel was in the rodeo business before meeting Jan. When they
married, they combined their equestrian talents and have been
presenting new and different acts to the American public.
BEESWAX THE MULE, RIOTOUS DOG ACT TO ENTERTAIN FANS AT RODEO
Beeswax is expected to steal the show when the Moore family appears
at the 101 Ranch Rodeo with its highly popular Taximeter act. They
will be seen in the arena Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights,
September 10, 11 and 12.
The act consists of a rube lady, in reality beautiful Barbara Moore,
a colored driver of the taxi, the Irish cop, Syd Moore, and the
star, Beeswax, the mule.
This act brings to spectators "belly laughs aplenty” as Beeswax
kicks the cop, sits on him, bites him and chases him through the
taxi. This action packed routine has appeared in rodeos from Calgary
to Madison Square Garden.
In addition to the hilarious Taximeter, Syd and Barbara Moore will
bring to the arena one of the fastest and most entertaining dog acts
in the business today.
The act is appealing to all, as this happy-go-lucky gang runs
rampant in a comical riotous act.
While stressing comedy, the Moore family features many out standing
feats as their four legged friends go through their paces in an
enlightening manner
The Moore family has been rodeoing for 16 years. In the family
besides Syd and Barbara are daughter Sylvia and sons Syd Jr. and
Stacey.
Barbara is at her best when, after the performance, she is whipping
up a delicious meal for rodeo folks in the Moore's mobile home.
HENNIGH REPEATS ALL-AROUND WIN
Duane Hennigh of Laverne again won all-around cowboy honors at the
101 Ranch Rodeo, though he was not top money winner this year. A
contestant must be entered in more than one event to win the
all-around title
Hennigh, who competed in bareback bronc and bull riding and in steer
wrestling, pocketed $299, all won in bareback. In doggin' he threw
his steer in the spectacular time of 3.7 seconds, but was penalized
10 seconds for tripping the barrier too soon.
Marvin Cantrell of Ardmore took home top money, winning $600.88 when
he threw his steer in five seconds flat.
Bill Kornell, Palm Springs, Calif., 1963 world champion bull rider
and money leader in the nation for 1964, received for his ride on
Hurricane $502.80. Hurricane, one of the top bulls of the Jim
Shoulders string, had only been ridden once in the past two years
when Kornell settled aboard.
BAD BULLS GET BEST OF AREA COWBOYS
The 101 Ranch Rodeo of 1964 was climaxed Saturday night with only
one qualified bull ride of the 11 cowboys up. Paul Mitchell, Dallas,
rode Typhoon for a score of 54, and third place money of $251.40 in
the event.
Bill Komell, top bull rider in the nation,
pocketed $502.80 for his ride Thursday night which scored a high of
62. He was aboard Hurricane, which had been ridden only once in two
years.
Ponca City's Bob Williams failed to score on Tornado, the Brahma
bull of the year, which has not been ridden in more than 150 times
out of the chutes.
Jimmy Gibbs, granddaughter the late Zack Miller, one of founders of
the world renowned 101 Ranch Roundups, forerunner of modern
professional rodeo, was winner of the barrel race with an average
39.1. Dianne Dubberstein of Wichita, National Appaloosa Queen was
second with 39.2 for two rides.
Fans saw rodeo in the mud Friday night, which slowed down the time
and lowered the markings for contestants, but did not affect the
enthusiasm of the crowd.
The mud even provided some unexpected comedy. It also disgusted some
of the bucking stock to the point where it just stood still.
Following is a partial list of round and average winners in events
where contestants had more than one ride or more than head, together
with the marking or time and the money won:
Bareback Bronc
First go-round – Gene Herrin, Pawhuska, 55, $119.60; Gary Garner,
Lubbock, 54, $89.70; Duane Hennigh, Laverne, $59.80; Jim Moore,
Balmorhea, Tex., and Billy Weeks, Abilene, Tex., 50, $14.95.
Calf Roping
First go-round – Jim Poteet, Pawnee, and Richard Mullins, Caddo,
14.4, $200.90; Orbin Garrett, Pawhuska, 14.7, $114.80; Lon Chaney,
Copan, 15.5, $57.40.
Saddle Bronc
First go-round – Jim Lancaster, Midwest City, 48, $72.62; Emitt
Mundy, 46, $54.46; Bob Berger, Austin, 41, $36.31; Howard Nuerember,
Burkburnett, Tex., 38, $18.16.
Second go-round – Billy Weeks, Abilene, Tex., 49, $76.62; Sonny
Roberts, Tulsa, 45, $54.46; Emmit Mundy, 44, $36.31; Jim Lancaster,
42, $18.16
Barrel Race
First go-round – Nola Mae Morgan, Coffeyville, 19.3, $25.33; Jimmy
Gibbs, Valley mills Tex., 19.4, $19; Dianne Dubberstein, Wichita,
and Sue Roberts, Tulsa, 1.5, $8.
|
ANNOUNCER: Clem McSpadden
