ProRodeo Sports News - December 16, 2022

STOCK OF THE YEAR

Pendleton Whisky’s Let ’er Buck Awards

BY TRACY RENCK S tanding out among a crowd of exceptional roughstock requires a perfect balance of animal athleticism and the cowboys capable of showcasing that talent. The 2022 “PendletonWhisky’s Let ‘er Buck Bucking Stock of the Year Awards” recognized bareback horse Gun Fire of Frontier Rodeo, Black Tie of Sankey Pro Rodeo & PhenomGenetics as the saddle bronc horse and Smoke Stack of Beutler & Son Rodeo was recognized as top bull for the PRCA’s Top Stock of 2022. GUN FIRE Frontier Rodeo 2022 Bareback Horse of the Year Gun Fire is a bareback horse that has been grabbing headlines the past two seasons in the PRCA. In 2021, Gun Fire finished second in the “PendletonWhisky’s Let ‘er Buck Bucking Stock of the Year Award” and also was second in the Top Stock voting at the 2021Wrangler NFR. Gun Fire is 14 years old, and she weighs 1,550 pounds. “When you guys voted Medicine Woman into the (ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2022) I was just blown away and what makes horses like Medicine Woman and Gun Fire so special to me is we raised them,” Frontier Rodeo owner Jerry Nelson said. “We have just been blessed. I don’t care what anybody says, and I will always give credit to Harry Vold. He let me buy 10 mares in 1997 and then for about five years in a row when those mares got too old for Harry to buck and take care of because it gets so cold in Colorado, he would sell me four or five of those mares a year. “What’s so amazing about Gun Fire is for the last two years she really bucked but over at Pasadena (Texas) Heath Stewart (Frontier Rodeo manager) bucked a 5-year-old that is a full sister to (Gun Fire) and we have five colts now from yearlings to 5-year-olds that are full brothers and sisters to

Garrett Shadbolt scored 91.5 points at the 2022 Dodge City Roundup on Gun Fire. David Seymore photo

her. They are all buskins like that. They all buck like you know what. For a long time, the way that horse (Gun Fire) bucked those guys didn’t really want to get on her. I’m tickled pick.”

Ike (Wade’s father) is stepping away and me and everybody else are stepping in. This is the first award to this caliber that we have ever had a horse win and it was one of my personal goals as far as what to what to do with the program.”

2022 TOP STOCK BAREBACK 1st – Gun Fire, Frontier Rodeo 2nd – OLS Tubs Stevie Nicks, Macza Pro Rodeo 3rd –Famous Dex, Brookman Rodeo SADDLE BRONC 1st – Black Tie, Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics 2nd – OLS Tubs Get Smart, Macza Pro Rodeo 3rd – South Point, Sutton Rodeo BULL 1st – Smoke Stack, Beutler & Son Rodeo 2nd – Wild Onion, Andrews Rodeo 3rd – Gladiator’s Hammer, Frontier Rodeo

BLACK TIE Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics 2022 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year

SMOKE STACK Beutler & Son Rodeo 2022 Bull of the Year

Smoke Stack has been on the fringe of claiming this honor. Last year the powerful beast was second in the 2021 “PendletonWhisky’s Let ‘er Buck Bucking Stock of the Year Awards” and was second in the Top Stock voting at the 2021 Wrangler NFR. The wait is over for Smoke Stack and Rhett Beutler of Beutler & Son Rodeo was thrilled. “We have won this award in the past with

“This is the fourth Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year we have won in the history of Sankey Pro Rodeo,” Wade Sankey said. “To be mentioned in the top three is pretty incredible and to be picked as the winner is amazing.” Sankey Pro Rodeo also won

Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year with Skitso Skoal (1994, 1997) and Skoal’s Wild Card (1998) and Surprise Party Skoal (2000). Black Tie is 11 years old, and he weights 1,450 pounds.

a few bulls, but this one here is my first one that was born and raised and did everything right here (on the Beutler ranch in Elk City, Okla.) from the ground up. This is what I have been working for since I started raising bulls. This right here.” Smoke Stack is 6 years old and weighs 1,800 pounds. “Every time you open the chute gate, he gives it his all each trip,” Beutler said. “Knock on wood, he hasn’t had an off day or mediocre day. He gives you anywhere between 23 to a 24-point performance depending on how much you get to see of him and what the cowboy shows of him. Sometimes he throws them off so fast you don’t know what to mark him.”

“What makes Black Tie so special is just how electric he is,” Sankey said. “He absolutely knows when the lights are on. He absolutely knows his game.” Black Tie has competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in bareback riding and saddle bronc riding. He was at the NFR as a saddle bronc horse in 2020 and 2021. “He was never selected Bareback Horse of the Year, so I think this settled that debate,” Sankey said. “There’s kind of a transition between the family,

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