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News
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September, 2009
COLLEGE RODEO ANNOUNCES NEWEST
SPONSOR
Walla Walla, WA – The
National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association is pleased to
announce Copper Spring Ranch (CSR) as our newest sponsor.
Copper Spring Ranch is a world class equine facility located
in Bozeman, Montana. The ranch is proud to say that they are
about one thing – “amazing horses”. They have world class
facilities for hosting master horsemanship clinics, as well
as a world class breeding program. Their Quarter Horse
breeding program begins with the meticulous selection of
bloodlines. The Copper Spring Ranch website states, “We rely
on today’s top-performing stallions and exquisite brood
mares to produce the perfect progeny – horses with a
combination of speed, toughness and intelligence.”
NIRA Commissioner, Roger Walters said, “I can’t think of a
more suitable sponsor for college rodeo. Copper Spring Ranch
is about amazing horses, and college rodeo is about amazing
athletes riding amazing horses.”
Another astounding entity that they have to offer is the
innovative CSR Equine Medical Center. The center is a
combination of cutting-edge technology with medical
expertise in surgery, reproductive services, sports
medicine/performance, and general health and preventative
care for all breeds and disciplines. With this sponsorship,
the managers for the ranch, Gary and Sandie Metcalf, have
reserved the Copper Spring Ranch mobile equine medical
center for the College National Finals Rodeo for 2010 and
2011. This will give the CNFR contestants on-site access to
top notch equipment for equine care.
Sandie Metcalf said, “Some of these progressive rodeo
programs are requiring the students to participate in all
aspects of rodeo, from fund raising activities to
organization and production. This approach is not only
invaluable to the student but to future employers as well.
These programs give the students the experience to excel in
their chosen careers and provide a leg up for them to be
successful in the future.”
Mrs. Metcalf speaks from experience, as Copper Spring Ranch
has hired NIRA Student President and Big Sky Student
Director, Taylor Nahrgang as their most recent employee.
Nahrgang has been assisting with promotions for the ranch.
Gary Metcalf added, “The NIRA is doing an outstanding job
with many of the colleges by promoting responsible and
ethical coaching programs that hopefully will give
contestants a North Star to guide them for the rest of their
lives. For them, the rodeo arena is a training ground.”
The owner of Copper Spring Ranch, Karen Gilhousen said,
“Copper Spring Ranch is excited about supporting the
National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and the students
who represent this sport. It is truly a part of our western
heritage.”
With western heritage as a key component for both the NIRA
and Copper Spring Ranch, the two are certain to benefit from
a long partnership.
For more information on Copper Spring Ranch, please visit
them on the web at copperspringranch.com.
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September, 2009
College Rodeo steps into 21st
Century
Walla Walla, WA –
“Do you Facebook?”
“Huh?” used to be the response from the NIRA’s national
office staff. Not anymore.
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association members,
contestants, and fans can now enjoy the 21st Century because
the NIRA has their very own Facebook page, thanks to the
dedication and hard work of Big Sky Regional Student
Director and Student President, Taylor Nahrgang.
Nahrgang, who attends the University of Montana, Western,
had the page up and running on Tuesday, September 15th, and
by Thursday of that week, the NIRA had over 500 friends.
“Apparently, today’s college rodeo students are looking for
ways to stay connected with fellow college rodeo athletes,
coaches, and fans; Facebook is just the place for that,”
said NIRA Director of Public Relations, Sarah Neely.
Neely added, “We will be working on ways to add content and
pertinent information through the Facebook page, as well as
our corporate web page, collegerodeo.com.”
Facebook, which was initially started by Harvard college
students, has become one of the world’s largest social
networking websites in a short amount of time.
According to Wikipedia.com, Facebook, “The website's name
stems from the colloquial name of books given at the start
of the academic year by university administrations with the
intention of helping students get to know each other
better.” Wikipedia also said that Facebook has been banned
at many places of work to discourage employees from wasting
time using the service. The NIRA, however would like to
encourage all to visit their new page.
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September, 2009
USTRC and College Rodeo join
forces
Walla Walla,
WA – The National
Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and the United States Team
Roping Championships (USTRC) have joined forces in typical
team roping “partnership” fashion. The partnership will
involve supporting the memberships of both organizations.
