Yes sir, vote for your favorite singer(s) as CNFR contestants compete in the CNFR Idol 2008! See the videos and vote, Go Tech!

Story by Coach Guay, May 1, 2008

On April 24-26 sixteen colleges and universities competed at the tenth and final 2007-08 national intercollegiate rodeos hosted by Tarleton State University. After the dust cleared, the Texas Tech University women’s rodeo team was crowned 2008 Southwest region champions.

“We are pretty proud of these pretty women,
they did pretty dang good”!

From Left Chris Guay-Coach, Romany Gordon, Kelsy Friskup,
Tiana Thornton, Heather Turner, and Phillip Barnes-Assistant Coach.

Also, not pictured above is Jake Brown (right), 2008 SW region champion header whom will also compete for an individual men’s championship at nationals.

The top two teams in each of 11 geographical regions across the United States will try for a National championship June 15-21 in Casper, WY at the College National Finals Rodeo.

For more info. see www.collegerodeo.com

Jake Brown

Story by Coach Guay, April 28, 2008

Texas Tech Women's team Southwest regional champions. The following women will represent Texas Tech University at the College National Finals Rodeo June 15-22 in Casper, WY:

Left to Right:
Heather Turner, Romany Gordon,
Tiana Thornton, Kelsy Friskup
Not pictured: Courtney Rankin

• Romany Gordon-Barrel racing
  Agriculture & Applied Economics
  Castle Rock, Colorado - senior
  
• Heather Turner-Goat tying
  Nursing
  Cochrane, Alberta-senior
  
• Kelsy Friskup- Breakaway calf roping
  Agriculture & Applied Economics
  Muleshoe, TX- junior
  
• Tiana Thornton-Barrel racing
  Animal & Food Sciences
  Knickerbocker, TX (San Angelo)-senior
• Courtney Rankin-Barrel racing
  Animal & Food Sciences
  Tuscola, TX -Freshman (Alternate)

Courtney won first in the barrel racing at Tarleton and placed at several other events this spring. It was with regret that we had to make the un-popular decision to chose the four team members above to advance for a shot at the national championships. One of the key reasons was that we felt we would have a more comprehensive shot with two barrel racers, one goat  tier, and one breakaway roper as apposed to three barrel racers
 
Also representing Texas Tech is 2008 Southwest region champion Header (team roping event) Jake Brown-Agriculture & Applied Economics- Stephenville, TX-Junior Will be roping w/ partner Jaytin McCright of Clarendon College at the CNFR this June.
 
For more info. See www.collegerodeo.com or contact
Coach Chris Guay @ 806 778-0131.

Story by Coach Guay, April 21, 2008

Howard College hosted the 16 schools in the Southwest region April 17-20, 2008.

Tech's women's rodeo team is currently is in the lead in the regional standings after 9 of the ten regular season rodeos. Romany Gordon a senior Animal and Food Sciences major won second in the finals and second overall in the barrel racing event. Heather Turner placed 4th in the goat tying event. Freshman Courtney Rankin placed third in the first go round and 7th in the average.

Tech's Men's team is currently 5th in the regional standings with several members placing at the Big Spring rodeo.

Chance Butterfield placed second in the steer wrestling, Jay Manning and Colter Hampton placed second in the team roping. Other Tech team members placing in the team roping were Matt Pemelton and Andy Keyes. Also placing in the tie down roping was Stetson Vest of Childress.

Texas Tech will be competing in the final regular season intercollegiate rodeo April 24-26 in Stephenville at  Tarleton State University. The top two teams and the top three individuals in each of the 9 events/ men's and women's divisions will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo June 15-21, 2008. It will be a sudden death format in Casper, WY with the aggregate winners after 4 go rounds of competition being crown individual and team national champions. For more information see www.collegerodeo.com.

Story by Coach Guay, April 15, 2008

At the West Texas A&M / Frank Phillips/ Clarendon College rodeo this past weekend April Texas Tech’s men’s rodeo team finished second behind regional leaders Western Texas College of Snyder. Western Texas College had 470 points in bareback bronc riding, Steer wrestling, and Saddle bronc riding and Texas Tech had 420 points all in the team roping.

