PAGE 40 ROPERS SPORTS NEWS JULY-AUGUST 2024 Lord blessed me and allowed me to keep doing it. So, with this honor it feels like you’ve finally done something right in your career and somebody out there recognized that.” The late B.D. Andrews sold his rodeo company to Elra Beutler & Sons when his son Sammy was a teenager. Sammy then formed Andrews Rodeo Company 44 years ago. Andrews has had countless great bulls over the years – and horses for that matter – but he’s best known for his ProRodeo Hall of Fame bull Bodacious, one of the most famous bulls in the history of ProRodeo. Bodacious was the PRCA Bull of the Year in 1994 and 1995 and was the top bull of the NFR in 1992 and 1994 and 1995. “Bo,” as he was known, was a 1,900-pound beast who struck fear into cowboys who didn’t want to ride him. Andrews retired Bo after Round 10 of the 1995 NFR and the star bull was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1999. Following Bodacious for Andrews was Skat Kat the top NFR bull in 1996 and 1998. “It is harder to get horses than anything,” Andrews said. “It is a fine line; you can’t get them where they don’t like them, and it is too rank, and you try and get one that bucks the right way and just good enough.” Andrews, who is a member of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, was named PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year in 2002. Although Andrews was known for his bulls, he has had plenty of outstanding horses since he started his bucking horse breeding program in 1987. Andrews mentioned Roly Poly, the top bareback horse of the 2004 NFR, as a key horse in the stock contracting firm. Roly Poly was retired in 2014. His other honors consisted of 2001 PRCA reserve bareback horse of the year and second-place bareback horse of the 2001 NFR. He also was voted the 2002 Texas Circuit Bareback Horse of the Year. “He was little, but he blew up right there and kicked hard right out of the chute,” Andrews said. “Cowboys liked him, and he was the first horse we ever had that ever won anything. We were very proud to have him.” Diefenbach forever enshrined at ProRodeo Hall of Fame Darrell Diefenbach came to the United States with a dream to be the best bullfighter in rodeo. It didn’t take long for what seemed like a far-fetched dream at one time to become a reality. Diefenbach’s journey to the PRCA began at the age of 24, just three years later he made his first of 12 trips to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. His longevity and success as a bullfighter parlayed into a ProRodeo Hall of Fame career. “A person can hope that if you put in dedication and enough hard work that hopefully it pays off someday. This really proves that,” said Diefenbach. “I just remember being a 17-year-old kid in Australia getting up every day and going to work. I had my list of goals in my bedroom at home and they were each small steps, one at a time. I had the goal to the make the NFR and I got that done at 27. Then my very last goal was to get put in the Hall of Fame. Now, here we are.” In addition to the big stage of the NFR, Diefenbach, a native Australian, also worked the National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Finals, and several marquee rodeos including Houston and Tucson, Ariz. There were a lot of memories that stood out to him when discussing his career, but overcoming adversity was at the top of the list. “The biggest thing that sticks out to me is all the injuries I went through to get to this point,” Diefenbach said. “Throughout my career I probably only had three or four healthy years, where I wasn’t dealing with some kind of injury. “There were days where it was tough to get out of bed and go do the same job as you did yesterday. I always looked at getting hurt as getting tougher. If it was easy I feel like everyone would do it. I bought my PRCA card and rodeoed every year to be the best.” His response was simple when asked how he reached the Hall of Fame summit. “I tell these kids that want to get their PRCA cards that first impressions are everything and you never get a second chance at a first impression. That made a huge difference for me when I came over to America,” Diefenbach said. “Never stop working because you never know what can be possible.” Burns Rodeo Company bull Mr. T was one of the best When Hal Burns bought Mr. T, the bull just seemed like another run-of-the mill roughstock animal. Little did Burns know the purchase he made at Jim Shoulder’s Bucking Sale in Oklahoma City at the 1983 Nationals Finals Rodeo would change the lives of he and his father Pete Burns, co-owners of Burns Rodeo Company. Mr. T, who failed as a Wrangler fighting bull for Jim Sutton, blossomed into a superstar for Burns Rodeo Company, Annual Van Snow Memorial Roping Boasts Huge Turnout TEMPLETON, CALIF. – Dr. Van Snow was a renowned veterinarian from the Santa Ynez area who passed in 2010. A Memorial Roping is held yearly to honor him. This year’s event was once again produced by Chase N Money in Templeton. The roping has traditionally been held on Memorial Day. An electric bike was awarded to the high money roper of the day, Dylan Fleming. Custom Martinez Fine Arts spurs went to Chance Machado, the high money roper of the #7 Roping. The roping was an ACTRA approved roping. Results follow and payoffs are per person. MAY 27 #7 HDCP: 3 for $50, 165 teams 1st. go: 1. Cash Duty and Chance Machado, 4.21, $385. 2. Cash Duty and Cayden Cox, 4.33, $230. 3. Cash Duty and Colton White, 4.71, $155. Average: 1. Derrek Hee and Cayden Cox, 19.99, $1,300. 2. Tristan Ruffoni and Jeremy Pinheiro, 23.79, $1,05. 3. Cash Duty and Chance Machado, 24.28, $780. 4. Tristan Ruffoni and Chance Machado, 27.70, $585. 5. Ethan Strassburger and Jeremy Pinheiro, 30.45, $370. 6. Dudley Little and Blake Willoughby, 30.72, $215. #4.5 ROPING w/40 & OVER INCENTIVE: 3 for $50, 165 teams 1st. go: Knox Halas Donnelly and Royce Brown, 6.20, $325. 2. Lilly Thompson and Francisco Cruz, 6.92, $195. 3. Jeffrey Coale and Royce Brown, 6.92, $180. Average: 1. John Stamper and Dylan Fleming, 24.19, $1,110. 2. Jaycee Chaves and Francisco Cruz, 24.72, $925. 3. Logan Sullivan and Francisco Cruz, 25.28, $665. 4. Sage Pearce and Chase Grantham, 26.65, $500. 5. Mike Morrison and Clay Helton, 29.22, $315. 6. Morgan Austin and Levi Real, 37.28, $185. Incentive: 1. Jesse Ryan and Casey Sabin, 16.24, $325. 2. Eric Redberg and Six Puentes, 21.45, $195. 3. Amy Lewis and Steve Boneso, 22.94, $130. Dylan Fleming was high money roper of the day at the Van Snow Memorial Roping, and won an electric bike. Derrek Hee and Cayden Cox were first in the average of the #7 Hdcp. John Stamper and Dylan Fleming were first in the average of the #4.5 roping. Jesse Ryan and Casey Sabin won the 40 & over incentive in the #4.5 roping. ProRodeo 2024 Hall of Fame... From Page 39 See PRORODEO 2024 HALL OF FAME On Page 42
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