The Fabulous Lazy E Arena – just southeast of Guthrie and northeast of Edmond/Oklahoma City – was opened in November of 1984, just in time for the ’84 National Finals Steer Roping Finals.
The 2025 Cinch Timed Event Championship, presented by Smarty Rodeo, has finalized the 25 athletes – including eight past champions – who’ll gun for the $100,000 first-place paycheck in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Feb. 27 through March 1.
Defending and three-time champ Paul David Tierney headlines the ’25 roster, which also includes veterans K.C. Jones and Kyle Lockett, plus first-timers Ketch Kelton and John Douch.
“This is my 11th year at the Lazy E, and I fully expect this to be the deepest lineup of really good, capable cowboys we’ve ever had,” said Lazy E General Manager Dan Wall. “We’ve got some new blood in the mix, and we have world champs on the wait-list who will be ready. A couple guys usually have to pull out due to injury just getting ready for this thing.”
The invitation-only event, now in its 41st year, is dubbed “The Ironman” for its requirement that cowboys compete in five grueling rounds of five different rodeo events: heading, tie-down roping, heeling, steer wrestling and steer roping. Tierney, 35 and a South Dakota native, has banked $388,500 over his 14 years competing in The Ironman. His brother Jess won the title back in 2017, and their dad, ProRodeo Hall-of-Famer Paul Tierney, won four CTEC titles over three different decades. The Tierneys are to timed events what the Mannings are to football.
“It not only takes a huge physical toll on the body, but these guys have to line up the right horsepower – excellent calf and bulldogging horses,” Wall said. “It doesn’t matter how good a hand you are if your horse takes you out, or if you don’t find good partners to haze and help you team-rope.”
Another family well-versed in good horses and good help are the Keltons of Arizona. Former National Finals Rodeo header and National Finals of Steer Roping qualifier Chance Kelton competed in Guthrie 14 years and finished as runner-up a few times. Meanwhile, his son Ketch, 19, enters the 2025 Ironman as a favorite. He’ll try to become only the fourth rookie to ever win the title, after Mike Beers in 1986, Justin Thigpen in 2019, and Taylor Santos in 2020.
“There’s been a lot of preparation and coaching behind this,” Chance said after Ketch won his first of back-to-back Jr Ironman titles. “He’s prepared his whole life. We’re Timed Event Championship guys; this is what we do.”
Young Kelton, who also broke the Jr. Ironman’s aggregate record over four events, is accustomed to the adrenaline rush of competing in multiple events. The defending national high-school all-around champ made that particular short round in four different events. He’ll have stiff competition in Guthrie, though, from defending Ironman reserve champ Nelson Wyatt of Alabama and 2023 champ Cody Doescher of Texas, among others.
Meanwhile, 48-year-old Lockett of California is a crowd favorite. The seven-time NFR heeler has competed here 23 times previously and won twice, in 2005 and 2011. And Jones makes his 32nd appearance with five previous Ironman titles under his belt, having raked in $493,500 over the years in Guthrie. At 56, he’s the eldest cowboy gladiator with Ironman wins in three different decades.
“It costs you about $10,000 to show up at the Timed-Event, by the time you come up with practice cattle and horses, pay the entry fee and drive to Oklahoma,” the Wyoming native said. “But it’s worth the money and effort to get ready, if you’re a true all-around cowboy.”
To that end, a new presenting sponsor stepped in this year.
“Now that we’ve expanded outside roping for our training machines, we can help contestants prepare on all sides of this event,” said Amanda Shaffer, vice president of business development at Smarty Rodeo. “Our Smarty Bulldogger simulates both the horse and steer, side by side. And of course, Smarty and Heel-O-Matic have steer and calf trainers. The Timed Event Championships is one of my favorite events of the year to watch.”
Former CTEC champs Thigpen and Erich Rogers will return, as well as Marcus Theriot, whose father Herbert Theriot, a world all-around champion, also competed for years to become the Ironman.
“It takes a lot of patience, concentration and focus,” Marcus said. “I definitely feel like you have to be made for this event to win it.”
