Published: May 07, 2008 09:45 am         

Some of rodeo’s best to compete

From Staff Reports

Those attending this week’s Palo Pinto Livestock Association’s 71st Annual Pro Rodeo at the Mineral Wells Arena will get to see some of the top performers on the circuit.

The performances begin tonight and run through Saturday. Tickets at the gate are $12 for adults and $7 for children. The action will start at 8 p.m. each night, with special events and honors each night.

In town to compete is the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association’s top-ranked team roping duo of header Travis Tryan, of Billings, Mont., and teammate heeler Michael Jones, of Stephenville. Tryan, ranked first, has earned $38,010 in winnings so far this year, according to the PRCA. Jones, sitting atop all the heelers, has PRCA earnings of $38,426 this year.

The No. 8-ranked header in team roping, Luke Brown, of Rock Hill, S.C., with winnings this year of $25,483, is also on the list of cowboys entered in this year’s Mineral Wells Pro Rodeo.

The No. 3-ranked heeler Clay O’Brien Cooper, of Morgan Mill, Texas, will again compete in this year’s Mineral Wells rodeo. Cooper lists PRCA earnings this year of $30,684.

Local rodeo star and former world champion team roper Allen Bach, of Millsap, is sitting out this year’s Mineral Wells rodeo. But that doesn’t mean the local event is Bach-less. Son Joel Bach, a header, is competing professionally for the first time this year. He is teamed up with heeler Paul Eaves, of Millsap, another circuit rookie, and both are in the running for rookie of the year honors, the elder Bach said.

“He’s in the top 15,” the sixth-ranked Bach proudly said Tuesday of his son. He has tutored both his son and Eaves at his Millsap ranch.

In the Saddle Bronc division, No 4-ranked Bradley Harter from Weatherford, with earnings this year of $38,027, is set to compete.

Back this year is bull rider J.W. Harris, of May, Texas, currently ranked 9th in the PRCA event standings with earnings of $28,736.

The highest-ranked girls barrel racer set to perform this week is Layna Kight, ranked 10th overall, from Wells Point, Texas, showing earnings this year of $19,948.30.

Of course, among the more than 200 cowboys and cowgirls signed up for this year’s local competition are performers from Mineral Wells and surrounding towns like Weatherford, Stephenville, Dennis, Lipan and Decatur, to name a few. Professional cowboys who call Mineral Wells home and performing in their home arena this week are: team roper Terry Galliher; team roper Scott Jeter; team roper Justin Parish; and team roper Miles Scoville; Lipan team roper Kyle Crick is also entered.

The annual rodeo parade is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. today through the streets of downtown Mineral Wells, following the same route as previous years, beginning at the train depot and going north on S.E. 1st Avenue, turning east onto S.E. 1st Street before turning onto S.E. 4th Avenue and heading west on East Hubbard Street. The route will then turn at the Baker Hotel and go north, proceeding past the historic post office, across North Oak Avenue and around the Crazy Water Retirement Hotel before making its final stretch down Oak Avenue, ending back at the old train depot.

There will be special events each night of the rodeo, including nightly calf scrambles. There will also be Mutton Bustin’ performances and local team roping competitions as well. Leon Coffee will once again lead the team of arena bullfighters in protecting the riders and entertaining the crowds while popular rodeo announcer Doug Mathis will again call the action in the arena.

Friday night’s festivities include a dance from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. with the Western Union Band at the Expo Center on the PPCLA Rodeo Grounds; admission is $8 per person and $12 per couple.

Saturday will include the traditional grand finale and crowning of the 2008 rodeo queen.