BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The American Legion Post 75 Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo always draws some of the biggest names in the sport.

Such Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association stars as Larry Mahan, nine-time All-Around Cowboy and PRCA Hall of Famer; current All-Around Cowboy Fred Whitfield, plus multi-world champ team roper Jake Barnes, and 1999 bareback world champ Lan LaJunesse have all performed here. Even motion picture star Willford Brimley and television game show host Bob Eubanks have competed in Cortez recently. Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing champs Kristie Peterson, Kelly Yates and Sherry Cervi have all run the Texas Cloverleaf pattern in the local arena.

The cowboys will compete in bareback bronc riding, calf roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, and bull riding while cowgirls will compete in barrel racing. They will only get one go-round.

"Our rodeo is small as compared to others around the country, but we always seem to draw some of the best," rodeo general chairman Armstrong commented. "They like to come to Cortez and compete in our rodeo. We don’t do anything different but they like coming here. They are treated well and they like the rodeo we put on."

Several area PRCA card-carrying wranglers will be competing this year during the regular performances. John Meier of Dolores and Keefe Rice of Dove Creek will both be competing Saturday night in bareback bronc riding. In saddle bronc, Rusty Crangle of Hesperus will compete in saddle bronc tonight. Darrell Triplett of nearby Waterflow, N.M., will compete in the same event Friday. Ryan Greenlee of Dolores will be bull riding tonight while Charley Blackmer of Dolores will be bull riding on Saturday. Shane Hatch of Kirtland, N.M., who has always done well here, will be calf roping tonight. Brian Cline of Dolores will be bulldogging tonight. Steve Shure and Bobby Walker, both of Kirtland, will compete in team roping. In barrel racing, Alisa LaRue of Cortez, Patricia Ward of Aztec, N.M., Yvonne (Lopez) Schurman of Ignacio (formerly of Mancos), Michelle Porter of Cortez, and Kari Abney of Bayfield are the locals competing.

Whitfield, coverboy of the 1999 Pro Rodeo Sport News year-end magazine, will be here on Friday night. Whitfield was here a few years ago but missed his calf. Whitfield leads the PRCA in that event as of April 24.

Peterson and Yates, currently ranked no. 1 and no. 3 nationally, will be performing at this year’s rodeo, according to the draw sheet. Peterson will run the Texas Clover Leaf tonight and Yates Friday. Lan LaJeunesse, 1999 world champ bareback rider, will perform Friday night. Kelly Wardell, tied for sixth in the world, will be bareback riding Friday. Mike Moore, who has won the bull riding event in Cortez for two straight years, will be back here Saturday. Former world champion calf roper Joe Beaver, also ranked no. 12 right now, will be here Saturday. J.D. Crouse, ranked in calf roping, will be steer riding tonight. Crouse will be here through the whole rodeo as he will team with Ty Shepard for team roping Saturday. And many others who are ranked nationally and in the Mountain States circuit will be performing as well.

Tickets will be on sale at the ticket booths for the pro rodeo, which gets under way today and runs through Saturday, June 15-17, at the Post 75 Arena located at the end of North Harrison Street. Tickets will also be on sale at the rodeo grounds each night. This is the only Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association major event in the area. The weekly PRCA Rodeo Series will be held throughout the summer in Durango, though.

Only general admission seats will be sold for today, the first night of the competition. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children under age 12. Reserved seats for Friday’s and Saturday’s performances are $7. Grandstands open at 7 p.m. and the grand entry is set for 8 p.m.

Two parades will be held on Friday and Saturday through downtown Cortez. The actual parade route will have a starting point at Main and Maple then east to Harrison and north to the American Legion grounds. The parade lineup is 4 p.m. and the starting time is 5 both days. The parade theme is: Cowboy Up for the 21st Century. Ray Candelaria once again is the parade chairman. He can be reached at 565-7023. Candelaria said late entries will not be judged. Entries are available at Nu-Way Western Wear in downtown Cortez. The entry deadline is 5 p.m. today, June 15. Plaques will be awarded for first and second place in each of the three major categories.

Dances will be held immediately following the Friday and Saturday performances from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. in the American Legion Home. Music will be by Desert Thunder. Admission is $5 per person.

Frazier Brothers will be the carnival operator. The carnival, which will feature many thrill rides for adults and children plus the wide assortment of games of chance, will open Wednesday night and will close Saturday night.

Once again Honeycutt and Sons Rodeo Co. of Alamosa will be the stock contractor. Honeycutt produced rodeos creates quality family entertainment by combining award-winning bucking stock, top contract personnel, and dynamic music. Some of the stock at the 1999 NFR included bareback horse Copenhagen Ragged Edge, and Schnook; saddle bronc horse Top Gun Skoal; and bulls Copenhagen King Kong, and High and Mighty. Johnny Pope will once again be on his horse in the arena to call the rodeo action.