The SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo begins today at the Ector County Coliseum, continuing a decades old tradition as local businesses get a chance to rope in some of the thousands of attendees the annual event draws.Last year, the event brought nearly $3.4 million into the local economy, per an estimate by the Odessa Convention and Visitors Bureau using a formula that considers actual attendees, nights stayed in hotels and other factors. Director Lawanna Lambert said the rodeo could draw at least that level of impact this year.“You know it is a good draw,” Lambert said. “It’s the first one on the (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) circuit. They can end up at the finals in Las Vegas and that brings out a lot of people. And the show has been going on for how long? Holy cow."Last year the rodeo brought in more than 26,000 visitors (a figure that might include repeat attendees).The couple who own Miller’s Tack and Saddlery are among those hoping for a boost. It’s their first rodeo since the downtown business opened. But the Millers are longtime attendees of the rodeo, the only time Terri Miller said she can see elite competitors locally.“It’s a big thing every year,” she said. “They get people in from all over the world.”And a main draw is always the penultimate night of the nine-day event, when there is a band and a dance at the rodeo.This year, Terri Miller said she recruited friends to help pass out flyers at the rodeo offering a 10 percent discount to people who bring one into the shop, among other promotions. The business is also a sponsor of the event.She said they’ve already had some rodeo attendees stop by the store ahead of the official opening.But businesses outside of the saddlery also tend to benefit, including restaurants, other retailers, and hotels.Rodeo President Kevin Evans said advance ticket sales exceeded last year’s. But at a show where some 80 percent of attendees pay at the gate, he said a truer sense of the crowds the two-week event will attract should emerge this weekend.The first rodeo performance begins at 7:30 p.m. today. But the first livestock show begins at 8 a.m.It’s the rodeo show’s 62nd year in the Coliseum. Every year, Evans said, it’s a chance to see the “top of the top,” referring to both competitors and the animals they ride.

There are the livestock shows, the miniature animal riding for kids and the other entertainment like music. But the main attraction is mostly consistent over the years.“They want to come see the wrecks,” Evans said. “They want the cowboys to get bucked off. They want the bulls to get after the bullfighters and bull riders.”And the rodeo competitors are cool with it.“If they get bucked off, they get bucked off and go down the road to the next rodeo,” Evans said. “. . . This is their living. This is what they do.”Bull rider Tim Bingham, of Honeyville, Utah, calmly rattles off the list of injuries he has suffered on the back of angry, rank animals.“I’ve broken my legs eight times, three bones in my arm, torn my AC joint in my shoulder,” Bingham said. “And broke my neck in an amateur summer rodeo in Utah.“I got thrown off the back end of the bull and came down wrong on my head. But it didn’t hurt for a few days and if I had gone in that same night, they might have put me in a HALO brace; instead, I just wore a neck brace for about six months.”That wreck happened when Bingham was a senior in high school and not yet 18 years old. That might have scared off most other cowboys looking to make a living on the back of a 1,500-pound animal.Not Bingham. Which was a bit surprising as he didn’t grow up in a rodeo family, having been introduced to the sport by a childhood friend in Utah.Soon enough, Bingham and his younger brother Tyler were riding mini bulls and then big bulls before Tim Bingham started making a name for himself during his high school years, with the Utah High School bull riding title in 2007 and 2009 and qualifying for the National High School Finals Rodeo four consecutive seasons (2007-2010).Bingham then moved southeast to Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant, where he stayed for the 2011 and 2012 season. He moved to Hill College for the 2013 campaign and qualified for the College National Finals.He won the first round, but ended up breaking his arm in three places when he dismounted from the bull. He rode two of his next three bulls with the broken arm to win the crown.Friday, Bingham was back in Texas for the start of the winter rodeo circuit, competing in the first performance of the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo at Ector County Coliseum.And while his ride aboard El Diablo didn’t go as planned, Bingham is happy to be healthy entering the season, less than a month after finishing 12th at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December in Las Vegas.“I’m trying to break a pattern,” Bingham said. “In the even years (2014, 2016) I’ve managed to stay healthy and I’ve qualified for the NFR both times.“In 2013 and 2015, I got hurt and it ruined my whole season because you have to take time off to get completely healed up. I broke my arm and leg in 2013 and in 2015, I was at a PBR (Professional Bull Riders) event and got bucked off and broke both legs and my arm and my season was over.”

