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RED LETTER DAY
FOR RODEO FOUNDATION
Out of Debt, Group Looks To The
Future
 Last
Thursday, March 9, will long be remembered as a high point in
the history of the 101 Ranch Rodeo Foundation, a corporation of the
Ponca City Chamber of Commerce.
At 2 p.m. the note on
the bleachers, chute's, corrals and other installations at the
grounds was paid off and the mortgage burned.
Following burning of the note, members of the Rodeo Foundation and
the Industrial Foundation recalled the early days of rodeo in Ponca
City.
The first year—1960—bleachers were borrowed
from here and there and set up close to the Agriculture Building. It
had rained and the corners sank deeply into the soft ground. Many
we're certain the bleachers were going to collapse.
People poured out to see the rodeo in such great numbers that
a fourth performance was necessary so all who had tickets could see
it.
The second year, the site of the rodeo was moved to
the present location. The bleachers were rented from a firm in
Hutchinson and the rodeo committee was proud of having provided fine
seating accommodations but one section did collapse and had to be
abandoned. The calm voice and manner of the announcer, Bill
O'Connor, was credited with the orderly way in which the spectators
left the stands. No one was injured.
Permanent
bleachers as well as the chute's, were constructed in 1962. The
Rodeo Foundation went into debt for $35,666.10.
The
debt would have been much higher if members of the Rodeo Foundation
and lovers of rodeo had not pitched in and worked hard.
The men pointed out areas where they had painted bleacher seat
numbers, or tightened a bolt and where Claude had "really smashed
his thumb."
There were some slim years, when the
Rodeo Foundation did not make enough money for a payment on the
note, and one year interest due to the Industrial Foundation could
not be paid.
But Thursday afternoon, men were
primarily looking forward to the upcoming
Ranch Rodeo on August 24-26. Out of debt, they expect this year to
begin accumulating money toward further improvements at the rodeo
grounds.
Much has been accomplished for the 1972
rodeo—the stock contractor, specialty acts, announcer and clown's
have been secured. This year there will be trade-outs with Vinita,
which always means a greater number of outstanding rodeo cowboys
competing at the 101 Ranch Rodeo.
JUST TEN DAYS TO 101 RODEO
TIME
Cowboys Coming For Prize Cash
Rodeo time in Ponca City
is.....August 24, 25, 26.....A time for celebration.....Western
dress time.....Carnival time.....A time for beautiful queen
contestants and.....The time for the most exciting competition of
men against animals to be found in this section of the country.
Out of debt for 'the first time since the
wild and not too well organized 1960 rodeo, the 101 Ranch Rodeo
Foundation is celebrating.
First, they are providing the cowboys
stock on which they can secure top scores for prize money. That
means bringing back the Elra Beutler and Sons broncs, bulls, steers
and calves.
They
are offering a good purse which together with the entry fees of the
contestants will total more than $7,000 to be paid the cowboys.
The bull riders will have three of the
finest bullfighters in the sport to protect them — Buck LeGrand and
the Clark Brothers all of whom were here last year.
One of the top announcers in the United
States will be behind the microphone. He is Chuck Parkison, who has
announced practically all of the important rodeos, in the country,
has appeared on television and in motion pictures.
The dates — Auiguist 24, 25, and 26 — are
right as cowboys will be working harder than ever to add to the
money they have won and thus qualify for the National Finals Rodeo
in Oklahoma City next December. Cutoff date is the last of October.
The 101 Ranch Rodeo has "trade outs."
This means contestants can trade the night they are to be out with
other cowboys. This makes it possible for them to compete at Ponca
City, Vinita with its purse of $7,040 and Douglas, Wyo., where a
$7,000 purse is being offered.
The highly competitive professional
cowboy athlete is accustomed to driving long distances with little
sleep between performances.
Now, the airplane reduces traveling time,
making it possible to compete in as many as five rodeos in one
weekend.
CHAMP COWBOY SIGNS FOR RODEO
Phil Lyne Rides, Ropes, Bulldogs, And Often Wins
World champion all around cowboy Phil Lyne is
among the top cowboys who plan to enter the 101 Ranch Rodeo here
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, it was announced Saturday by the Rodeo
Cowboys Association.
Lyne of George West, Tex-, won the 1971 all
around title with nearly $50,000 in winnings. Often competing in every rodeo event he leads for the 1972 title with more than $36,000.