Tickets are on sale now, and for discounts at the host hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, reserve by Feb. 5.
2025 Cinch Timed Event Championship of the World Roster: Paul David Tierney, Nelson Wyatt, Cody Doescher, Jess Tierney, Erich Rogers, Dylan Hancock, Thomas Smith, Marcus Theriot, Blane Cox, Russell Cardoza. Seth Hall, Tyler Pearson, Clayton Hass, Brushton Minton, Billy Good, Kolton Schmidt, K.C. Jones, Cade Rice, Colby Lovell, Justin Thigpen, Clay Smith. Kyle Lockett, Jojo Lemond, John Douch, and Ketch Kelton
The National Ranch & Stock Horse Alliance (NRSHA) is pleased to announce that the Lazy E Arena is the new home of the NRSHA National Championship Show. The event is moving to Guthrie, Oklahoma, and will be held in conjunction with The Gathering at the E presented by Equinety, May 14 – 18, 2025.
AQHA and VRH have provided a platform to NRSHA to develop and grow the National Championship. That platform has helped to create the stability needed for NRSHA to take the next step in elevating the show. “We want to thank AQHA for hosting the NRSHA National Show for several years as the Alliance was getting started,” said NRSHA President Charles Pellham. “Now with 11 members in the Alliance, we felt moving to the Lazy E for NRSHA’s premiere show was a step in the right direction for the event to continue to grow.” This move gives the Ranch and Stock Horse Industry two major championships to qualify for each year.
2024 was the inaugural year for The Gathering at the E, and the show quickly gained the reputation as the place to be in 2025 for ranch horse enthusiasts from across the country. The event is owned by the Lazy E and managed by Stock Horse of Texas. The event was designed to promote a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that celebrates the abilities of the ranch horse and riders inside a competition pen and on the trail. The Gathering at the E is a ranch horse show that allows competitors the opportunity to compete in beautiful, wide-open meadows – complete with an authentic water crossing feature, a large outdoor covered arena, and a world renowned, climate-controlled arena in the heart of Oklahoma.
The decision to move the NRSHA National Championship to Lazy E Arena is the icing on the cake for The Gathering at the E. Between SHTX’s full slate of ranch horse classes, an AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse Show, a Ranching Heritage Challenge and now the NRSHA National Championship, you won’t want to miss ‘Gathering at the E’ in 2025!
Stay tuned for more information to be released soon.
ABOUT NRSHA:
The National Ranch and Stock Horse Alliance (NRSHA) was founded by six partnering associations in an effort to preserve and promote ranching traditions and heritage through competitive ranch and stock horse events on a national level. Since its inception, the Alliance has added five additional associations who work together for the good of the ranch horse. The groups come together annually to crown national champions in a variety of ranch horse events. For more about NRSHA, visit www.ranchhorse.net
ABOUT LAZY E ARENA:
The Fabulous Lazy E Arena – just southeast of Guthrie and northeast of Edmond/Oklahoma City – was established in December 1984, just in time for the ’84 National Finals Steer Roping Finals. Originator of the E, E.K. Gaylord II had a vision that both the National Finals Steer Roping Finals and the National Finals Rodeo would happen the same time, in the same area, creating the most epic days rodeo had seen. While the plan only worked for one year, as the NFR moved to Vegas in ’85, the legacy and standards E.K. set from the beginning still carry on today. From giving PBR its start to the Timed Event Championship of the World, the Lazy E has hosted world champions, world championships and personalities galore. In 2005, Gaylord sold the property to a partnership from Nevada, and in October 2013 the property was sold to the McKinney Family from Midland, Texas. The ownership group has long recognized not only the tremendous facility, but also the importance of the Lazy E’s place in Rodeo and Oklahoma history. The Family has committed to maintaining the Lazy E as the World’s premier western entertainment facility. Many updates and renovations are taking place at the Arena which will only enhance the lure of the Lazy E to the general population. www.lazye.com
August 15, 2024, Guthrie, Oklahoma – Fresh off winning the all-around championship at the National High School Finals Rodeo in July, teenage rodeo star Ketch Kelton of Mayer, Arizona, has accepted his first invitation to compete at the world’s most prestigious professional timed-event competition in 2025 inside the Lazy E Arena.
