Happy Trails with Dawni O’Bryan: A Rough Day in the Rodeo World

I have known a few stock contractors in my life that raise or buy their bucking horses or bucking bulls. They pride themselves in finding outstanding mares and sires to carry on the bloodlines of great bucking stock. It really irks me when PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) claims that these stock contractors mistreat their animals, when in fact, the exact opposite is true. Stock contractors invest a considerable amount of time, money, and energy to make sure their animals are well-cared for. They name them rough and rowdy names that the crowd loves to hear announced and makes them sound impossible to ride. For example, Widow Maker, Killer Bee, Black Mamba, Tombstone, Ragin’ Lunatic, Black Eye, Devil’s Advocate, Yellow Jacket, and Evil Intentions, to name a few.

A disastrous chain of events struck the rodeo world when the Beutler Family were mistakenly given the wrong feed for their line of bucking horses. This family of Elk City, OK had 70 plus horses die due to feed contamination. For 95 years, the Beutler Ranch has been producing renowned bucking horses to be used at rodeos of all levels, but mostly the professional ranks. Rhett Beutler and his father, Bennie, run and own the operation and said they expect the number of fatalities to rise as they search for more stricken horses. The cause of death to these horses has been determined to be monensin in the feed. Monensin is used for aid in digestions of cattle, that have four stomachs, but is toxic to horses. It is likely that a human error at the feed mill was the demise of these horses. Ronnie Castlebury, PhD., president of Livestock Nutrition Center, the company that delivered the deadly feed, has made a public apology. It is likely that the monensin was present because of an improper cleanout procedure and a sensor malfunction. These professional-grade bucking horses were likely valued at $20,000 apiece. The investigation continues but our sympathy goes out to the Beutler family that has spent nearly 100 years, breeding and perfecting the bucking stock line that they have been well known for.

CBT Barrel Racing based out of Canyon, Texas held its Double Dash in Clovis, NM on August 31 and September 1 with 301 racers on Saturday and 291 racers on Sunday. Of local interest, Angie Hoss of Lakin, KS ran her good horse “Circlebar Yonder” and was 8th in the first division (1D) for $156 with a time of 15.406 seconds. Then on Sunday the duo was 17th in the 1D with a slightly slower time of 15.546 seconds.

Also, on Saturday, Lamar cowgirl, Dwana Salisbury ran three horses. “Gentleman’s Dash” clocked the best time of the three to put her in the 2D at 22nd with a time of 15.922 seconds. “I 80” was also in the 2D in 44th place, and “Freaky” was 26th in the 3D.

In the Nifty 50 Senior side pot of 57 runners, Hoss rolled her time to win the 1D and another $294. Salisbury also rolled her time to get 4th in the 2D and $44.

On Sunday, Salisbury was five one-thousandths too fast in the open to win the 2D and was the very bottom of the 1D. She was 14th in the 2D on Freaky with a time of 15.788 seconds. Unfortunately, Salisbury and I 80 hit a barrel on Sunday. In the Nifty 50 on Sunday, Hoss was 5th in the 1D and Salisbury was 7th and 9th in the 1D. Sadly, they only paid four spots in each division.

On Saturday, Braya Ferris of Eads, was 27th in the 5D on “Pinterest” and received a No Time for a hit barrel on “Honey.” On Sunday, Ferris was 17th and 22nd in the 5D on her horses Pinterest and Honey with time of 17.422 seconds and 17.541 seconds, respectively.

Even if you are not a rodeo person, you can imagine the devastation of having to bury these world champion bucking horses. If you have ever attended a rodeo where they finish the evening of entertainment by turning out the bucking horses into the arena to run free, you know it is breathtaking and surreal.

Happy Trails.