Last year, Bingham won eight titles and earned more than $81,000 to qualify for Las Vegas. Once there, he struggled a bit, riding just two of the 10 bulls during the event, but still managed to win more than $51,000.It was, by far, his best year as a bull rider and gives him plenty of confidence heading into the 2017 season.From Odessa, Bingham, with brother Tyler back out on the road with him this year, will travel to Denver, Fort Worth, Hobbs (N.M.), San Antonio and all the rodeos within driving distance in order to try and get a leg up on a second straight qualification for Las Vegas.“Having gone to college in Texas, I have friends I stay with during the winter and it makes it easier than driving back home to Utah for a couple days and then going back on the road,” Bingham said. “Doing well in these rodeos in the winter can really give me a great chance to getting back to Las Vegas.“Last year, it took $80,000 to qualify for the NFR and it’s getting more competitive every year and the money is getting better to the point where it might take $100,000 one day just to qualify. I went to 120 rodeos last year and I don’t see this year being any different, as long as I stay healthy.” Growing up in New Mexico, the first real sign of fall for me was the sandhill (and some whooping) cranes honking as they flew over our farm or landed in our pastures on their way south, many wintering in the nearby Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.Occurring in October and November, this went hand in hand with crisp mornings and the smell of smoke as people lit their wood stoves for heat. Fall is my favorite season and always has been, as it signals cooler temperatures and the start of my favorite holidays. Therefore, I jumped at the chance to see the cranes return to the north, making their longest stop in Nebraska. For those that live there, cranes mean the opposite season; their passage signals the start of spring on their way back to Canada, Alaska and Siberia. For approximately six weeks in the spring, more than 80 percent of the world’s population of sandhill cranes converge on the Platte River, where they rest and fatten up for before heading north to their breeding grounds. Another rare event birdwatchers are eager to see in the area at the same time is the mating dance of the Greater Prairie Chicken males; their movements might be familiar to those who have attended Native American Pow Wows as dancers imitate their steps and bobbing heads.About a 30-minute drive from Grand Island is The Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center. The Crane Trust was established in 1978 to conserve critical habitat for the cranes, other migratory birds and local wildlife. To that end, they use science and research, habitat management, community outreach and education.On the way, I excitedly observed thousands and thousands of cranes feeding in the spent corn fields. I had never seen so many at once. Little did I know the amount I would be seeing shortly. We attended an orientation in which we learned about the birds and how to minimize disturbing them while viewing them as they came in to roost for the evening. The largest roost had been 100,000 per night with an average of 400,000 cranes migrating through the short season.We left for the blinds along the Platte River before dusk so that we could quietly settle in and situate ourselves for the best viewing. Then the cranes started to fly in as the sun set, hundreds at a time, then thousands. The cacophony of calls was deafening as we watched these delicate creatures land huddled on sandbars in the shallow water, where they spend the night perched on one leg. The water serves as a refuge against their many predators, including other birds such as eagles and hawks.An early-morning start had us back in the blinds, warmed by coffee, well before dawn. Once again we quietly settled in and waited for the sun to rise. As the cranes awoke, the males began “displaying” (posturing) and trumpeting, drawing the attention of potential mates. Cranes mate for life, and generally have one to two chicks a year. Groups of cranes slowly started to take flight, then an enemy arrived. A red-tailed hawk flew low over the water, startling the cranes and causing tens of thousands to flee. It was indescribable; I was wholly caught up in the moment.Largely stunned into silence by what we had seen, we returned to the headquarters for a continental breakfast and a tour of rentable cabins. Private tours, overnight stays, bison tours, biking, kayaking, nature trails and a VIP experience help fund the trust. In McCook, we attended an evening, hour-long orientation and reception led by a naturalist with Prairie Chicken Dance Tours and met Angus Garey, the owner of the ranch where we would be viewing the male chicken’s mating dances. Once again, it was an early morning as we made our way to the “lek” (staging area) out in the windswept prairie to get there before sunrise. Gathering in blinds made of repurposed stock trailers and bundled in blankets with hand- and foot-warmers, we waited quietly as the sun rose and roosters and a few hens descended on the dance floor.Even before we saw them, we could hear their “boom,” the sound created by the air sacs along their necks. As the sun rose, we observed the seven or so males inflate their bright orange air sacs