YOUR AD HERE »

Vessels crash, benefit roping, rodeo entry info and event winners

Jan Swan Wood
For the August 21, 2010 edition of Tri-State Livestock News.

I keep thinking that the fast pace will slow down a little, but it hasn’t. Where has the summer gone? School will be starting soon; fall is just around the corner and I am still behind on my spring work.

For you folks in the Quarter horse business and the racing segment in particular, it was sad news indeed that Frank “Scoop” Vessels III died Aug. 11. Scoop and his friend, Sam Cannell, were flying to Montana for their annual fishing trip when Scoop’s plane went down on a remote ranch near Bend, OR. Scoop, 58, was best known for being the guy in charge of Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, CA. He designed and built the farm and it was home to two of the most influential stallions in the racing industry, Beduino (TB) and the all-time money earning sire, First Down Dash, amongst others, including Tolltac and The Signature. Scoop was past president of the AQHA and a giant in Quarter horse racing. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and sons: Bryan, Kash (wife Kelly), and Colt, all of Bonsall, CA.

There will be a benefit for Red Owl, SD-rancher Danny Wicks on Sept. 19 at the H&M Arena in Marcus, SD. I don’t have any more details, but will find out what I can and share that with you as soon as possible. Danny has Lou Gehrig’s Disease, also known as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and is going to be going for treatment soon. The benefit will help to raise funds for travel and related expenses.



My old friend Ray Hunter called and gave me the number for the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Management in Washington, DC. It’s 202-912-7261. Give them a call and let them know what you think about the way they are handling things. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to hear MY opinion, but they might appreciate yours.

By the way Ray, when is your next book coming out? The first one, “Dim Trails,” was so good I am sure hoping you’ll do another.



I took in the Faith Stock Show’s Ranch Rodeo and am really impressed with all the good hands and good horses that were there. One could put together a super cowboy crew with the men, women and kids that were in it. Talk about good horses – they were there in droves. It’s great to see ranch folks come to town for an event like that and to see them on their favorite horses made it even better.

Newell’s famous Labor Day rodeo is coming up, on, well, Labor Day. It’s also Newell’s (SD) Centennial, so it ought to be a big one. If you want in the rodeo, the entries will be taken Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. They fill up fast, and it’s not the nice person who takes the entries fault when an event is full, so be polite. The number to call is 605-456-1425. Newell Labor Day is also the home of the annual World Championship Sheep Teepeeing, an event so amazing you simply must see it for yourself to believe it.

I asked for some help on deciphering who some of the young barrel racers are and my friend Mary Crago helped me out. Jessica (Mueller) Routier is Riley Routier’s wife, from Buffalo, SD. Riley’s cousin, the former Jessica Painter, is now Jessica Holmes (sometimes still listed as Jessica Painter) from Rapid City. Her sister-in-law is Amy Holmes and I know she was from Wisconsin, but believe she is from out in the Rapid City area now. If not, let me know. All three ladies are doing fantastic and I tip my hat to them!

The Dash & Dance Barrel Futurity and 4D at Spearfish, SD’s Seven Down Arena was a great success. Winning the average was Hallie Melvin on Guys Gold Coin, a four-year-old stallion bred by Bill Myers/Allen Woodbury, and owned by Ron and Charolette Ford, Lemmon, SD. They also won Futurity Round 1. Guys Gold Coin is by the great barrel sire, Frenchmans Guy (owned by Myers) and out of Queens Coin, who is also the dam of the great barrel horse, Sissys Little Coin.

Also at the Dash & Dance, the 1D was won by Melissa Bachand on Rare Rock with a 13.69; 2D, Hallie Melvin on Easy French Doc with a 14.22; 3D, Joeni Leuders on Nitro with a 14.69; and 4D, Kassidy Lantis on Master Cash Dasher with a 15.71.

Speaking of barrels, our pro-gals, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD, and Jill Moody, Letcher, SD, are standing fourth and sixth, respectively in the WPRA.

Lisa would be correct in assuming I have some pretty dumb moments. Last week I said that she and Jana Griemsman are sisters. I knew better. Both are lovely ladies, but are not sisters. Jill Moody is Jana’s sister though, so at least I was right that Jana has a sister. My apologies to all of you. I think I need to get more sleep or something.

Lisa won the barrels at the Glendive, MT rodeo. At the same rodeo, steer wrestling was won by Seth Jack Murphy, Dickinson, ND. He’s also leading the Badlands Circuit in all-around and steer wrestling, too. Team roping was won by Drew Gartner, Killdeer, ND and Tim Franzen, Dickinson, ND; saddle broncs by Josh Reynolds, Ekalaka, MT; bull riding by JR Vezain, Cowley, WY.

Seth Jack Murphy also won the all-around and steer wrestling at the Fergus Falls, MN rodeo. He also pulled a check in the tie-down roping. Team roping was won by Brett Price, Faith, SD and Paul Griemsman, Piedmont, SD; saddle broncs by Jeremy Meeks, Belle Fourche, SD.

Hermiston, OR’s “Silver Tour” rodeo had barebacks won by Joe Gunderson, Agar, SD with 85 points on Kessler’s Silver Moon; bull riding by Kanin Asay, Powell, WY with a terrific 88 points on Calgary Stampede’s Lizard Lips.

The “Silver Tour” rodeo at Sikeston, MO, had Paul David Tierney, Oral, SD winning the all-around with money in tie-down and team roping. Dustin Elliott of North Platte, NE rode Rafter H’s Dr. Hou to a smoking 93 points in the bull riding!

At Loveland, CO, the all-around was won by Seth Glause, Rock Springs, WY, with a placing in the saddle broncs and a win in the bull riding.

Cody Taton from Newell, SD (I think he’s calling New Mexico home now, but we still claim him), won the saddle broncs in Silverton, TX. Kelly Timberman, Mills, WY, won the barebacks at Steamboat Springs, CO.

There’s a Little Britches Rodeo coming up in Rapid City, Aug. 28-29, at the Central States Fair. It starts at 8 a.m. at the Grandstand arena. There are lots of other great horse events during the Central States Fair, so call 605-355-3861, or check it out at http://www.centralstatesfair.com.

A benefit for a Hulett area woman is being held through the Ride A Horse Feed A Cowboy Rough Stock rodeo at Hulett, WY on August 28, starting at 1 pm. Great rough stock and cowboys will combine to raise money to help this person with expenses related to her multiple cancers. Check it out at http://www.rideahorsefeedacowboy.com.

Send me anything you have going on in the horse, ranch, rodeo, or show world and I’ll try to get it in here. I sure can’t tell others about it if I don’t know about it myself!