USTRC will award Regional Finals Shoot-Out positions/$1,000
in USTRC Flex Earnings to the top three headers and heelers
in the final season standings in all eleven NIRA regions.
They will also award a National Finals Shoot-Out
position/$3,000 in USTRC Flex Earnings to the top three
teams in the team roping event at the College National
Finals Rodeo. The only stipulation for the awards will be
that the roper will need to be a member of the USTRC prior
to the conclusion of their respective regional rodeo season
and the CNFR.
“This is a great opportunity for college rodeo’s top team
ropers. Team roping is an event that can be enjoyed for
years. It’s like golf for cowboys; and I thank the USTRC for
offering their support to college rodeo,” said NIRA
Commissioner, Roger Walters.
The USTRC was formed in 1990 to promote team roping as a
sport and to develop a national team roping championship.
Since that date the organization has experienced exponential
growth and now plays host to over 35,000 members, and pays
out over $30 million a year in cash and prizes.
Kirk Bray, USTRC President said, “We are very pleased to be
affiliated with the NIRA. We like nothing better than
supporting the collegiate roper and an association as solid
as the NIRA. USTRC is looking forward to this being a long
and productive relationship.”
Marketing Director, John Findlay, added, “It’s about time we
hooked up with the NIRA. It’s a natural affiliation and
should have been put together years ago. Not only does the
NIRA have lots of ropers we can offer Shoot-Out positions
to; but we all know what rough stock riders do after they
hang up their riggin’s.”
To become a member please contact the USTRC office at (254)
968-0002, and for more info visit www.ustrc.com.
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August, 20099
COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS
RODEO NOMINATED FOR NATIONWIDE AWARD
CNFR Asks Fans
to Vote Online to Bring Award Home to Casper, WY
Casper, WY
– The official ballot for the
2009 SportsTravel Awards was announced last night in Los
Angeles, CA and the 2009 College National Finals Rodeo held
in Casper, Wyoming was nominated as the Best Multi-Sport or
Multi-Discipline Event at the Collegiate Level. The CNFR is
asking its fans to vote online by visiting http://vote.schneiderpublishing.com/ballot,
cast their votes, fill out the e-mail information, and then
click "submit". The voting is now open and the deadline for
voting is Monday, September 14, at 5:00 p.m. PDT.
“What an honor to be nominated for this award,” said Roger
Walters, Commissioner of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo
Association. “It is nice to see the CNFR, the City of
Casper, and the State of Wyoming, recognized for their
outstanding efforts in producing one of the world’s greatest
rodeos.”
The 2009 College National Finals Rodeo marked the 11th year
for this tremendous event in Casper, WY. This year’s CNFR
welcomed 363 participants from 87 colleges and universities,
representing 33 states and four Canadian provinces. The CNFR
proves to be one of the signature events for the state of
Wyoming each year. The 2009 event recorded a 15 percent jump
in ticket sales from the previous year as nearly 19,000 fans
flocked to the Casper Events Center for the competition.
The CNFR shares the ballot with five other collegiate events
that took place this year throughout the country. They
include: the Drake Relays in Des Moines, IA; the NAIA Indoor
Track and Field Championships in Johnson City, TN; the NCAA
Division II Winter National Championships Festival in
Houston, TX; the NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in
Buffalo, NY and the STIHL TimberSports Collegiate Challenge
in Columbus, GA.
The SportsTravel Awards will be presented at the TEAMS 2009
Conference & Expo, October 13–17, in New Orleans, LA.
CONTACT:
Aaron McCreight, CEO
Casper Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
(307) 234-5362
aaron@casperwyoming.info
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August, 2009
COLLEGE
RODEO ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
Walla Walla, WA – College
Rodeo will be in the television spotlight this August. The
best action from the National Intercollegiate Rodeo
Association’s premiere event, the College National Finals
Rodeo, will be featured on ESPN U.
The
college rodeo action begins airing on Friday, August 14th at
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
ESPN U will be airing two hours of collegiate rodeo
competition from the 2009 College National Finals Rodeo,
held in Casper, Wyoming, this June.
The
exciting action of the finals also includes interviews and
features from the entire finals week and portions of the
awards ceremony.