The Timed Event Championship of the World – where each cowboy competes in five different timed events and the eventual winner is dubbed rodeo’s “Ironman” – will be held in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Feb. 27 through March 1, with tickets going on sale November 7. Kelton will join a field that already includes champs like World Champion Team Roper and native Oklahoman Clay Smith and reigning and three-time champ Paul David Tierney, among others.
“I wasn’t expecting an invitation this soon,” said Kelton, 18. “It’s cool to have this opportunity at this young an age.”
The teenager is also the back-to-back champion of the Jr Ironman, or youth version of the Timed Event pinnacle. Kelton won that event in 2023 by breaking the aggregate record in heading, heeling, tie-down roping and steer wrestling to earn $20,000. He clinched the title again this spring to take home another $21,750.
Ketch Kelton at the CTEC as a child versus winning the JR Ironman in 2023. Images courtesy Lazy E and the Kelton family by James Phifer.
Incidentally, the 2025 Jr Ironman contestants are also starting to be announced. Invitations were extended to top finishers from both the National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals and the Cinch World Championship Junior Rodeo, including Colin Fox, Damian Padilla, Jake Holmes, Kreece Dearing, Jake Shelton, Wyatt Williams, Luke Tippman, Jesse Vesperman, Leo Loucks and Micah Kearney.
Kelton’s feats as a Jr Ironman prompted Lazy E’s general manager, Dan Wall, to personally invite him to take part in the pro competition along with 12 other contestants announced thus far. But Ketch also virtually grew up at the Timed Event Championships, considering his father, Chance Kelton, competed there 14 times and finished as runner-up a few of those years.
“There’s been a lot of preparation and coaching behind this,” Chance said after Ketch won his first Jr Ironman title. “He’s prepared his whole life. We’re Timed Event Championship guys, this is what we do.”
The younger Kelton said the best mental strategy at the grueling event is taking it one run at a time. The Timed Event Championships differs from the Jr Ironman in that it adds steer roping, which Kelton said will be his favorite discipline in 2025.
“It’s the funnest event, ever,” he said. “There’s just something about it that makes it so much fun. It takes more finesse than anything else.”
While he hasn’t competed as much in that event, Chance is a former National Finals Steer Roping qualifier who still ties steers at the house. As for the Timed Event Championships schedule, it prompts adrenaline and the need to hurry and get different horses ready. But that will be like what happened at the NHSFR, where young Kelton recently made the short round in heading, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and reined cow horse. In recent years, he’s been mistake-free on major stages in final rounds.
“I guess I take a final run like just another run,” he said. “You can’t think about it too much. It comes from all the jackpotting I’ve done. I grew up in the jackpotting capital of the world.”
Kelton is classified as an 8 header and 9 heeler, incidentally, in team roping’s Global system. It appears the newest rookie at the Timed Event Championships may be just as competitive next spring as the veterans.
The current field that has been announced to-date includes Paul David Tierney, Nelson Wyatt, Cody Doescher, Jess Tierney, Erich Rogers, Dylan Hancock, Thomas Smith, Marcus Theriot, Blane Cox, Russell Cardoza, Clay Smith, JoJo Lemond, and Ketch Kelton
ABOUT LAZY E ARENA: The Lazy E Arena – just northeast of Oklahoma City – was established in December 1984, just in time for the ’84 National Finals Steer Roping Finals. Founder Ed Gaylord had a vision that both the National Finals Steer Roping Finals and the National Finals Rodeo would happen at the same time, in the same area. While the plan only worked for one year, as the NFR moved to Vegas in ’85, the legacy and standards he set from the beginning still carry on today. From giving PBR its start to the Timed Event Championship of the World, the Lazy E has hosted world champions, world championships and personalities galore. In 2005, Gaylord sold the property to a partnership from Nevada, and in October 2013 the property was sold to the McKinney Family from Midland, Texas. They’ve committed to maintaining the Lazy E as the world’s premier Western entertainment facility.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. April 4, 2024 – The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (OCA), in partnership with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers is preparing for the 40th Annual OCA Ranch Rodeo on August 16 and 17 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. Today, OCA is announcing the teams that will be competing in the event. The OCA Ranch Rodeo consists of twelve ranch teams of ‘real ranch’ cowboys that compete in five different events mirroring many of the activities of daily ranch life.
