Brazile Cashes in at Butterfield Stage Days Rodeo
Susan Kanode
For the Butterfield Stage Days PRCA Rodeo

BRIDGEPORT, Texas --- Competing at the Butterfield Stage Days Karl Klement Dodge PRCA Rodeo, May 7-8, kept all-around champion Trevor Brazile smiling for several reasons.

The rodeo is 15 miles from his house at Decatur, features all three of his events (tie-down, team and steer roping), and wife Shada, son Treston, new baby girl Stella were in the stands. Brazile won the steer roping and finished in a tie for third place in tie-down.

The reigning all-around world champ earned $2,647 in the steer roping and $1,222 in tie-down roping. He roped and tied three steers in 36.1 seconds for the championship and $2,657. Hunter Herrin, from Apache, Okla., won the tie-down with a time of 7.2 seconds. Brazile tied for third with Fred Werneck, from Blum, Texas, with times of 7.7 where each earned $1,222. .

“It’s great to come to a rodeo so close to home,” Brazile said. “This rodeo committee is trying really hard to make it a good event. I never get tired of winning, but doing well in front of a hometown crowd has its own rewards.”

Texans won four additional events. All the livestock was provided by Lancaster and Pickett Pro Rodeo from Fairfield, Texas. In bareback riding, Matt Bright, from Azle, had an 83-point ride on Unforgiven to win $1,035. There was a tie in steer wrestling with Irving’s Joe Walker and Bartonville’s Justin Davis turfing their steers in 3.8 seconds.   They each won $1,504. In the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing, it was Janna Beam from Hallsville who got the big check. She had a time of 17.39 seconds to win $1,566. Bull riding also saw a tie with two 86-point rides worth $1,088. Corey McFadden from Coleman, Texas, rode Outa Control while Dalton Votaw from Liberty rode Brush Jacket. 

Votaw wasn’t sure he was going to make it to the rodeo.  He was making the 326-mile trip from Liberty by himself when his truck broke down in Waxahachie. Knowing he had a good bull on Saturday night he was going to do everything he could to get on. So, leaving his truck in the Wal-Mart parking lot, he called a taxi to take him the remaining 88 miles to the Bridgeport Riding Club Arena.

“I got there about 10 minutes before I got on my bull,” Votaw said. “It cost me $120 for the cab ride. I guess that was a little more motivation to stay on.”

Jace Garrett, from Alliance, Neb., won the saddle bronc riding with an 82-point ride on Air Guitar for $1,097. In team roping Oklahomans Charles Pogue and Jett Hillman each earned $1,830 for their 4.7 second run. 

Bridgeport’s rodeo was of triple importance to many of the competitors. Money won here counted in the Texas Circuit, All-American and the World Standings and could make the difference in qualifying for any of these series’ championship events.

Friday night was Rodeo Pink night, raising funds for Mary’s Gift an organization that provides mammograms for women in Wise County. With fund raisers, donations from the committee and Karl Klement Dodge, $8,400 was raised. This is the fourth year that the rodeo has been sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the committee is enjoying the caliber of athletes that is bringing to town. With over 500 contestants at the 2010 edition there were a slew of Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and world champions represented.

The president of the rodeo committee, Jay Craddock, played double duty as he competed in the steer roping. Another committee member, John Brogan, is a former bullfighter that had a long and successful career at rodeos across the country.

“I think it gives us ideas of things to do to make our rodeo a good one and ways to make it better,” Craddock said. This year meals for the nightly contestants were provided by Dos Chiles and Raymon’s Bar B Que, two local restaurants. “We have a lot of local support and over 100 volunteers that make it all possible. Our crowds this year were  some of the best ever. It won’t be long and we’ll start planning for next year because we think we’ve got a great rodeo with a lot of potential.”