Hosting the ESPN U College Rodeo series are Boyd Polhamus
and Bob Tallman, with Angie Burton interviewing the
contestants on the arena floor. The Wyoming Division of
Tourism is the presenting sponsor, with fellow supporters;
Wrangler, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Professional Rodeo
Cowboys Association, Red Wing/Pecos Boots, DodgeRodeo, the
Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the
ProEquine Group, including Cactus Ropes, Cactus Saddles,
Fastback Ropes, and ProEquine.
College National Finals Rodeo on ESPNU
Show #1 - Premieres
Friday, August 14th 7:00 p.m. ET
Show #2 - Premieres
Friday, August 14th 8:00 p.m. ET
Additional airings of each show will air throughout the
month of August.
Show #1 – Re-Air
Friday, August 14th 12:00 a.m. ET
Show #2 – Re-Air
Friday, August 14th 1:00 a.m. ET
Show #1 – Re-Air
Saturday, August 15th 12:00 p.m. ET
Show #2 – Re-Air
Saturday, August 15th 1:00 p.m. ET
Show #1 – Re-Air
Monday, August 17, 2:00 p.m. ET
Show #2 – Re-Air
Monday, August 17, 3:00 p.m. ET
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August, 2009
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN HONORS ANNOUNCED
Walla Walla,
WA –
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association is pleased to
announce the 2009 Academic All-American recipients. The
honor is bestowed on NIRA members that have a 3.5 cumulative
grade point average and qualified for the 2009 College
National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming. This year over 40
contestants received the honor. They are as follows:
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Amy
Adametz |
Missouri Valley College |
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Katie Kimble |
Missouri Valley College |
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Kallie Agre |
Missouri Valley College |
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Riley Knoll |
Central Wyoming College |
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Jeff Askey |
University of Tennessee-Martin |
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Aaron Lide |
Texas A&M University |
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Hilary Bair |
Utah Valley University |
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Jessica Lott |
Stephen F Austin State University |
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Cami Bauer |
South Dakota State University |
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Jake Mitchell |
West Texas A&M University |
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Bliss Bidwell |
Feather River College |
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Sarah Mulholland |
University of Wyoming |
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Bart Brunson |
University of Arkansas-Monticello |
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Haley Nida |
Northwestern Okla. State Univ. |
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Jacob Buller |
Central Wyoming College |
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Cynda Norell |
Tarleton State University |
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Tanaye Carroll |
University of Wyoming |
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Amy
Outhier |
Southwestern Okla. State Univ. |
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Lauren Cox |
Texas A&M Universityrsity |
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PJ
Painter |
Black Hills State University |
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Will Crain |
Missouri Valley College |
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Kirsty Robinson |
Montana State Univ.-Northern |
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Luke Creasy |
Western Texas College |
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Cody Samora |
Howard County Community Col |
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Devyn Dennison |
New
Mexico Highlands University |
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Whitney Sprunk |
South Dakota State University |
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Lara DeWees |
McNeese State University |
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Nikki Steffes |
University of Wyoming |
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Clay Elkins |
Mesalands Community College |
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Cassie Vierstra |
South Plains College |
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Donnie Frazee |
Mesalands Community College |
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Rodee Walraven |
New
Mexico State University |
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Shaylee French |
University of Montana, Western |
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Dana Weiser |
South Plains College |
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Morgan Grant |
Sam
Houston State University |
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Logan Westcott |
Northland Pioneer College |
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Clinton Groff |
Northland Pioneer College |
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Wacey Westcott |
Northland Pioneer College |
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Marvin Heesacker |
Black Hills State University |
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Stetson Wilson |
University of Montana, Western |
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Rachelle Holt |
Oklahoma State University |
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Kristin Woods |
Central Arizona College |
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Brooke Inlow |
Northwestern Okla. State Univ. |
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Sarah Zybach |
New
Mexico Highlands University |
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Rule Book Book
The NIRA 2009-2010 Rule Book
is now available online.
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The NIRA national headquarters is
located in Walla Walla, Washington.
For more information on college rodeo please feel free to
contact our office at (509) 529-4402.
Or e-mail us at:
info@collegerodeo.com.
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