Bad Company Rodeo Claims Stock
Contractor Of The Year Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — While 10 newly crowned world champions count their money and celebrate titles they earned at the $4.2 million National Finals Rodeo last month in Las Vegas, other NFR participants are also enjoying holiday season wins.

Joining the world champs with 1998 bragging rights are top roughstock animals of the Finals and PRCA contract personnel of the year.

In only his first professional rodeo season, the red-and-white, five year-old gelding Polka Dot earned honors as the best bareback horse at the '98 NFR. Owned by Greg Kesler of Helena, Mont., the NFR rookie bronc was chosen by PRCA stock contractors over previous bucking horses of the year Copenhagen Commotion of the Buetler and Gaylord string and Khadafy Skoal of Powder River Rodeo Productions.

According to Kesler, Polka Dot has a tough-to-ride bucking style similar to the one his father, Skoal's Alley Cat, used early in his career.

Harvey Northcott's eight year-old stallion Wyatt Earp Skoal claimed top NFR saddle bronc honors for the second year in a row. A regular top-stock award winner in the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association, Wyatt Earp Skoal was ridden successfully just three times in '98. Placing behind the veteran winner was previous saddle bronc of the year Skits Skoal of Snaky Rodeo Company and Calgary Exhibition and Stampede's horse British Soot.

Another repeat champion at the '98 NFR was Sammy Andrews' bull Skate Kat Skoal, who beat out Skoal's Yellow Jacket of the Flying Five Rodeo string and Dodge Durango of Mesquite Championship Rodeo.

Skate Kat Skoal, also the top bull of the 1996 NFR, went unridden in 31 PRCA performances in 1998.

Topping the list of 1998's contract personnel of the year was first-time winner Flint Rasmussen, who took two awards home to Stevensville, Mont.

Rasmussen 30, beat out veteran and '88 winner Quail Dobbs and others as clown of the year, and also took top honors as Original Coors Man in the Can for 1998.

Another first-time winner, Jerry Diaz of San Antonio, Texas, was voted specialty act of the year. Diaz, 38, produces a show involving trick roping and horseback riding, and overcame a severe flood late this summer on his south Texas ranch to continue working rodeos.

While Rasmussen and Diaz were new to the contract personnel winner's circle, veteran rodeo announcer Randy Corley of North Platte, Neb., took home his ninth PRCA announcer of the year award in Las Vegas. Corley, 47, has announced the NFR six times in his 18-year PRCA career, and won six straight announcer of the year awards from 1990 through 96.

Bad Company Rodeo claimed its first stock contractor of the year award for owner Mack Altizer of Del Rio, Texas, after being nominated every year since 1994. The company, which was created in 1982 and joined the PRCA in 1985, uses award-winning bucking stock and popular rock music to produce a rodeo concert experience that has attracted more fans every year. Last year's Bad Company "Leader of the Pack" tour paid $1.3 million.

The 1998 rodeo season ended November 8. Standings by event for the 1999 season are as follows:

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Brett Crowser, Tucson, Ariz., $4969; 2. Rod Warren, Water Valley, Alberta, Canada, $3704; 3. Craig Latham, Texhoma, Texas, $3313; 4. T.C. Holloway, Eagle Butte, S.D., $3163; 5. Rance Bray, Texhoma, Okla., $3033.

Bareback riding: 1. Justin Henderson, Hereford, Texas, $3778; 2. Kirk Richard, Sulphur, La., $3463; 3. Chris Harris, Arlington, Texas, $3175; 4. Jeffrey Collins, Redfield, Kan., $2741; 5. Chuck Logue, Decatur, Texas, $2560.

Bull riding: 1. Rex Phillips, Elko, Nev., $9093; 2. Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., $7869; 3. Hank Reece, Prineville, Ore., $3847; 4. Raymond Wessel, Cedar Point, Kan., $3593; 5. Dean Allen Sage, Grimes, Iowa, $3560.

Calf roping: 1. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., $8034; 2. Chad Hagan, Leesville, La., $3969; 3. Terry Kitchens, Mullin, Texas, $3823; 4. Clay Cerny, Eagle Lake, Texas, 3387; 5. Neal Felton, Mountain Home, Texas, $3148.

Steer wrestling: 1. Jared Nuffer, Winnemucca, Nev., $6171; 2. Randy Suhn, Laramie, Wyo., $5300; 3. Rodney Burks, Benton, Ark., $5013; 4. Terry Graff, Lone Pine, Neb., $4011; 5. Clint Hixson, Deridder, La., $3511.

Team roping (heading): 1. Larry Harris, Checotah, Okla., $4364; 2. Vic Morrison, Bowie, Texas, $4309; 3. Tommy Crowson, Queen Creek, Ariz., $2623; 4. Guy Howell, Belle Fourche, S.D., $2595; 5. Jake Barnes, Cave Creek, Ariz., $1855; Kermit Maass, Snook, Texas, $1885.

Team roping (heeling): 1. Mickey Gomez, Oklahoma City, Okla., $4364; 2. Dennis Gatz, Deniar, Calif., $4309; 3. Shad Chadwick, Queen Creek, Ariz., $2623; 4. Bobby Harris, Gillette, Wyo., $2595; 5. Clay O'Brien Cooper, Bandera, Texas, $1885; Twister Cain, Ivanhoe, Texas, $1885.

Steer roping: 1. Guy Allen, Lovington, N.M., $3854; 2. Bucky Hefner, Chelsea, Okla., $3499; 3. Rod Hartness, Pawhuska, Okla., $3315; 4. Tee Woolman, Llano, Texas, $1892; 5. Scott Snedecor, Needville, Texas, $1731.

Barrel racing: 1. Melissa Hubier, Cleveland, Texas, $2933; 2. Monica Wilson, Cardston, Alberta, $2619; 3. Karen Renshaw, Glasgow, Ky., $2594; 4. Christi Sultemeier, Melrose, N.M., $2482; 5. Sherry Cervi, Midland, Texas, $2432.