ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2019

LINDERMAN AWARD

Josh Frost, left, acknowledges the Thomas & Mack crowd after being announced as the 2019 Linderman Award winner as PRCA CEO George Taylor looks on. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell

PAST WINNERS

1966: Benny Reynolds 1967: Kenny McLean 1968: Paul Mayo 1969: Kenny McLean 1970-72: Phil Lyne 1973-74: Bob Blandford 1975: Chip Whitaker 1976: Phil Lyne 1980: Steve Bland 1981: Lewis Feild 1982: Tom Eirikson 1983-84: Marty Melvin 1985: Tom Eirikson 1986: Bob Schall 1987: Tom Eirikson 1988: Lewis Feild 1989: Philip Haugen 1990: Bernie Smyth Jr. 1991: Lewis Feild 1992: Bernie Smyth Jr. 1993: Casey Minton 1994: (no contestant qualified) 1995: Chuck Kite 1996: (no contestant qualified) 1997-98: Kyle Whitaker 1999: Dan Erickson 2000-01: Jesse Bail 2002: Dan Erickson 2003: Kyle Whitaker 2004: Mike Outhier 2005-06: Kyle Whitaker 2007: Mike Outhier 2008-11: Trell Etbauer 2011: Kyle Whitaker 2012: Kyle Thomson 2013: Trell Etbauer 2014: Joe Frost 2015-18: Kyle Whitaker

Well-rounded cowboy Bull rider Josh Frost claims first Linderman Award

BY TRACY RENCK T here’s no question bull riding is Josh Frost’s primary rodeo event. Yet, the Utah cowboy knew if he ever wanted to win the Linderman Award he would have to improve on his steer wrestling skills. And he did. Frost earned $2,067 in that event during the 2019 season to go with the $119,561 he earned in bull riding and $8,281 in tie-down roping, making him the runaway winner for the 2019 Linderman Award. “It has been one of my goals for a while to win the Linderman,” said Frost, 24. “It’s a prestigious award. I have (tie-down) roped my whole life, but I was never able to qualify (for the Linderman) with my steer wrestling. But I practiced a bunch this winter and it made a difference, and I got qualified for steer wrestling in the summer.” To be eligible for the Linderman Award, a cowboy must win at least $1,000 in three events, and those events must include at least one roughstock and one timed event. “Winning this award is not something very many people can do,” Josh said. “You really have to be a cowboy to not only compete, but to win money on both ends of the arena. In my mind, you have to be the ultimate cowboy to be able to be successful in the roughstock and timed events.” The Linderman Award, named after ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy Bill Linderman, recognizes cowboys who

perform at both ends of the arena. Linderman won six world championships, two in the all-around (1950, 1953), two in saddle bronc riding (1945, 1950) and one each in bareback riding (1943) and steer wrestling (1950). Frost is the second member of his family to capture the award, as his older brother, Joe, 27, captured the award in 2014. Josh made his Wrangler National Finals Rodeo debut in bull riding in Las Vegas, Dec. 5-14, thanks to finishing 10th in the regular season in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. He finished 14th in the world standings. “It was a pretty cool season for me in bull riding,” Josh said. “I have tried the last three years to make the NFR, and it seemed like I kept getting hurt. I rode better this year and I did a better job of taking care of myself.” Frost had the opportunity to ride steer wrestling horse Cash, Chet Boren’s horse. In tie-down roping, Josh used his horse, Wilson, 22. “I steer wrestled all through college, and I know how to do it, but it’s just the level of competition I’m going up against at PRCA rodeos, but riding Cash helped,” said the 5-foot-9, 155-pound cowboy. “It’s hard because riding bulls I’m gone all the time. But what is special about Wilson is you might not rope on him for a month and he’s ready to go.” Josh clinched his qualification for the Linderman Award in steer wrestling when he earned $1,290 by finishing fourth with a 4.1-second run at the Golden Spike Rodeo in Tremonton, Utah, Aug. 24.

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2019

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