ProRodeo Sports News - April 12, 2024

PRORODEO HALL OF FAME the first cowboy to win back-to-back PRCA Bull Riding World Champ ionships since Don Gay won three world titles in a row from 1979-81. Stone shares the NFR Round 1 bull riding record with Gay. Gay had a 94-point ride in 1974 and Stone equaled that score in 2001 on Gilbert Diamond G Rodeos’ Mr. Skoal’s USA. Stone also won the NFR average in 2001 and 2002. In his two NFR appearances, Stone rode 14 of his bulls and earned a combined $205,851 – $112,322 in 2001 and $93,529 in 2002. “This is one thing that I know he always wanted to have done and it’s a huge honor,” said Chris Willard, Stone’s cousin. “I just wish he was here for it. His try and will is what really set him apart. He never quit, not until his head hit the ground. He was always going at ‘em.” Andrews is a third-generation stock contractor. The late B.D. Andrews sold his rodeo company to Elra Beutler & Sons when Sammy was a teen ager. Sammy formed Andrews Rodeo Company in 1980. Andrews has had countless great bulls over the years – and horses for that matter – but he’s best known for his ProRodeo Hall of Fame bull Bodacious. “I’m kind of at a loss for words right now, rodeo is all we’ve ever done. I started out as a youngster, and this is all I ever wanted to do,” Andrews said. “The good Lord blessed me and allowed me to keep doing it. So, with this honor it feels like you’ve finally done something right in your career and somebody out there recognized that.” In addition to the big stage of the NFR, Diefenbach, a native Australian, also worked the National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Finals, and several marquee rodeos including Houston and Tucson (Ariz.). “A person can hope that if you put in dedication and enough hard work that hopefully it pays off someday. This proves that,” Diefenbach said. “I just remember being a 17-year-old kid in Australia getting up every day and going to work. I had my list of goals in my bedroom at home and they were each small steps, one at a time. I had the goal to the make the NFR and I got that done at 27. Then my very last goal was to get put in the Hall of Fame. Now, here we are.” J.D. Yates competed at the NFR in team roping from (1975-1993, 1996 and 2002). He was a header in 1996 and 2002. Yates also qualified for the NFSR in 1988-89, 1991, 1994, 1996-98, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010. He is also the youngest PRCA contestant to qualify for the NFR at 15 years, four months in 1975. “When I started rodeoing, I didn’t wake up that morning and say, FROM PAGE 33

Sammy Andrews

J.D. Yates

Darrell Diefenbach

ProRodeo Sports News 4/12/2024

ProRodeo.com

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