Champion Bull Riders heading to the Minnesota State Fair on Monday, Sept. 4
The 2017 Minnesota State Fair will feature the Bulls and Barrels Championship with numerous regional champions competing on Monday September 4. Nearly two million people attend The Great Minnesota Get-Together annually. Labor Day attendance in 2016 was 158,027. The Minnesota State Fair was named the best state fair in the United States in 2015 by readers of USA Today.
For the past 40 plus years, Barnes PRCA Rodeo and the Minnesota State Fair partnership has provided quality entertainment in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. On Labor Day, the final day of the fair, attendees are treated with two Bulls and Barrels Championship performances at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Barnes PRCA Rodeo Stock Contract Marty Barnes mentioned, "I am excited to see the quality and depth of the contestants entered, and some potential match-ups that might occur. I always look forward to the Minnesota State Fair, great hospitality and enthusiast crowds. Part of the hospitality to me includes a bucket of fresh, hot, chocolate chip cookies and all the cold milk you can drink from the Midwest Dairy Association."
Among the regional bull riding champions scheduled to compete are Great Lakes Circuit champions, RAM National Circuit Final qualifiers and former collegiate champions. The Top 20 ranked cowboys entered from the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Great Lakes Circuit standings - (1) Will Crain, (2) Levi Berends, (4) Jimy Marten, (5) Tyler Stoltz, (6) John Young, (7) Denton Fugate, (9) Gumby Wren, (10) Jake Weber, (11) Travis Smith, (12) Blake Dunsmore, (14) Freeman Yoder, (19) Dakota Nye plus three native Brazilian contestants Amauri Alves, Cristiano Figueredo and Ueberson Duarte.
Wren scored 92-points on Barnes PRCA Rodeos' Ralco's Centrifuge in Wapello, Iowa this past July. He is leading the PRCA for the highest-marked bull ride this season.
Young a two-time Great Lake Circuit Year End Champion (2012, 2015) from Orient, Iowa rode Barnes' bull S335 Champagne Jam in Sioux City, Iowa this past January during the Rawhide Bull Riding Challenge. The 85-point ride of the night signed Young's paycheck and Champagne Jam is also the bull that helped Lance Schwartz win the Minnesota State Fair in 2016. Fellow Iowan, Dakota Nye won money in Sioux City and recently was 85 points in Marshall, MN on 205 Juice Box.
Young's rodeo resume also includes three Great Lake Circuit qualifications and two trips to the RAM National Circuit Finals.
The Minnesota State Fair's reputation is a big attraction. Young said, "It means a lot to me to be riding at the Minnesota State Fair. I have never been there but I hear really good things about it, such as good bulls, good crowds, good money. When you combine those three things it's bound to be a great event." An added incentive is "Marty is always looking out for us cowboys. Since he was a cowboy going up and down the road like we were," continued Young.
Rank bulls from the Rafter B Bar Ranch in Peterson, Iowa heading to the Minnesota State Fair are: 107 Hilton Magic (Coy Thorson from Fergus Falls won the Buffalo Championship PRCA Rodeo with 86 points in June, the bull has a 67% buck off rate with 81 point average score) ; 250 Killebrew (91% buck off rate); 132 Sniper (78% buck off rate), 16 Butter Biscuit (2016 RAM National Circuit Finals and Great Lakes Circuit Finals selected with a 70% buck off rate and an 83 point average score), 221 Ralco's Centrifudge (2016 Great Lakes Circuit Finals selected) and 28 Rafael's Red Chain (78% buckoff).
Matchup Potential Cowboys vs. Bulls
Minnesota cowboy Levi Berends from Maynard and 16 Butter Biscuit know each other well in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. The duo thrilled the sold out Saturday night crowd for 88 points during the Minnesota Horse Expo & PRCA Rodeo on April 28th, to win the rodeo.
Freeman Yoder has drawn Killebrew twice this season and is 0-2 at both the Minnesota Horse Expo and Heart of the North Rodeo in Spooner, Wisconsin. However, Yoder rode Rafael's Red Chain during the Wisconsin River Pro Rodeo in Merrill, Wis. for the win in June.
Jimy Marten won the Barnes PRCA Rodeo in Hawley, Minn. known as the American Heroes PRCA Rodeo and cashed the only Sniper check for 85 points in Wapello, Iowa a few weeks later in July. The same Iowa based rodeo where Gumby Wren won with his 92 pt ride; Will Crain placed with his 91 pt ride and Tyler Stoltz finished third with 88 pts leaving a 4/5 paycheck split for Jimy Marten and Travis Smith.
Marten the current Bull Riding Director for the Great Lakes Circuit would like to draw 335 Gumy Bear. "He fits me good cuz he turns back into my hand," Marten stated. He anticipates Berends to put on a show "it's his home state. He's game and will try to do real good."
Two-time Great Lakes Circuit Finalist and the 2015 Great Plains Region Champion Bull Rider Blake Dunsmore from Forest Lake, Minn. is coming off a hip and groin injury to compete. "There is gonna be a lot of people (there). The coliseum is sweet. Bullfighter Luke Moore is very good," he referenced. While Dunsmore is still attending physical therapy sessions he's also been entering rodeos and bull ridings this season. He wouldn't mind drawing Hilton Magic again. "He rides good, kicks hard, turns back, no tricks," in reference to the bull's performance.
Finally, Minneapolis resident Amauri Alves is one of the native Brazilian cowboys entered. Alves said, "I train every day. A lot of endurance training and with the mechanical bull." His workout also includes balance exercises. Alves will have two Brazilian fans in the audience on Monday. His father Amauri Senior and sister Barbara are visiting Minnesota while on their vacation.