and erect long feathers on their necks. The meek females lined the edges of the lek and quickly seemed to lose interest in the real show of the competing males dancing and vying for the center, where they are most visible to the females. There was not much physical interaction between them, although they circled each other and stared each other down like boxers in a ring. It really was quite an experience to observe the birds stamping, hopping and strutting while booming and cackling, and the competition lasted well over an hour.Like the crane migration experience, the Greater Prairie Chicken dances have a short season; the roosters only perform their mating dances for approximately two months of the year. Unlike the migrating cranes, the chickens make their home on the prairie year round, but are usually elusive to those hoping to .Located in Kearney County, dubbed the “Sandhill Capital of the World,” the Rowe Sanctuary offers morning and evening crane tours through the month of March and first week of April. Rowe Sanctuary was established in 1974 by the National Audubon Society to protect a 750-acre habitat of sandhill cranes and other wildlife. At the time, the Platte River in the area was in peril, with 70 percent of the water gone, and 90 percent of the habitat and meadows missing due to farming.The sanctuary now covers nearly 1,450 acres of land and includes a center with interpretive displays, a gift shop and a sweeping view of nearly four miles of the Platte River. There are also open trails and wildlife tours led by experienced staff.The sanctuary provides harbor to more than 70,000 cranes nightly during the spring migration, with a high count of 400,000 per year, so we were once again wowed by a spectacular sunset and sunrise show. Although we had a similar experience there as at the Crane Trust, it was unique in its own way and breathtaking. The most adventurous birdwatchers can choose to spend a whole night in small, unheated blinds for the optimal photography opportunity.There is a plethora of other attractions in Central Nebraska, many of them preserving the history of the area and America in general. Several are nonprofit charities and are free of charge, although they encourage donations to fund ongoing support and improvements. Those with outside attractions only have them open generally from Memorial Day through Labor Day and by appointment year round. Information on all of them can be found online. Henderson Mennonite Heritage Museum tells the story of Mennonite immigrants who came to Nebraska from Russia, but whose original background was Dutch-German. The museum site has a barn, farmhouse, schoolhouse, machine shed, church, train depot, summer kitchen, outhouse, immigrant house, granary, chicken house, garden, windmill and visitor’s center/general store. Staff in period costumes tempted our taste buds with authentic pastries and gave us some background, including their religion as Anabaptists, causing them to flee persecution in Europe. They are largely involved in national and international charity work. The museum is open to the general public during the summer and always open by appointment.

Wessel’s Living History Farm is a popular tourist attraction outside of York. Experience authentic farm life from the 1920s with a fully interactive experience with animals, gardens, a barn, church (where weddings and services still take place), tank house, garage filled with Model-Ts, schoolhouse, granary, farmhouse, windmill, playground, and an equipment building filled with antique tractors and other farm equipment. Educational programs are offered throughout the year to all ages, hands on and online. There are also ongoing events held year-round and the venue is available to rent for special occasions. Housed in the lower level of the Mackey Center at York College, the Clayton Museum of Ancient History is a surprising find in a rural area of the Midwest. A private collector donated the exhibits and artifacts pertaining to ancient Mesopotamia and the Roman Empire that offer a fascinating glimpse into past cultures, and features include an interactive children’s exhibit and a replica of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Visitors can write prayers to tuck into cracks in the wall, and these prayers are sent twice a year to Jerusalem to be preserved.Aurora is home to The Plainsman Museum, which is absolutely huge and a bit overwhelming for the short period of time we spent there. There is so much to take in! It is dedicated to telling the lives of the farmers who lived in Nebraska from the late 1800s through the 1940s. The cavernous space was actually built to fit an original 1910 farmhouse inside of. There is also an original log cabin and a replica of a furnished sod house in which many original settlers lived when they first arrived in the area. Vignettes of town buildings such as stores and government contain original objects. It’s a real experience in time travel. A second building houses agricultural equipment, and there are a number of other outbuildings, as well.The Nebraska State Fair is held yearly at Fonner Park, also the place to watch live horse racing from February through May. The park also a firehouse, public swimming pool, and the Heartland Civic Center which hosts an indoor football league, concerts and other events. The “Raising Nebraska” exhibit there is 25,000 square feet and is dedicated to agriculture. Here we were treated to a farm-to-fork breakfast and spent time exploring all that the interactive experiences had to teach us about the state’s food and the families that grow it. A whole one-third of careers in the state are tied to agriculture, and the No. 1 crop is corn. I learned a lot in a short amount of time, and the exhibit is easily a big draw for students and tourists alike. There is also an outdoor aspect with a huge Nebraska-shaped garden with walkways representing the major rivers throughout the state.The Stuhr Museum, one of the top living history museums in the country, has a little bit of everything: historical, contemporary, outdoor and artistic displays. It’s a destination worth a day-long visit, especially when the outside 1890's Railroad Town is open during summer hours. Costumed interpreters authentically recreate the pioneer experience throughout the 200 acres and more than 100 structures, including the home actor Henry Fonda grew up in. We observed a hatmaker creating a custom-made order in the millinery and in the planing mill, a woodworker fashioned a wooden gavel.Among the many exhibits inside the beautiful Stuhr Building are rotating exhibits; since this was crane season they were represented in a variety of media. Special events for the family are held throughout the year on an almost weekly basis. This is a place to create life-long memories.Pioneer Village is definitely a destination to add to any Nebraska vacation. Visitors can spend days wandering throughout the 24 buildings located on 20 acres; there are more than 50,000 items arranged in their order of development. Among the exhibits is one of the largest collections in the world of farm tractors and other machines. This amazing museum was created and funded by Harold Warp, who invented plastic wrap. Besides a number of authentic and replica buildings furnished with period objects, the campus includes the Pioneer Restaurant, Pioneer Motel and Pioneer RV Park and Campground so that families can take their time enjoying all that the village has to offer.Buffalo Bill Ranch, a state historical park and recreation area, was once home to the legendary American scout, buffalo hunter and showman, William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. He built the home to relax at in between tours of “Buffalo’s Bill Wild West Show,” which he took as far as Europe. Visitors can tour his “Mansion on the Prairie” and huge barn as well as enjoy rousing horseback reenactments and other special events. The 233-acre recreation area includes camping, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, and summer activities. During NEBRASKAland Days in June, the nearby Buffalo Bill Arena hosts a PRCA rodeo.Golden Spike Tower/Bailey Yard provides a panoramic view of the world’s largest rail yard, at 2,850 acres, from two observation decks. The yard handles 14,000 railroad cars every 24 hours. The Union Pacific Railroad is so important to the area as it led to the development of local towns and cities and later to populating the western U.S. The origins of Bailey Yard began in 1867 and it is an important part of the history of the country. Railroad retirees make up some of the volunteers that staff the nonprofit visitor’s center. Watch a welcome video, browse interpretive displays, take a walk through the courtyard, or pick up a memento in the gift shop.

The famous American author, Willa Cather, grew up in Red Cloud and her town and prominent people definitely played characters in her beloved novels. The Willla Cather Foundation was founded in 1955 and is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sharing her legacy. We toured Cather’s childhood home in which her bedroom was recreated in detail, and also the historic Burlington Train Depot that she enjoyed visiting. Finally, we made a visit to the foundation’s bookstore, museum and gallery on the first floor of the restored Red Cloud Opera House, which was filled with many personal items and a complete history of her life. Cathers is a fascinating story and fans will not want to miss this experience that brings her personality to life. A nearby prairie was bought by the Nature Conservancy in 1974 for preservation and dedicated in her name.The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument over I-80 is a unique attraction that covers more than 170 years of history, from immigrants settling the central plains to automobiles carrying tourists to the West Coast. As we made our way over the eight-story arch, we experienced in chronological order the Native Americans, trappers, pioneers, gold prospectors, Pony Express riders, etc. who populated these plains. The exhibit uses animation, murals, lighting and narration to entertain and educate. Disney employees incorporated special effects into the murals of the vignettes, making it feel like a theme park rather than an educational experience; a venue children will be sure to enjoy.Fort Kearney was established in 1848 to offer protection to travelers on The Oregon Trail, Pony Express riders, and gold prospectors on their way west. It was discontinued as a military post in 1871 and later restored as a state historical park. Visitors can explore reconstructed buildings such as the powder magazine, blacksmith