The 2024 participating ranches include: A Bar Ranch, Claremore; Barron-Highsmith Cattle Co. & Short Ranches, Oologah; Drummond Land & Cattle Co., Pawhuska; Stuart Ranch, Waurika; Daube Cattle Co. & 3C Cattle Co., Ardmore; McPhail Land & Cattle Co., Medicine Park; Buford Ranches, Hominy; Gray G Bar Ranch, Shidler; Quarter Circle 99 Ranch & Double R Operations, Loco; Lazy Rafter Slash Ranch, Lenapah; Trentman Ranch & Steirwalt Ranch, Pawhuska and Shidler; Whitmire Ranch & Sumner Ranch, Delaware.
The competition is fierce, but the cowboys do not take home much more than bumps and bragging rights. They participate with one goal: to support the Children’s Health Foundation (CHF).
“The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association’s Ranch Rodeo has a close relationship with the Children’s Health Foundation (CHF) and entails raising more than $630,000,” said Kent Trentman, Ranch Rodeo Committee Chair.
The event has affectionately been called, ‘Cowboys Helping Kids’ because of our long-standing relationship with Children’s Health Foundation.
“We’ve hosted many ‘Miracle Children’ over the years and met their families. Those connections make our mission real and heart-felt for the participating cowboys and the committee that works to coordinate the event,” Trentman continued.
CHF funds children’s medical research and treatment for children right here in Oklahoma. The funds raised for CHF in Oklahoma, stay in Oklahoma.
According to Trentman, the Oklahoma Ford Dealers have supported the OCA Ranch Rodeo since the beginning as the presenting sponsor.
“The Oklahoma Ford Dealers believe in our mission and have been extremely loyal and generous over the years,” Trentman said.
The OCA is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry and works to protect and empower Oklahoma cattlemen today, to serve tomorrow. OCA is the only voice that speaks solely for the cattlemen of Oklahoma and represents beef producers in all 77 counties across the state. The OCA officers, board of directors and membership encourages you to join us in our advocacy efforts to ensure less government intervention, lower taxes and a better bottom line. For more information about OCA membership, the theft reward program or activities call 405-235-4391 or visit www.okcattlemen.org.
Introducing the prestigious AQHA Top Horse fan-voted award, a testament to the exceptional equine talent showcased in the Cinch Timed Event Championship and Jr Ironman presented by WCRA.
BIG CTEC NEWS! $1,000 Award Cinch Timed Event Championship AQHA Top Horse Award, and $500 Award – Jr Ironman AQHA Top Horse Award! Nominate an AQHA registered Quarter Horse that you are competing on to be eligible for the award. You can nominate at contestant check in. You will need the horse’s registered name, registration number and owner information. If a copy of the registration papers is available, that will speed up the verification procedure!
The AQHA Top Horse Award will be awarded to the horse that FANS select after CINCH Timed Event Championship judges narrow the selection to 10 AQHA horses!
Voting will open after the first round of the Jr Ironman and the third round of the Cinch Timed Event Championship.
Bama Montana 2018 Bay Gelding Bamacat x Short Candy (Shorty Lena) Rider: Clayton Hass Event: Heading and Heeling Owner: Slick Robison Rope HorsesHorse: Time To Sven Rider: Eli Green Event: Heading Age: 7 (Gelding) Owner: Kyndall Green
Colin Fox started competing in rodeo when he was just 8 years old and, as an all-around cowboy, he’s been waiting for the chance to compete in the Jr. Ironman.
“I’ve always wanted to get the chance to do it someday,” Fox said. “When I saw they had the Jr. Ironman, I didn’t really know how to get into it. So this year, when I saw that [the WCJR] was a qualifier, I was pretty excited to jump all over that. I’ve always enjoyed working multiple events, so it seems like a lot of fun.”