The 8 p.m. performances will feature bareback, saddle bronc, bull
riding, calf roping and steer wrestling. Cowboys will add their entry
fees to a $3,750 purse for the total—prize money again this year.
Last year with 145 entries, prize money was $7,374.
This was part of the 4 million won in 1971 at 539 Rodeo Cowboys
Association sanctioned rodeos.
Phil Lyne is a all around champion cowboy in the truest sense of the
title, the RCA said.
In an age of specialization, when cowboys
compete in only one or two events, Lyne competes and wins in the five
standard events plus team
roping.
Last year when he won the world championship, which was only his third
year of professional rodeo, he collected $7,158 at Houston alone.
The 2S-year-old athlete is a cowboy's cowboy, equally at home on his
11,000 acre Hereford ranch near George West as he is in the rodeo
arena.
The cowboys simply refer to Lyne as "a hand," an
untarnished
title of respect.
Lyne was named Rookie of the Year in 1969 when he joined the RCA. In
1970 and 1971, he also won the Bill Linderman award, presented annually
to the cowboy who wins the most money in three events, one timed and
two riding or vice versa.
In addition to his 1971 all around title.
Lyne was crowned world champion calf roper with $28,220 in winnings.
NO SEATS RESERVED FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT OPENING RODEO PERFORMANCE
Sturdy, rested, well-fed stock of Elra Beutler and Sons is in the
corrals at the 101 Ranch Rodeo grounds waiting to show cowboys and
spectators their dominance and trickiness.
Opening performance of the 13th annual
RCA-sponsored rodeo will be 8 p.m. Thursday, which is family bargain
night.
Tickets for Thursday are $1.50 for adults and
75 cents for children under 12. There will be no reserved seats and the
price is the same whether purchased in advance or at the gate.
All seats will be reserved for Friday and
Saturday night performances. A $2.50 ticket may be purchased for $2 from
Ponca City grocers or from queen candidates before the rodeo. Tickets
must be exchanged at the Rodeo Ticket Office in the Chamber of Commerce,
112 North Third, for a reserved seat.
Wednesday morning there were many blank
spaces on the reserved seat board and rodeo fans are urged to exchange
their tickets as soon as possible.
The carnival at the rodeo grounds opens at 7
o'clock tonight with 14 different rides, including Ferris wheel,
merry-go-round, octopus, flying saucer, bullet ride, roller coaster,
etc. Rides for all ages.
In addition to the rides there 20 stands for
games and food.
Something different has been planned for the
annual rodeo dance, which will be Saturday night. It will be on the kart
strip at the Municipal Airport — out of doors and under the stars.
The telephone at the rodeo office has been
ringing almost constantly as cowboys and cowgirls call in their entries
for the rodeo.
Entries close at 4 o'clock today and then the
drawing begins in the riding events. As one man draws the name of a
cowboy another will draw the name or number of the bronc or bull on
which he is to try his luck and skill.
Calves and steers are drawn just an hour
before the event.
Cowboys are in unusually tight competition
this year for the world championships in the standard rodeo events —
bare back, saddle bronc and bull riding, calf roping and steer
wrestling.
Cutoff date for qualifying for the National
Finals Rodeo is only two months away and contestants are doubling their
efforts to be among the top money winners in the nation and thus he
eligible to try for the purse of well over $100,000.
MISS FORD COUNTRY DUE SATURDAY FOR RODEO PARADE, OTHER
EVENTS
 Coming
to Ponca City to participate in the Saturday activities of the 101 Ranch
Rodeo is Miss Darolyn Butler, better known as Miss Ford Country. While
here she will be the guest of Jack Bowker Ford Company.
She will ride in the 2 p.m. parade and
participate in the 8 p.m. grand entry of the final rodeo performance.
During the day she will be at the Ford dealership signing autographs and
passing out sheriff badge to children.
Miss Butler was voted Miss Oklahoma State
University Oklahoma Dairy Princess in 1970 She was queen of the 1968
Okeene Rodeo, 1967 Woodward Elks Rodeo and the 1967 Pauls Valley Rodeo.
She also was elected Miss Rodeo of Oklahoma
1971 and received the horsemanship award in the Miss Rodeo
American Pageant.
Miss Butler has been a finalist in the Miss
Rodeo Oklahoma Pageant, Miss Teenage Oklahoma Contest and the National
Finals Rodeo Queen Contest during the past few years.