shop, stockade, and parade grounds, and also ongoing exhibits. People also converge on the fort to observe the annual crane migration. The fort hosts live reenactments, an outdoor expo, and an outdoor workshop. The recreation area offers camping, fishing, swimming, biking, hiking and picnic and day use areas.The Classic Car Collection is 50,000 square feet of a car-lover’s paradise under one roof, comprised of more than 200 donated and loaned automobiles organized in collections such as the Grand Concourse, Gasoline Alley and Cadillac Corner. In addition to period advertising and automobile memorabilia, there is a multi-media display about Founders Bernie and Janice Toulborg, a 1940s gas station, a drive-in movie theater, and a gift shop. There is something here for everyone in the family to enjoy!Chances “R” Restaurant is a staple of those that live in York and Nebraska in general, being voted No. 1 restaurant in the state. It takes up a whole quarter of a city block and has been owned by the same family for 50 years. The huge venue has distinctive dining areas: the casual east side, the elegant Shir-Ra private banquet room, the Hob-Nob Lounge, and the Tommy-Suz Beer Garden (named after the owners), located in a former garage. They offer huge, home-style dishes and an all-you-can-eat prime rib buffet on Saturday nights.The contemporary Chocolate Bar is in the revitalized downtown of Grand Island. It had recently opened when we dined there, and the owner served us a tasting menu of dishes not yet added to the menu. They all passed muster with flying colors. The restaurant serves a variety of adult drinks, coffee and tea, pastries, sandwiches, salads, wraps, soups, desserts, and true to its name, truffles!In McCook, we enjoyed steak dinners at the Coppermill Steakhouse and Lounge Restaurant. Cattle ranching is the largest industry in Nebraska, and the Coppermill is known as one of the best steakhouses in the state. It delivered!Sozo American Cuisine in Kearney is a great place for lunch. It’s decorated in modern art and delightful. I had the tortellini with braised beef tips. The menu changes seasonally and strives to use local products as much as possible.The last night of our trip, we dined at downtown Kearney’s Alley Rose, known as one of the best restaurants in mid-Nebraska. The rustic wooden dining room has unique features such as a sunburst-styled wall, and we drooled over the prime rib, grilled salmon and chicken schnitzel.My final meal was in Grand Island at lunch, once again downtown. Unlike many towns’ original buildings, all seemed to be occupied and updated. McKinney’s Irish Pub has the best Reuben’s sliders, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie.

There was some distance between all of the places we visited, so we split our five-day trip between three hotels. The first couple of nights we stayed at the new Fairfield Inn and Suites in Grand Island, where the accommodations were welcoming and the service was warm. In McCook, we stayed at The Chief Motel, which was on the main drag and was unique in that the one- and two-story rooms surround an inside courtyard containing a pool and family-friendly amenities such as a pool table. On our final leg, we spent two nights in Kearney at the comfortable Best Western Plus Mid-Nebraska Inn and Suites, filled with families enjoying the indoor pool and spacious dining area.Roping comes naturally for Bud Ford.In 1995, he clinched the tie-down roping title at the Fort Worth Stock Show’s prestigious Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association show. A year later, he earned a trip to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the sport’s equivalent of the Super Bowl.More than two decades later, Ford, 52, who lives in Mansfield, can still rope and tie a calf in less than 10 seconds, which would send him to the pay window at a lot of rodeos.When the tie-down title was at stake during the Fort Worth Stock Show’s Cowboys of Color Rodeo during a Monday matinee performance, Ford and his horse burst from the box and tracked down the calf pretty quickly. After making the catch, Ford dismounted and tied the critter in dramatic fashion.Ford clinched the title after turning in a time of 9.6 seconds, four-tenths of a second faster than second place finisher Wendell Hearn of Waxahachie.It was a moral victory for Ford, who said he had not competed in a rodeo since October.“I have a job [catching loose cattle for area cities], but I took off the last three or four days and roped calves so I’d be ready for the Stock Show,” Ford said.Ford clinched the title while competing before a captive audience at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. More than 5,700 spectators filed the iconic venue to the brim during the Martin Luther King holiday and watched a two-hour rough-and-tumble rodeo performance.After clinching the title, Ford said he’s highly motivated to compete again.“It’s got me fired up,” Ford said. “That’s one thing I can do is rope. It’s never left me.”Ford mostly learned to rope at the Kowbell Indoor Rodeo, a former weekly rodeo that ran for many years in Mansfield. As he competed in amateur rodeos and jackpot roping events in the 1980s and 1990s, Ford commanded respect for his ability to turn in blistering times. In the mid-1990s, he opted to compete on a bigger stage by entering larger shows that were sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.Like Ford, Hearn learned to rope during his youth and still hold his own at 45. He’s the son of Cleo Hearn, who heads up the Cowboys of Color Rodeo at the Fort Worth Stock Show. The elder Ford, who worked in a management position for the Ford Motor Co. for more than 30 years, was a longtime PRCA competitor.