Burke Stampede: The story of Bugsy from the Badlands
Y’all sit back and enjoy the story of Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo, a great buckin’ horse named Bugsy and the Burke Stampede….
Once upon a time there was a rip roarin’ bronc stompin’ legendary rodeo called the Burke Stampede. The rodeo-lovin’ folks on the Stampede committee recognized that behind every great rodeo is a great Stock Contractor who knows the business of buckin’ horses, buckin’ bulls, and timed event cattle. They went in search of just such a contractor and pardnered with one of the very best in Chancy and Paige Wilson and crew of Muddy Creek ProRodeo from the Badlands of Scenic, South Dakota. Chancy quickly saw that the Stampede had been doing everything professionally except inviting the cowboys and the cowgirls of the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) and WPRA (Women’s Professional Rodeo Association) to compete on their arena floor. The Burke Stampede took Chancy’s encouragement and advice to heart and hit the dirt running, being sanctioned by the PRCA and WPRA for the first time ever in 2021.
Chancy and Paige were born into and raised in rodeo. It is their passion and their children Paytin, Rankyn, and Kashtyn join them in that passion on the rodeo trail. Chancy says, “When you come to a Muddy Creek Rodeo, we want every cowboy thinking they had a chance to win and every spectator thinking they just watched the greatest rodeo and wanting to come back the next night or they can’t wait til’ next year, and we want committees to feel like they are on Cloud 9 and just put on their version of a mini NFR. And as long as the stock is even, the cowboys appreciate that, if you know there’s more than 1 bronc or 1 steer in the pen you can win on, then they’ll show up”
And as the story goes, that desire to fill every chute with outstanding bucking horses led to a dream come true for Muddy Creek. That dream come true is the star of this fairy tale and his name is Bugsy. Chancy was at a bronc riding in Ogallala, Nebraska and Lance Lesmeister had Bugsy there. “Bugsy came out and two jumped Colt Gordon. I asked Lance if he wanted to sell him because he was so phenomenal. Lance said, ‘I don’t own him, I’m just breeding to him.’ He was owned by the Ringgold Family out of Gans Oklahoma. They raised him. I told Lance to find out if they wanted to sell him. A few days later, Lance called and said, yeah, they’d sell him but I better get on it because word got out how hard he bucked and they are getting lots of calls. I told Lance, tell them the check is in the mail,-; the rest is history.”
Turns out, Bugsy loves to buck, and Bugsy also loves his home in the Badlands of South Dakota. Bugsy is now 12 years old. He is the backbone of Muddy Creek Rodeo’s breeding program. He is a known producer with offspring already going to the NFR and making a name for themselves. Chancy breeds about 20 mares a year to him. He only gets bucked about 10 to 12 times a year, mostly bronc match short rounds, and a few select rodeos. The Burke Stampede is honored to be one of those select rodeos and it is always Bugsy’s first trip back to the rodeo arena after being with his mares. Chancy says that Bugsy is a big teddy bear. He eats cookies and Zebra cakes out of the kids’ hands. He has made 5 appearances at the NFR (National Finals Rodeo). He has been 3X Badlands Circuit Bronc of the Year and 2X Badlands Circuit Bronc of the Finals. It is safe to say that Bugsy is a LEGEND!!
How are the Legend and his fellow buckers cared for? Chancy relates, “Our livestock comes first, because without them you can’t put on a rodeo. We had Jade Nixon and a nutritionist out of Nebraska design us a feed made special for horses to keep them feeling their best at all times. And if you can get them feeling their best, they’re gonna give you that extra 1/2 point or 2.”
Chancy maintains that you are only as successful as the company you keep and he has found great partners in the elite bucking bull program of Andy and Joe Podio and Families…Circle 9 Cattle Company out of Newcastle, Wyoming. They raise some of the rankest bulls known to man on the grasslands of the Powder River Basin. Those bulls will be in Burke. Also making their second appearance at the Stampede to help Chancy fill every chute with a bucker will be Burch Rodeo out of Rozet, Wyoming. Matt Burch and Burch Rodeo Company are legendary in the bucking horse world. Our Committee, the cowboys and cowgirls, and our rodeo fans recognize the superb effort that Muddy Creek ProRodeo puts into making the Burke Stampede Rodeo something to talk about. When asked why, Chancy says, ” We love it. It’s dang sure not the money. We love the people we’ve met, the friendships we’ve gained over the years, the stories we’ve built, and made, and of course our horses.”
Don’t you miss a single performance of the Burke Stampede Rodeo July 17-19, Performances at 7:30 PM each evening at the Stampede Arena, Burke South Dakota. Advance tickets available on-line at burkestampederodeo.com or by scanning the QR code on our posters, and ads for the Burke Stampede Rodeo.
–Burke Stampede Rodeo