In addition to appearing at rodeos, Ford
dealerships and civic events, Miss Butler has been featured on Ford
dealer commercials and advertisements during her reign as Miss Ford
Country.
The daughter of Mr. 'and Mrs. Darold Butler
of Pauls Valley, Miss Ford Country was state FFA Sweetheart in 1968 and
has held offices in the FFA, 4-H Club and the Farm Bureau.
CURTAIN GOES UP ON RODEO TONIGHT;
219 COMPETITORS ENTER
Grand Entry For Eight O'clock, Band Selected
Before books closed at 4 p.m. Wednesday, 219 cowboys and cowgirls had
called in their entries for the 13th annual 101 Ranch Rodeo. This is 75
more than last year.
Tonight has been designated as family bargain night by the Rodeo
Foundation, with tickets selling for $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for
those under 12, No seats are reserved and it is first come, first
served.
The rodeo band under the direction of Don Leavitt, will be playing
before the 8 o'clock Grand Entry, providing those who come early with
good entertainment. Leavitt said he had picked 18 from the Po Hi stage
band to form the rodeo band.
When tonight was announced as bargain night, no one knew what a bargain
it would turn out to be.
There will be 45 cowboys and eight barrel racers competing for a slice
of the purse during the regular rodeo performance.
Following a break for those who wish to leave for one reason or another,
the rodeo will continue. There will be 15 bull riders, 10 calf
ropers, 4 doggers and 13 barrel racer; in the after-rodeo.
Often this is as exciting as events earlier in the evening and
ticket-holders are urged to remain and cheer on their favorites.
Gary Tucker of Carlsbad N.M., will be the first of the leading cowboys
in the nation to be out. He is standing fifth in bareback riding, having
won $13,805 so far this year, and will be trying to add to his total to
assure himself a place in the National Finals Rodeo.
Fourteen calves will be turn ed. out for the cowboys to try their skill
in roping and tying; so it will stand for six seconds. Among them will
be Junior Garrison, fifth ranking calf roper in the nation last year.
In the after-rodeo, Buddy Geter, who is standing 11th this year with
wins totaling, $8,466, will be trying to beat Garrison's time.
Saddle bronc competition will have Brandon McReynolds up on Phantom of
the Elra Beutler and Son stock. While not in the top 15 of the nation,
McReynolds usually makes a good ride and takes home a share of the
purse.
Leading steer wrestler in the nation, Roy Duvall, will be working to add
to his $17,876 take so far this year. Duvall ranked fifth in the nation
last year.
Also contending in dogging tonight will be Frank Shepperson, fifth with
$12,554, and Rex Bland, eighth with $8,442 to date.
Bull riding, always a favorite with rodeo fans, has drawn 6 entries,
which means after-rodeo rides both tonight and Friday.
World champion all around cowboy of 1971 and leading a around this year
with $39,323, Phil Lyne will be riding tonight in the after-rodeo, John
Quiltana, the No. 1 bull rider so far this year with $19,981, and Gary
Leffew, standing seventh, will be out.
One of the 101 Ranch Rodeo queen contestants, Earla Byler of Kildare,
sponsored by the Blackwell Saddle Club, will be riding the barrels
tonight.
Wandering Okies Will Play For Dance
 A
rodeo is not complete without a western dance.
This year the Saturday night dance is sponsored by the Ambucs, who have
planned "something different," according to Keith Wittmer, general
chairman.
It will be out of doors, under she moon and stars with cool breezes
blowing, beginning at 10 p.m.
The go-kart area south and west of the rodeo arena has been fenced off.
On the grassy part, tables and chairs will be arranged, and dancing will
be on the paved portion which circles around and through the grass.
Music will again be furnished by the popular Wandering Okies led by
Denzil Alcorn, national recording artist, who is soon to come out under
the Decca label.
His band gives out foot-taping, frolicking western swing music,
according to those who danced to it last year.
Saturday night they will be playing a whole new program.
Alcorn, a native of Wichita, won a talent show in 1958 and went from
there to the Big D Jamboree and the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. He
has appeared with Red Foley and played clubs in Southern Kansas and
Northern Oklahoma.
Saturday Rodeo Parade Shaping Up; Easterling Named Marshal
Entries are still being received for the 13th annual 101 Ranch Rodeo
parade which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, according to John Heinze,
parade chairman.