“He would rope all week and rodeo on the weekend,” Wendell Hearn said of his father.Like his father, Wendell Hearn has a full time job and ropes on the side. He’s an insurance claims adjustor.“You don’t have to rodeo every day and be out on the road to be successful,” Hearn said. “You can still have a full-time job.”Tuf Cooper has earned three PRCA world tie-down roping titles. But he has a natural ability to be competitive in other roping events and also can finish in the money in steer roping. During the past weekend, Cooper clinched the steer roping title at the SandHills Stock Show & Rodeo in Odessa after turning in a three-run time of 32.1 seconds.On the Professional Bull Riders’ circuit, Brazilian Rubens Barbosa clinched the title at last weekend’s Built Ford Tough Series tour stop in Chicago. After the first two tour stops of the season, Barbosa ranks second in the world title race with 770 points. Jess Lockwood, who won the 2017 BFTS season opener in New York on Jan. 8 and then finished fifth on Sunday (Jan. 15) in Chicago, is ranked No. 1 with 975.There was a time when Matt Bright's rodeo future was as luminescent as his last name.Not bad for someone growing up in the non-rodeo hotbed of Knoxville, Tenn.Bright, 32, did have a background in the sport as his father R.A. Bright rode bareback horses and bulls during his career.But the opportunities to compete around his hometown were few and far between.Still, that didn't stop Bright from making the National High School Finals Rodeo in 2001 for Lenoir City High School.From there, he moved to the University of Tennessee-Martin to work on a degree in agricultural business — while also seizing the opportunity to compete for the school's rodeo team from 2004-2007. Compete really doesn't do Bright's effort justice as he qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo, in Casper, Wyo, each season. Success that proved to Bright that he had made the right decision for his career path.

"When I got out of college, I knew that I wanted to go full time," Bright said Friday before the first performance of the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo at the Ector County Coliseum."But it was still tough because for me to compete at a rodeo in East Tennessee, it was a six-hour drive."I was never home that year (2007), traveling all over the place, sleeping on couches at friends' houses. It was tough."That's when Bright made the decision to migrate west from Tennessee to Stephenville, a more central location from which to chase his dream of making the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the sport's Super Bowl held for 10 days each December.In 2008, Bright made more than $30,000 and finished 35th in the world. The following year saw continued improvement as he finished 18th in the world with more than $45,000.In 2010, Bright broke through and started his season with a victory in the Permian Basin at the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo.

He added seven other crowns and when December rolled around, was in Las Vegas for his first NFR. He placed in one round in Vegas, finished 14th in the final standings and earned more than $81,000.He also suffered his first serious injury, a fracture of the lumbar spine in Round 8 that sidelined Bright for three months."It was everything I expected and then I got hurt," Bright said of his first trip to compete at the NFR.Bright matched his 14th-place showing in 2011 and then made a third-consecutive trip to the Nevada desert and had his best showing to date, placing in four rounds and finishing 12th in the world with more than $98,000.Then, his career was bucked into neutral."I've been battling injuries the past couple years," Bright said. "I had elbow surgery in 2013 and missed most of the season."Then, after I came back from the elbow, I started injuring my groins. I would be able to ride for a couple months, then I would tear a groin and be out two to three months to let it heal."Still, as beat up as Bright was, he competed well enough during limited time throughout the first six months of 2015 that after the summer rodeos he was in position (20th) to make a serious run for his fourth appearance in Las Vegas.Then he broke his ribs."It's tough to ride bareback horses with broken ribs," Bright said. "Your back gets slammed on every jump, so it's not something that you want to do if your ribs are injured."I had to make a decision if I wanted to deal with the pain and I would have had to win or earn a good check in every rodeo I went to just to have a chance. So it would have been tough and I decided to get healthy."Healthy enough that when the gates opened for Bright and his bronc, Satin Sheets, they worked well enough together to earn 81 points, good for a second-place finish on the night.A good start for what Bright hopes is a good winter as he goes to Denver today before traveling to Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston in February and March.