The freshman on the rodeo team at Sam Houston State University qualified through the 2023 WCJR at the Lazy E. He considers the steer wrestling his strongest event, but he’s roped calves and headed all through high school and college.
“So the team roping is definitely my weaker side, but I would say I can head pretty well,” Fox said. “My heeling is definitely just something I need to work the most on.”
With a covered arena at school, Fox has been getting plenty of practice in for the Lazy E, despite the weather.
“We’ve been taking horses over there pretty much every day, steer wrestling, roping calves and then we team rope at the end,” Fox said. “I feel like I’m getting mentally right for it as well. I’ve been keeping the calf horse free and everything because it’s more of getting everything knocked down instead of trying to be fast.”
Fox is a three-time NHSFR qualifier and was the Texas High School Rodeo state champion bull dogger his sophomore year. He’ll be riding his own calf and steer wrestling horses—he’s had both since high school. His head and heel horses are still in the works, but one thing is for certain, he has a knockout helper in the team roping—2022 NFR average champion Tanner Tomlinson. Hazing for him will be John Schueneman.
Eli Green
Age: 18 Hometown: Oakdale, California
Eli Green practically grew up at the Cinch Timed Event Championship, watching his dad, three-time Timed Event champ and 10-time NFR qualifier Daniel Green.
Green is the youngest of Daniel and Shawnda’s three children—Grace and Kyndall being his older sisters—and having a 24-time CTEC contestant for a dad just might come in handy in Green’s first Jr. Ironman appearance.
“I don’t know if it gives me a leg up, but he’s been helping me get ready, and we’ve been running a bunch of steers and everything,” Green said. “I’ve been bouncing around to some other places, too, getting practiced up.”
Green qualified for the Jr. Ironman in July of 2023 through the Cinch World Champion Junior Rodeo, after finishing third in the team roping and placing in a few rounds.
“I’m very excited for it,” Green said. “I’ve been wanting to do it the last couple years, but this was the first time I got around to going out there to get qualified.”
The high school senior is an all-around hand, competing regularly in the heeling, calf roping and steer wrestling. Aside from his multiple California High School Rodeo Association wins, Green won the 2021 Hooey JR BFI #10.5 at the Lazy E.
He’ll be riding his sister’s bay head horse “Sven,” his heel horse “Buddy,” bull dogging horse “Siete” and calf horse “Ralph.” Green’s plan for his first Jr. Ironman is to remain smooth.
“I just want to knock down 12 head and try not to be super slow as I do it but not be irrational, either,” Green explained.
Evan Bottini
Age: 20 Hometown: La Junta, Colorado
In 2024, Evan Bottini returns to the Jr. Ironman competition for the third time, and with hard won wisdom.
“I’ve learned to never, never count yourself out, that’s for sure” said Bottini, 20. “A lot of things can change. And just because you’re winning the first round doesn’t mean you’re gonna win the last one. So you just gotta stay real humble about things and keep your head high and just keep doing what you’re doing. It’ll sort out how it’s supposed to be.”
Last year, Bottini was coming off a pretty fresh ankle injury and, though there’s still some tenderness to it, he’s happy to report he’s managed to stay healthy ahead of the event so far. This year’s challenge instead comes from the fact that he’s since lost his calf horse, Goose.
“My calf horse died after the last Iron Man,” said Bottini, a sophomore on Kansas’ Colby Community College rodeo team. “I’ve got a new younger horse coming, Tom Cat. I’m not real worried about him, I just don’t know what to expect. I haven’t had him in that big of a setting, but I think he’ll be alright.”
Bottini’s mom and dad are helping him get the rest of his horsepower in order, which includes again counting on Jackson Seibert’s Pac Man for the heading, while his own horses—Netflix and Maverick—will carry him in the heeling and the steer wrestling.
For manpower, Russel Cardoza will be helping on both ends in the team roping this year and, in the bulldogging, Tyler Pearson will again be hazing for Bottini, the 2021 NHSFR steer wrestler, 2021 Little Britches Dally Ribbon Roping World Champion and 2017 National Little Britches Rodeo Junior Boy World Champion Breakaway Roper.