All types of entries are welcome, Heinze said, asking those planning to
join in the fun to call the Chamber of Commerce so they can be given a
place in the line of march. This will save much confusion at parade
time, he added.
V. R. Easterling, PhD, Oklahoma City, executive director of the Oklahoma
Historical Society, will be the parade marshal. In accepting the
invitation, Easterling said it would be "like coming home" to him as be
was president of Northern Oklahoma College at Tonkawa for 12 years.
The reigning 101 Ranch Rodeo queen, Miss Gale Harmon of Nowata, will be
seen in the parade. Miss Harmon will relinquish her title Saturday
evening to one of the lovely young horsewomen in this year's contest.
The nine queen contestants will ride in the parade so the
thousands expected to line Grand Avenue may be able to see them other
than in the rodeo arena.
The Ponca Trailblazers arrived Wednesday evening on South Avenue, just
east of Fourteenth, and parade through Ponca City this afternoon to the
rodeo grounds to be ready for the 8 o'clock grand entry tonight.
The Trailblazers also will be in the rodeo parade Saturday with saddle
and round-up clubs from over a wide area of Oklahoma.
There will be clowns, walking groups and various types of rolling
entries in the Saturday parade.
All riding groups are asked so line up on Union north of Grand Avenue.
Walking and rolling units are to form on Grand west of Union.
The parade will begin promptly at 2 p.m. and move east on
Grand to Seventh
Street, where it will disband.
COWBOYS FROLIC IN RAIN, MUD
Nothing stops rodeo!
Not heavy rain, strong winds or deep mud, all of which greeted
cowboys, officials and the true, hardy rodeo fans at the opening
performance of the 101 Ranch Rodeo Thursday evening.
Some concessions
were made to the arena quagmire and the downpour. There was no rodeo
band—no pre-rodeo entertainment—no grand entry—no specialty acts.
But there was good rodeo. No one could have asked for better
entertainment or more fun. Even the cowboys seemed to be having a good
time, laughing and joking. As the performance went on, more spectators
appeared and they cheered enthusiastically.
More outstanding rodeo
is promised for tonight. Top cowboys of the nation are scheduled for both tonight and Saturday.
Persons who held tickets for Thursday night will be admitted on their
tickets or stub tonight or Saturday night. The will be seated at the
north end of the arena, where they have an unobstructed view of the chutes
as the broncs and bulls buck out into the arena. Much of the calf roping
action is in this area.
Good scores were made on rides and surprising times on calf roping and
doggin'.
In bareback, Gary Tucker of Carlsbad, N.M., fifth in national standing
at this time, score a 76 on Wild Rose.
Quickest time in calf roping was made by Ponca City's Bill Mitchell, who
is not even a member of the RCA. He roped his calf in 14.2 seconds. All ropers had trouple with the piggin'
string, as the mud made it slippery and hard to handle while tying
three legs of the fighting calves.
In saddle bronc, Roger Bartel of Burden, Kan., scored 64 for the best
ride. Brandon McReynolds of Andrews, Tex., who undoubtedly would be
in the top 15 riders in the nation if he rodeoed more often, was injured when the bronc crushed him against the chute. McReynolds expects
to be out tonight.
Time to beat for top money in steer wrestling is 5.5 seconds turned in
by Roy Duvall, Warner, ranking dogger in the dogger in the nation at
this time. Frank Shepperson, Midwest, Wyo., who is fifth in the national standings, threw his steer in 4.2 seconds, but broke the barrier a split second too soon and had a 10-second penalty added.
Cowgirls we're out there running barrels as if they had a dry arena.
Not a barrel was turned over and their horses did not slip. Carole
Wintermute of Tonkawa has the time to beat — 19.5 seconds.
Earia Byler of Kildare, one of the queen contestants, rode the barrels
in 20.6 seconds.
The reigning queen, Gayle Harmon, will be riding tonight as will Pam
Madison of Arkansas City, a queen hopeful.
The final event of the evening, the popular bull riding, had spills and
splashes as cowboys were thrown into the mud and water quite a few
inches deep. Face down or back down, they all came up joking, looking
like creatures from outer space.
Jack Kelly of Deer Lodge, Mont., on No. 13, seemed to cheer himself as
he landed on his feet. Spectators cheered him.
Bull riders tonight and Saturday will have to beat his score of 76
points, which was tied Thursday night by Ronnie Hampton of Stephenville,
Tex.