And he knows just how important these next 10 weeks are for his season."I'm on the back end of my career, at 32," he said. "I've probably only have a few more years where I can really rodeo hard and go for a championship."And that's something that I'd really like to do, win a world championship, so that's what I'm focusing on this year. I want to stay healthy, work hard and have a chance to get back to the NFR and win a championship."THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN, OFTEN: The stars of the rodeo, as far as livestock are concerned, are the bulls, with the 2,000-pound competitors normally getting the best of the cowboys holding on for dear life when the gate swings open. That wasn't the case Friday during the first performance of the 83rd SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo at the Ector County Coliseum. Seven times the gate swung open and seven times the eight-second buzzer sounded with the cowboy still astride his charge.The bulls got a few measures of revenge, but then Edgar Durazo of San Antonio and Corey Maier of Timber Lake, S.D., put the cowboys back in the winner's circle with two more qualified rides.Maier's ride, the final one of the night, was strong enough for an 83-point marking to take the lead heading into tonight's second performance.Denton Fugate of Dixon, Mo. is second with 80 points and Durazo sits third at 78.CHAMP IN THE HOUSE: Every rodeo fan knows the name Trevor Brazile, so it wasn't unexpected when he received a loud ovation when introduced as he backed his horse into the chute for the tie down roping event.A 23-time world champion, Brazile flashed the quick hands that have earned him more than $6 million dollars in his career, roping and wrapping up his calf in 9.5 seconds, good enough for second on the night behind Bryson Sechrist's 8.1-second run.ROLLING THROUGH THE CLOVER: The barrel racers showed off their skills Friday and when the final turn had been made in the cloverleaf, a pair of riders were tied atop the standings.Shelby Vinson of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Morgan Breaux of Tomball both made three turns and stopped the clock in 15.12 seconds. That was three-tenths of a second quicker than Jill Tanner of Tifton, Ga.

STEERS WIN: When you fall off a horse on purpose and then attempt to wrestle a 400-500 pound, horned animal to the dirt, everything has to go right from the start.That didn't happen Friday for the nine bulldoggers looking to get a leg up on the rest of the competition.Tom Uttermark of Morris, Okla., was the most successful, dropping his calf in 5.5 seconds, with Jarrent New of Wimberley just a couple ticks (5.7) slower for second.Most of the competitors, however, either missed coming off the horse or had the animal break free before they were able to put them on the ground.The Odessa Jackalopes return to the ice when they host the Amarillo Bulls at 7:11 tonight at the Ector County Coliseum.It is the first game of a three-game weekend series with the Bulls, with the next two games being played at Cal Farley Coliseum in Amarillo.Also, it will be the final home game for the Jackalopes (16-11-2-1) until Jan. 26 as the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo moves into the Coliseum next week.Odessa is coming off a 7-3 loss against Corpus Christi that snapped an eight-game, point-scoring streak for the team as it moved into third place in the North American Hockey League’s South Division.Odessa Jackalopes forward Evan Somoza used one move to score during regulation and knew that he had to change things up in the shootout.So, he did--much to the delight of his teammates.Somoza skated in on Amarillo Bulls goaltender Jason Grande and got him moving to the left post before pulling the puck to his backhand and lifting it over Grande's left shoulder to give the Odessa a 3-2 comeback victory in North American Hockey League play Friday night at the Ector County Coliseum.It was Somoza's second tally of the night and lifted the Jackalopes (17-11-2-1, 37 points) into a tie with Lone Star for second place in the South Division."I had to do something different," Somoza said. "Just went to the left and was able to lift it over him, so that was nice."It was a good win."It was the final home game for Odessa until Jan. 26 as the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo rides into the building next week, followed by motor sports events.The teams travel to Amarillo for a 7:05 p.m. game tonight, followed by a 5 p.m. game Sunday to conclude the three-game series.Matthew Brown also scored for the Jackalopes, who started sluggishly in their first game back