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OUR OPINION
I see that most of the Newport champions are returning to defend their wins. It turns out to be harder than you might think, even when you’ve drawn the same animal.
I can remember drawing the same bull at the same rodeo in consecutive years three times.
The first time was at Newport in 1979. I drew a Joe Kesley bull called Oscar and he threw me. I drew him the next year off and rode him, winning third.
In 1981, I entered Regina, Saskatchewan, the first part of December. I entered thinking I would only go if I drew this one bull. Sure enough, I drew him, Harry Vold’s No. 101, Mr. Chips.
I borrowed enough money for plane fare and flew to Regina. The bull bucked like I thought he would, and I rode him and won first and was able to repay the loan.
The next year I entered again, thinking if I didn’t draw 101, I wouldn’t go. Sure enough, I did draw him. Flying on borrowed money again, I arrived to find out that Canadian bull rider Cody Snyder, who went on to become the 1983 world champion bull rider, had already ridden the same bull and was leading the event. Anytime you draw bucking stock good enough to win first, it’s not a sure thing you’ll even get the whistle a second time, let alone win first. It’s even more difficult if an elite Canadian bull rider had already ridden the bull and is winning the Canadian rodeo. Repaying the loan suddenly became more uncertain.
But things went well with Mr. Chips, I rode the bull and again won the event, the biggest win of my rodeo career.
So when Union, Oregon came around a couple years later and I saw I had drawn Flying 5’s Igor, the same bull on which I had won the rodeo the previous year, I was excited, sort of assuming it would be a repeat of Regina. But Igor had grown quite a bit and gotten a lot better. He bucked me off and I didn’t repeat.
Those are the only times I can remember drawing the same animal at the same rodeo in consecutive years. It’s not like I won first at that many PRCA/CPRA rodeos, so Union and Regina stand out for me.
Last year’s Newport champions will have their work cut out to win another Newport buckle. But it is possible and has happened several times at Newport over the years.
DON GRONNING WAS A FORMER PRCA BULL RIDER. HE ALSO PUBLISHED A RODEO NEWSPAPER, NORTHWEST RODEO SCENE, FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