Out tonight will be Phil Lyne of George West, Tex., the No. 1 all around
cowboy for 1971 and also the leader in me current standings. Lyne also
will be trying his skill at calf roping, in which he won the national
championship last year and is second this year.
Rain or shine, mud or dry arena, there will be rodeo tonight and
Saturday—good rodeo providing entertainment and fun for all.
STATE COWBOY TOP WINNER AT 101
RODEO
The 101 Ranch Rodeo of 1972 is now
history, but it will long be remembered by cowboys, cowgirls, and
spectators.
There were 219 cowboys, many among the top 15
in their event in the nation, other beginning to climb which they hope
will place them in one of those coveted spots and others who just hoped
that the luck of the draw and the luck of the ride would put some money
in their pockets.
At the pay window $9,190 in prize money was
waiting for them.
Mud did not hinder cowboys from scoring high
in their rides and turning in good time on the calves and steers
Thursday night.
It did prevent the spectators who braved the
weather from seeing the baton act of Joyce Rice, which many described as
"unbelievable."
As always Buck LeGrand and Gene and Bobby
dark had the fans laughing and wondering — just how did they do that!
 The
all around cowboy title was awarded Saturday night to Ronnie Bowman,
Calera, Okla., who was top money winner in this year's rodeo.
Ordinarily, the all around honors go to the top performer in more than
one event, but no one scored in two events this year.
Bowman won $748.72 for his 79-point ride the
final night. He was the first bull rider out Saturday.
Jack Kelly, Deer Lodge, Mont., scored a 76 on
his ride for second place and $561.54.
Ronnie Hampton, Stephenville, Tex., and
Marvin Gray, Vail, Colo., scored 74 points on their bulls to tie for
third and collected $280.77 apiece.
Freckles Brown, 51-year-old riding marvel,
went off just a split second before the buzzer on No. 13, one of Ezra
Beutler and Sons' best bulls.
The second and fourth place scores in
bareback bronc were made Thursday night in the mud by Gary Tucker,
Carlsbad, N.M., who scored a 76, and Denny Wingate of Leon, Kan., 71.
High scorer in bareback was T.J. Walters,
Watkins, Iowa, who had an 81-point ride Saturday night. Third place went
to Scott Platts of Lymon, Wyo., with a 74 score, also on Saturday.
Walters won $490, Tucker $367.50, Platts $245
and Wingate $122.56.
Six places were paid from a purse of $2,570 in calf roping. Buddy Geter,
Corpus Christi, was timed in 10.3 seconds in the mud Thursday night and
it stood up for first place and $720.44.
Richard Stowers, Madill, tied his calf in
10.4 Friday night to •earn second place and $596.23. Third place was the
11.4 time of Kenny Call, Pipe Creek, Tex., who collected $472.02.
Phil Lynes, 1971 world champion calf roper,
roped and tied his calf in 11.5 for fourth spot. The George West, Tex.,
cow- boy picked up $342.80. Lynes is currently second in the national
calf roping standings and leads in all around.
Fifth and sixth places went to Wayne
Lawrence, Sulphur, whose time was 12.3 seconds, and Roy Burk, Duncan,
with a 12.8 timing. The two Oklahoma cowboys won $223.60 and $124.21,
respectively.
The light saddle bronc entries had three head
each and Brandon McReynolds, Andrews, Tex., was the winner with an
average of 193 points.
Second place went to Roger Bartell, Burden,
Kan., with 188; Ted Gleason of Halstead, Kan., was third with 176 and.
George Anderson, Midland, Tex., forth with 175.
The nation's leading steer wrestler, Roy
Duvall of Warner, Okla., showed his doggin' when he bulldogged his steer
in 5.5 seconds Thursday night to win first and $746.76.
Don Adcock, Ramona, Okla., and Mickey
McGowan, Rosedale, Okla., each had 6.0-second times to tie for second
and collected $466.72 each. Bill Robinson's 6.8-second effort was good
for fourth place and $186.96.
In the girl's barrel racing, Martha Josey,
Carmack, Tex., won $160 with her 18.7-second ride good for first place.
Eight-year-old Chris Boucher, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. C. R. Boucher, Fairfax, finished in a three-way tie for second
place with Bana Perry of Enid and Jo Ann McKim, Springdale, Ark. Each
circled the barrels in 19 seconds and collected $80. |
ANNOUNCER: Chuck Parkison