In school, Bottini is wrapping up his studies in beef production, and he’s entertaining a few different paths forward.
“I might come back to continue another year here to get a welding degree and some other things that I would like to get,” said Bottini, who hails from the southeastern corner of Colorado. “But I’ve also got some colleges—Fort Hays, and some colleges down in Texas—that have offered me to come and talk to them.”
But for the moment, his focus is on the next few college rodeos and getting to the Jr. Ironman arena in good working order.
“We’ve been healthy all year. We’ve still got a couple weekends to go but, hopefully, everything stays strong, and we’re good to go by the time we get there.”
Hank Burgess
Age: 19 Hometown: Dalton, Georgia
Georgia’s Hank Burgess is set on representing the Southeast at his first Jr. Ironman and proving that rodeo talent isn’t only in the purview of the Western states.
“I’m ready to go out there and show that talent comes from all over and not just way out West,” he said. “I’m excited to cheer on Justin Thigpen—he’s from Georgia, too—and bring back some titles to the Southeast.”
Burgess, 19, came up through the ranks of junior high, high school and Little Britches rodeo and currently competes on the Northwest Mississippi Community College team under renowned coach and NFR steer wrestler, Will Lummus.
Burgess qualified at the National Little Britches Finals and has been pleasantly surprised by the subsequent celebrity treatment.
“I’m announced as the kid going to the Jr. Ironman and all sorts of people come up to me to wish me luck,” he said. “I get phone calls and texts offering me horses to ride. It’s wild. It’s great!”
Luckily, Burgess doesn’t need to call in any favors and has his horses lined up, including a few that are home-raised and self-trained.
“When I’ve made my own horses, I know them and I know how they’re going to react to stuff,” he said. “I’ve always liked working with the young ones and making them into what I want them to be.”
With tie-down ropers like Tim Pharr and Danny Phillips as neighbors to offer advice and practice time, calf roping is Burgess’ strongest event, but he’s aiming for “businessman’s rounds all week across the events.”
“I’m going to go out there and do the best with what I have,” he says. “If it works out, I come home with a paycheck. And if not, at least I got to go and that’s pretty cool.”
Helping Burgess in the roping will be Travis Klingeman. Hazing for him will be Ironman competitor and World Champion Steer Wrestler Tyler Pearson.
Jake Shelton
Age: 18 Hometown: Krum, Texas
When Jake Shelton caught the roping bug, he caught it from the best.
“I started roping steers when I was around 11,” Shelton, 18, said. “I went with some family friends to rope calves at Roy Cooper’s place, and I’ve been in love with it since.”
And when he caught the bulldogging fever, he caught that from the best as well.
“K.C. Jones taught me how to bulldog,” he said. “I’ve had some good teachers.”
That top-notch education successfully carried Shelton through the ranks of junior high and high school rodeo to a 2023 Cinch World Championship Junior Rodeo steer wrestling title and a qualification for the Jr. Ironman.
“The Jr. Ironman has always been a goal of mine,” the Krum, Texas, high school senior said.
Though feeling strongest in the calf roping and steer wrestling, Shelton is going “full throttle” on training for all the events.
“Whenever I’m not in school, I’m practicing,” he said. “I try to practice at least two events every day. I might take off a night to go jackpot, but otherwise, it’s all day, every day.”
Shelton’s horse string will include some of Jones’ bulldogging team.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be real good friends with K.C. for a long time,” he said. “He told me, ‘Well, you know, the team, they’re in shape. Why don’t you just take them?’”
Hazing for Shelton will be his father, Daryll Shelton. And in the team roping, his good friend Cash Fretwell will be helping on both sides.
Ketch Kelton
Age: 18 Hometown: Mayer, Arizona
Reigning Jr. Ironman Champion Ketch Kelton is the definition of cowboy cool. The Arizona roper garnered the 2022 Arizona High School Rodeo Association and NHSFR All-Around Cowboy titles before smashing the Jr. Ironman aggregate record in 2023 with a time of 107.4 seconds on 12 head.