Media Contact
Gretchen Kirchmann
Kirchmann Media Group
gretchen@kirchmannmediagroup.com
For the past 40 plus years, Barnes PRCA Rodeo and the Minnesota State Fair partnership has provided quality entertainment in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. On Labor Day, the final day of the fair, attendees are treated with two Bulls and Barrels Championship performances at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Barnes PRCA Rodeo Stock Contract Marty Barnes mentioned, "I am excited to see the quality and depth of the contestants entered, and some potential match-ups that might occur. I always look forward to the Minnesota State Fair, great hospitality and enthusiast crowds. Part of the hospitality to me includes a bucket of fresh, hot, chocolate chip cookies and all the cold milk you can drink from the Midwest Dairy Association."
Among the regional bull riding champions scheduled to compete are Great Lakes Circuit champions, RAM National Circuit Final qualifiers and former collegiate champions. The Top 20 ranked cowboys entered from the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Great Lakes Circuit standings - (1) Will Crain, (2) Levi Berends, (4) Jimy Marten, (5) Tyler Stoltz, (6) John Young, (7) Denton Fugate, (9) Gumby Wren, (10) Jake Weber, (11) Travis Smith, (12) Blake Dunsmore, (14) Freeman Yoder, (19) Dakota Nye plus three native Brazilian contestants Amauri Alves, Cristiano Figueredo and Ueberson Duarte.
Wren scored 92-points on Barnes PRCA Rodeos' Ralco's Centrifuge in Wapello, Iowa this past July. He is leading the PRCA for the highest-marked bull ride this season.
Young a two-time Great Lake Circuit Year End Champion (2012, 2015) from Orient, Iowa rode Barnes' bull S335 Champagne Jam in Sioux City, Iowa this past January during the Rawhide Bull Riding Challenge. The 85-point ride of the night signed Young's paycheck and Champagne Jam is also the bull that helped Lance Schwartz win the Minnesota State Fair in 2016. Fellow Iowan, Dakota Nye won money in Sioux City and recently was 85 points in Marshall, MN on 205 Juice Box.
Young's rodeo resume also includes three Great Lake Circuit qualifications and two trips to the RAM National Circuit Finals.
The Minnesota State Fair's reputation is a big attraction. Young said, "It means a lot to me to be riding at the Minnesota State Fair. I have never been there but I hear really good things about it, such as good bulls, good crowds, good money. When you combine those three things it's bound to be a great event." An added incentive is "Marty is always looking out for us cowboys. Since he was a cowboy going up and down the road like we were," continued Young.
Rank bulls from the Rafter B Bar Ranch in Peterson, Iowa heading to the Minnesota State Fair are: 107 Hilton Magic (Coy Thorson from Fergus Falls won the Buffalo Championship PRCA Rodeo with 86 points in June, the bull has a 67% buck off rate with 81 point average score) ; 250 Killebrew (91% buck off rate); 132 Sniper (78% buck off rate), 16 Butter Biscuit (2016 RAM National Circuit Finals and Great Lakes Circuit Finals selected with a 70% buck off rate and an 83 point average score), 221 Ralco's Centrifudge (2016 Great Lakes Circuit Finals selected) and 28 Rafael's Red Chain (78% buckoff).
Matchup Potential Cowboys vs. Bulls
Minnesota cowboy Levi Berends from Maynard and 16 Butter Biscuit know each other well in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. The duo thrilled the sold out Saturday night crowd for 88 points during the Minnesota Horse Expo & PRCA Rodeo on April 28th, to win the rodeo.
Freeman Yoder has drawn Killebrew twice this season and is 0-2 at both the Minnesota Horse Expo and Heart of the North Rodeo in Spooner, Wisconsin. However, Yoder rode Rafael's Red Chain during the Wisconsin River Pro Rodeo in Merrill, Wis. for the win in June.
Jimy Marten won the Barnes PRCA Rodeo in Hawley, Minn. known as the American Heroes PRCA Rodeo and cashed the only Sniper check for 85 points in Wapello, Iowa a few weeks later in July. The same Iowa based rodeo where Gumby Wren won with his 92 pt ride; Will Crain placed with his 91 pt ride and Tyler Stoltz finished third with 88 pts leaving a 4/5 paycheck split for Jimy Marten and Travis Smith.
Marten the current Bull Riding Director for the Great Lakes Circuit would like to draw 335 Gumy Bear. "He fits me good cuz he turns back into my hand," Marten stated. He anticipates Berends to put on a show "it's his home state. He's game and will try to do real good."
Two-time Great Lakes Circuit Finalist and the 2015 Great Plains Region Champion Bull Rider Blake Dunsmore from Forest Lake, Minn. is coming off a hip and groin injury to compete. "There is gonna be a lot of people (there). The coliseum is sweet. Bullfighter Luke Moore is very good," he referenced. While Dunsmore is still attending physical therapy sessions he's also been entering rodeos and bull ridings this season. He wouldn't mind drawing Hilton Magic again. "He rides good, kicks hard, turns back, no tricks," in reference to the bull's performance.
Finally, Minneapolis resident Amauri Alves is one of the native Brazilian cowboys entered. Alves said, "I train every day. A lot of endurance training and with the mechanical bull." His workout also includes balance exercises. Alves will have two Brazilian fans in the audience on Monday. His father Amauri Senior and sister Barbara are visiting Minnesota while on their vacation.
Media Contact
Gretchen Kirchmann
Kirchmann Media Group
gretchen@kirchmannmediagroup.com