ProRodeo Sports News -- May 24, 2024

MANAGER’S MESSAGE TRACY RENCK

Tracy Renck is the Manager of Communications and Media. He previously served three years as the editor of the ProRodeo Sports News , and before that he spent seven years as a media coordinator at the

PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism.

Larry Fulgham photo Tie-down roper Blair Burk competes at the 1999 Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. The Durant, Okla., cowboy won the average with 31.4 seconds on three head, earning $10,488 to help him finish third in the world standings.

Remembering Reno Rodeo in the 1999 summer run I t has been said by countless cowboys over the years that the PRCA season doesn’t start until the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. Back in the day that was certainly the case. Reno was a huge paying rodeo and essentially when cowboys started their frantic push to get qualified for the National Finals Rodeo. That’s still the case – but the urgency isn’t quite as high because the winter and spring rodeos are so lucrative now. Another cowboy who stepped into the 1999 Reno spotlight was tie down roper Blair Burk. The Durant, Okla., cowboy won the average with 31.4 seconds on three head. He earned $10,488 and used that to finish third in the world standings behind ProRodeo Hall of Famers Fred Whitfield and Cody Ohl. Burk qualified for the NFR 14 times – 1995-2007 and 2009. He followed in the footsteps of his father Barry Burk, a ProRodeo Hall of Fame tie-down roper and NFR steer wrestler.

However, that’s not to diminish the importance of the rodeo for a cowboy’s summer run. Reno, which is June 20-29, is a huge stop in the Playoff Series and a place where a cowboy can set up the rest of his summer with a $10,000 to $20,000-plus payday. With this in mind, let’s flashback in the hot tub time machine to the 1999 Reno Rodeo and see what transpired. That year one of the highlight performers was bareback rider Jeffrey Collins. The Redfield, Kan., cowboy won the average with 241 points on three head and earned $10,419. Collins clinched the average title with a 79-point ride in the short round on Flying U’s Skoal Lady Hawk, allowing him to claim the championship trophy spurs by three points over final-round winner Clint Corey. Collins propelled the victory to a bid to the NFR, where he finished fifth in the world standings. Collins’ performance in Reno was a sign of good things to come for him as he won his lone PRCA Bareback Riding World Championship in 2000.

“Starting off the summer with a big win in Reno is a way to start the summer,” Blair Burk told the ProRodeo Sports News after his victory. Other 1999 Reno winners were steer wrestler Lee Graves, who won a rodeo-best $11,904; team ropers Larry Harris/Kirt Jones; saddle bronc rider Cliff Norris; barrel racer Kristie Peterson; and bull rider Gregory Potter. These contestants partied like it was 1999 – because of course it was – and it will be great to see who is celebrating on June 29 in the Biggest Little City in the World this year. One thing is for sure, Reno signals the start of a massively crazy, busy, hectic schedule for cowboys as they smash their foot on the gas and crisscross the United States and Canada up until the regular season ends on Sept. 30, chasing Wrangler NFR qualifications and gold buckle dreams. An advertisement in the 1999 ProRodeo Sports News by Coors could not have said it better: In Rodeo, there are No Substitutions. No Special Teams. And definitely No Timeouts. Let the fun begin.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/24/2024

ProRodeo.com

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