Specializing in heading and heeling, the 18-year-old isn’t rattled by the thought of coming into the 2024 event with a bullseye on his back.
“I don’t have a different perspective this year,” Kelton said. “You know what to expect, and you know you need to pace yourself throughout the competition. Just treat everything the same and try not to make a mistake. I really enjoy competing up there with those guys. I’ve always wanted to do the Ironman.”
The son of 12-time Cinch Timed Event Championship competitor Chance, Kelton literally has the Ironman competition in his blood.
His horse lineup closely matches his 2023 roster, starting with personal gelding “Boon” in the heading and heeling. He’ll be riding Damian Padilla’s bulldogging horse again and calling Brent Lewis for a calf horse.
In the help department he’ll have Cody Lovell heading and Cade Rice heeling.
Kelton’s supporters will include parents Chance and Tammy, as well as grandparents Willy and Phyllis Kelton.
Kreece Dearing
Age: 19 Hometown: Chico, Texas
It’s a busy time of year for Kreece Dearing. The second semester of college rodeo just kicked off and the South Plains College freshman only had a few days between competing in Odessa and heading north to the Lazy E for his second Jr. Ironman.
College rodeoing has given Dearing, of Chico, Texas, good opportunity to prepare for the event.
“We have practice Monday through Thursday,” he said. “I’m getting to practice a lot more than I did last year.”
Dearing has been an avid roper since the start, and he added steer wrestling to his all-around repertoire some five years ago. Since his Jr. Ironman debut last year, Dearing has also added a WCRA Division Youth All-Around title to his long list of rodeo accomplishments. It’s momentum he hopes to carry into this year’s competition.
In 2023, Dearing won the third round of the Jr. Ironman, “but had no luck in the first or second round.”
This year, he plans to “gun it a little more.”
“I’m going to make sure I get a time in every single event,” he said. “A time is a lot better than a 60.”
Helping him out in the team roping on both sides will be NFR heeler Levi Lord. As for horsepower, Dearing will be bringing his horses “Big Jake” on the head side, “Carmela” on the heel side and “Tooley” for calf roping. He’s still debating on his bulldogging horse.
His parents Anita and Rodney Dearing will be there to show their support.
Luke Tippmann
Age: 17 Hometown: New Haven, Indiana
Luke Tippman is entering the Jr. Ironman for the first time in 2024 after being awarded the NLBRA All-Around Cowboy World Champion title in 2023.
“In the spring I had a really good season,” Tippmann, 17, recalled of his championship season. “I started getting on broncs and earning more points, and my best rodeos were in the spring, leading up to the finals.”
Bronc riding seems to have grabbed ahold of Tippman’s heart, but he claims team roping as his strongest event and, at the Lazy E come February, he’ll be heeling with the help of his partner of six years, Brazil’s Junior Fornazin.
“I just want to go into it with a level head and take it one run at a time,” Tippmann said with the wisdom of the Cinch Timed Event Championship veterans. “You can’t beat yourself up over something you can’t fix, so if I make a mistake, I’m just going to do my best to move on.”
Just a few weeks out from go time, Tippmann had his horses ready but was still determining his hazer for the steer wrestling. He believes one of the Tierney brothers is lined up to pull his steers tight for him in the heading.
When he’s not in the arena or in school, the high school junior with plans to attend Panhandle State University also works for his dad, Tim, at his company Beastmaster Rodeo, which sells rodeo gear and accessories.
Micah Kearney
Age: 17 Hometown: Holt, Florida
Though born into a rodeo family, it was only six years ago that 17-year-old Micah Kearney of Holt, Florida, first swung his leg over a saddle. But since then, he’s more than made up for lost time, punching his ticket to the 2023 National Little Britches Finals where he qualified for his first Jr. Ironman.
“Honestly, I was scared of horses for the longest time, so I didn’t get started young like most people,” he said. “But once I did, I was hooked. I didn’t want to do one event; I wanted to do all of them—and I wanted to be good at all of them.”