from the holiday break and found themselves in a two-goal hole less than 13 minutes into the game.Alex Peterson and Aaron Swanson both scored for the Bulls (11-11-4-3), who made their lead stand up until a nice effort by Somoza near the end of the first period cut the deficit in half with 3:01 to play before the second intermission.Brown tied the game with 7:33 to play in the third after getting a rebound at the left post and pushing it past Grande."I thought that we played really well the last 50 minutes of the game" Jackalopes coach Greg Gatto said. "I thought we were more physical and had more chances."That's what we need to do (Saturday) up there in the beginning and take control of the game early."The Professional Bull Riders, the world’s toughest circuit for rodeo’s headline event, began its 2017 Built Ford Tough Series in New York last weekend with a younger cowboy entering the winner’s circle.Jess Lockwood, a 19-year-old star from Volborg, Montana, clinched the title after earning 860 points throughout the three-day show that concluded Sunday at Madison Square Garden.Lockwood also is ranked No. 1 in the 2017 world title race.The Built Ford Tough Series is the PBR’s top tier tour. This weekend, the tour stops in Chicago.The tour will stop in Oklahoma City on Jan. 21-22. It also will stop at A&T Stadium in Arlington on Feb. 18. The PBR’s Arlington tour stop will be held in conjunction with the RFD-TV’s The American, which is scheduled for Feb. 19.The PBR also has scheduled regular season tour stops in Albuquerque (on March 17-19), in Tulsa (Aug. 11-12), in Thackerville, Oklahoma (Sept. 2-3), and in Austin (Sept. 15-17). The PBR’s 2017 World Finals is Nov. 1-5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.Sage Kimzey, who has won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s bull riding title the past three years, is the association’s youngest competitor to earn more than $1 million.Kimzey earned the $5,955 during October and November. As a result, he became the PRCA's youngest millionaire at 22 years, three months, two weeks old, retroactive to the final day of the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, which was Dec. 10. His career earnings are $1,003,819.The previous youngest PRCA millionaire was Tuf Cooper at 23 years, 22 days. Cooper surpassed the seven-figures mark in late February 2013 after finishing in the money tie-down roping at the San Angelo Stock Show Rodeo.Kimzey, who is from Strong City, Oklahoma, also is the only cowboy to win world championships in his first three years of competing in the PRCA.The pro rodeo world has been saddened by the death of 25-year-old Ty Pozzobon, a prize winning bull rider on both the PBR and the PRCA circuits.According to the PBR, the Merritt, British Columbia, cowboy first started riding in PBR Canada-sanctioned events in 2010 and went on to compete full time in the United States in 2011. Pozzobon, the 2016 PBR Canada Champion, qualified for the PBR World Finals four times and was set to return to PBR competition in 2017 following a career-best fourth-place finish at the 2016 PBR World Finals. Pozzobon set a career-high with an 89.5-point ride on Big Cat during Round 2 of the World Finals in November.The 121st Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo officially begins its 23-day run Friday. However, activities were underway in the early part of this week that were a noticeable part of the 2017 Stock Show.One standout event was the Chisholm Challenge, a horse show for riders with disabilities. The three-day competition was Jan. 9-11 at John Justin Arena. The riders' ages ranged from 2 to in their 60s.Dwayne Wheeler, the show's president, said it was very meaningful to the riders to compete at Cowtown's renowned Stock Show.“Most of our riders don't have the ability or opportunity to compete in basketball, baseball and football, but they get to compete at a horse show at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo,” Wheeler said. "It's special that they get to compete at the Stock Show and in such a wonderful venue."The 14th annual Chisholm Challenge is billed as the world's largest show for riders with disabilities that’s sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association.The 2017 Sandhills Stock Show Rodeo, a PRCA show, began last weekend in Odessa. The West Texas Rodeo also is scheduled for this weekend (Jan. 11-14) at the Ector County Coliseum.The National Western Stock Show Rodeo, a PRCA show, is Jan. 12-22 in Denver. The Fort Worth Stock Show’s traditional PRCA show is scheduled for Jan. 20-Feb. 4

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