Jake Brown a junior agricultural and applied economics major and San Antonio Livestock and Exposition, Inc. Scholar from Stephenville and Jaytin McCright of Clarendon are currently leading all teams in the Southwest region in the team roping event after winning first in the first go round w/ a 7.9 time, first in the finals w/ a 7.8, and first over all with 15.7. The closest was 17.2 on two head of steers during a cold night in Perryton, Texas.  Stetson Vest of Texas Tech and Sterling Via from West Texas A &M did well by winning second in the finals w/ a time of 8.0 and finished third in the average or aggregate. Andy Keyes and Matt Pemelton also from Texas Tech placed 4th in the finals and 4th in the average. Jay Manning of Tech teamed up with Colter Hampton of Clarendon to place 6th in the first go, finals and 6th in the average (overall).

Jake Brown

Tech’s women’s team “squeezed” back into the lead in the Southwest region after a 5th place finish. The lady rodeo raiders lead by Tiana Thornton, senior Animal and Food Sciences major from San Angelo whom placed 5th in go round one, second in the finals, and finished third over all competed against 90 barrel racers from 16 different schools at the eighth of ten regular season rodeos in Perryton. Other members of the women’s team last week were Heather Turner, Kelsy Friskup, and Romany Gordon.

This week the men and women’s rodeo teams will be hosted by Howard College in Big Spring, Texas then finish up the year at the Tarleton State University National Intercollegiate Rodeo April 24-26. The top two teams and the top three individuals in each of the 9 rodeo events in each of the 11 regions across the USA will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo the second week of June in Casper, WY. See www.collegerodeo.com.

Story by Coach Guay, April 7, 2008

This weekend Kelsy Friskup was crowned the Champion All around Cowgirl at the Western Texas College National Intercollegiate Rodeo. Friskup an Agriculture and Applied Economics major at Texas Tech placed second in the breakaway calf roping and 4th in the Team roping. Her achievements helped launch Tech's women's team to a second place finish out of 16 colleges and universities competing. Kelsy is the daughter of Steve and Robin Friskup of Muleshoe. 

Kelsey Friskup

Tiana Thornton, San Angelo, placed 3rd overall in the barrel racing, Courtney Rankin, Tuscola, finished 5th overall after posting a time of 13.74 in go round number one finishing second out of 90 lady barrel racers. Romany Gordon, CastleRock, CO battling the flu, finished 7th overall in the barrel racing.

Weatherford College finished first with 510 points, Texas Tech had 320 points South Plains College was third with 115 points. Texas Tech's women's rodeo team is a close second to Weatherford College in the Southwest regional standings after seven of ten rodeos. See regional standings www.collegerodeo.com.

Tech’s men team was 6th with 200 points. Stetson Vest and Sterling Via won second in the team roping and Jake Brown and Jaytin McWright won go round one and finished sixth overall. This week the men and women's teams from across West Texas and Eastern New Mexico will go head to head in Perryton, Texas at the West Texas A&M / Frank Phillips/ Clarendon College host rodeo. The top two teams (after ten rodeos) in the each of the 11 geographical regions through out the nation will advance to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, WY the second week in June [June 15-21, 2008].

Harry Vold of Harry Vold Rodeo Company is honored by the NIRA with a new "Duke of the Chutes Scholarship Award". The NIRA Foundation offers this $2500 scholarship to anyone who meets specific qualifications. A potential candidate needs to apply by May 30, 2008 for the 2008-2009 school year. According to the requirements of the scholarship a potential candidate needs to meet the following qualifications:

• Be an active and good standing member of the NIRA and of the university attending
• Be making satisfactory progress towards a post-secondary degree (That means a Master or Doctorate degree. Sorry, Bachelor students!)
• Demonstrate qualities and principles that personify Harry Vold
• Demonstrate dedication to America and the sport of rodeo
• Provide official transcript(s) of all college and university work

The scholarship will be decided upon during the NIRA summer board meeting. if you meet these qualifications, fill out a form and answer their questions! (You will need Adobe Reader.)