Competing at the Jr. Ironman has been a longtime goal of Kearney’s, and he’s been laser-focused on returning to the Lazy E.
“It was the thing I was working toward,” he said. “So it was very, very rewardingto get that email.”
Since the official invite, Kearney has been putting in the hours “practicing everywhere and anywhere to get as sharp as possible, physically and mentally.”
Kearney says he favors the team roping and bulldogging, is keeping his strategy simple: “I’m going in just making sure I get all 12 head caught about as fast as I can.”
Roping with Kearney will be two-time NFR header Nelson Wyatt. Hazing for him will be World Champion Steer Wrestler Tyler Pearson.
Tyler Porter
Age: 17 Hometown: Tylertown, Mississippi
Mississippi all-around star Tyler Porter will be competing in the Jr. Ironman competition for the first time in 2024, but he’s leaving the jitters at home.
“I’m excited about going,” said Porter, 17. “I’m pretty confident about doing it because I’m practicing doing all my events, so I’m doing pretty well. I just practice hard and go there and compete, you know?”
Porter qualified to compete in Guthrie through the National Little Britches Rodeo Association and was a top 10 header at their 2023 Finals. Back home in Mississippi, the homeschooled junior is sitting pretty in the standings, currently ranked No. 2 in the Boys All Around, No. 1 in the steer wrestling, No. 3 in the team roping and No. 1 in the tie-down roping.
For help, he’s calling upon two-time World Champion Kaleb Driggers for help on both ends of the team roping and, in the steer wrestling, World Champion Tyler Pearson will be supplying the haze.
For horsepower, Porter will be riding his own.
“My steer wrestling horse, we bought him last year and I’ve been riding him for about six months now,” Porter said. “My head horse, we’ve had him for about four years, and then my heel horse, we just got.”
Porter’s dad, Sean, is also a calf roper and he helped put the finishing touches on the steer wrestling horse when they got him, but they’ve been teaming up with Gonzales, Louisiana’s five-time World Champion Steer Wrestler Tyler Waguespack for extra help, too.
“I’ve been going down there for a about a year now,” Porter said. “We’re all good friends, and he’s helped me a lot with my steer wrestling.”
At the event, dad Sean, mom Amanda and 11-year-old brother and fellow roper Jake will be cheering Porter on through the three, four-event perfs of the Jr. Ironman, all with the goal of winning the championship and $20,000.
Love is in the air, and what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by treating your special someone to an unforgettable experience filled with adrenaline, excitement, and world-class competition? This February 29 – March 2, 2024, mark your calendars for the 40th Cinch Timed Event Championship at the fabulous Lazy E Arena. Get ready to witness 25 of the best all-around cowboys go head-to-head in a thrilling display of skill and determination as they vie for the prestigious title and a chance to claim the $100,000 check, Montana Silversmiths buckle, and the ultimate bragging rights.
At the Cinch Timed Event Championship, expect nothing short of heart-pounding action as these athletes showcase their talents in heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, and steer roping.. Whether you’re a seasoned rodeo fan or experiencing the thrill for the first time, the atmosphere at the Lazy E Arena promises to be electrifying, making it the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your loved one.
But the excitement doesn’t stop there! In addition to the main event, attendees can also purchase tickets for the 47th Bob Feist Invitational on March 30, 2024. This event brings together the best 125 open teams in the world for a day of intense competition and jaw-dropping action. With adrenaline-fueled moments at every turn, the Bob Feist Invitational is bound to be an unforgettable experience for the entire family.
Beyond the rodeo arena, there will be plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained throughout the day. From delicious food vendors serving up mouthwatering treats to interactive exhibits and shopping opportunities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at these action-packed events.
So, this Valentine’s Day, skip the traditional gifts and surprise your loved one with tickets to the Cinch Timed Event Championship and the Bob Feist Invitational. Share in the excitement, cheer on your favorite competitors, and create lasting memories together at the Lazy E Arena. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget!
Don’t miss out on the thrill of a lifetime. Get your tickets now and make this Valentine’s Day one to remember at the heart of the action!
