Published: July 02, 2009 04:51 pm      

BRETT HOFFMAN: Friends come together to come through for rodeo star

Walt Arnold got his buckle back.

In 1984, the Silverton steer roping star lost his coveted gold-and-silver world championship trophy belt buckle as his ranch home burned.

But last week, Arnold's friends took up a collection and replaced the buckle that commemorated his 1969 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association title.

Arnold received the buckle on June 25 at a party in Silverton that celebrated his upcoming induction into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“It was a big surprise,” said Arnold, 70, whose induction ceremony is July 11. “I'm thankful that I had so many friends who were concerned about it.”

Arnold said he lost his world championship trophy saddle, numerous photos and about 120 buckles when his house burned 25 years ago.

“I've got a lot of buckles, but the world championship buckle was really special, because I won that one only once,” he said.

Arnold qualified for the National Finals Steer Roping 19 times (1965-67, 1969-72, 1974-82, 1984-86), a number surpassed only by Guy Allen and Arnold Felts. He won the NFSR average title in 1965 and 1978, and he competed in team roping at the National Finals Rodeo in 1966 and ’68.

He also served as the PRCA's steer roping director from 1974 to 1977.

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame class of 2009 also includes six-time saddle bronc world champion Dan Mortensen of Billings, Mont.; the late all-around cowboy Leonard Ward of Talent, Ore.; bull rider Ted Nuce of Stephenville; the late Erv Korkow (stock contractor) of Canning, S.D.; and all-around hand Ace Berry (lifetime achievement) of Oakdale, Calif.

One tough cowgirl

When Lindsay Sears arrived at the Reno Rodeo, she was on crutches and nursing a nagging leg injury.

But that didn’t stop the defending world champion from winning the barrel racing title at the renowned Nevada show last weekend aboard her high-powered mare Martha.

Sears, a former Texas Tech star who also has homes in Nanton, Alberta, and the West Texas town of Ropesville, sustained a fractured left fibula during a June 21 barrel racing accident in High River, Alberta. After completing her run aboard her back-up horse named Hankey, her leg slammed into an outgate that had been partially closed.

At the Reno Rodeo, Sears entered the June 27 finals leading average and she rode with a brace. While her time of 17.08 seconds was the second fastest in the final round, Sears won the title with a three-run time of 51.11 and earned $12,314.

In the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association National Finals Qualifier standings released Monday, Sears ranks second with $57,869.

The Reno Rodeo traditionally is the first major pro rodeo of the summer.

Defending PRCA bull riding champion J.W. Harris of May finished as the highest money winner, pocketing $17,214. If that weren’t enough, Harris also won the bull riding titles last weekend in Pecos ($5,087) and in Lehi, Utah ($1,964). In the PRCA bull riding standings, he ranks second with $106,723.

After the Reno Rodeo, world title contenders began traveling frantically during the traditional Cowboy Christmas. During the week of Independence Day there are more lucrative rodeos than a competitor can travel to. Cowboy Christmas began Monday and when night falls Sunday, there will have been 30 rodeos contested in 15 states and two Canadian provinces, paying out more than $3.25 million in prize money, according to the PRCA.

A lucrative duo

Ryan Motes of Weatherford and his partner Caleb Mitchell had been roping together for only two weeks. But by the way they performed at the renowned Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic on June 21 in Reno, it looked as if they had partnered for a much longer time. Mitchell and Motes each earned almost $75,000 after winning the coveted title. Motes, 28, is the son of 1977 world champion team roper David Motes, who won his BFI title in 1981 when Ryan was 11 months old.

Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member. Email him at brett@myrodeoinsider.com.