Les Ohlhauser, PRCA Rodeo Announcer during the Lincoln County Fair, called into First Bank of Wyoming Sports Friday to discuss the three PRCA Rodeos that will take place during the fair August 7, 8 and 9.

(0:00) Sports Friday this morning Duke and Dow with you in studio joining us live over (0:04) the air today is the PRCA rodeo announcer for the Lincoln County Fair (0:08) that’s Les Ohlhauser. Les, good morning how are you doing today? (0:13) How’s everybody doing in afternoon Wyoming? Hey we’re doing great thanks for (0:17) joining us this morning. Give us kind of an idea maybe what people don’t (0:23) necessarily understand about what you do.
Well I’m a rodeo announcer slash (0:28) auctioneer so I’m either talking slow or fast but I enjoy life and I enjoy (0:33) doing it. I travel a lot actually my year because of my occupation starts in (0:39) January runs all the way into December we start all over again so it’s on the (0:44) road actually I’m in Bismarck North Dakota right now just finishing up a (0:48) program here in auction and then I’ll be heading to Cody Wyoming and then from (0:53) there I got to go down to Afton to the Lincoln County Fair and rodeo so (0:58) traveling from the west coast I’ll have about 35-4,000 miles before I get (1:02) done on this trip. Wow that’s just this trip it sounds like.
Yeah I just did one (1:07) two weeks ago that was 4,700 miles. Well Les you’ve been coming to the Lincoln (1:13) County Fair for a number of years talk to us about the growth that you’ve seen (1:16) with this particular PRCA this year for the first time they’re adding a third (1:21) night and so as you’ve seen kind of these small-town rodeos like this talk (1:25) about how they’ve grown. Well what happened here actually was in pretty (1:30) good they the attendance is sold out every night for Friday and Saturday so (1:37) they added another perf to allow more people to come through and it also (1:42) allowed the Cowboys because of the rodeo schedule we start basically in January (1:46) and all the way through basically April we have what we call the large indoor (1:51) rodeos Coliseum rodeos or barn rodeos then we go outdoors and then the 4th of (1:57) July hits we call that Cowboy Christmas because of all the millions of dollars (2:01) up for prize money now we’re into what we call the County Fair and rodeo run (2:05) and here’s what we come into play there are rodeos going on and normally as you (2:11) stated a rodeo is Friday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday whatever but now because (2:15) of the County Fair is going on for a week or so there’s rodeos every day so (2:21) these Cowboys could hit more than one rodeo so what we did is added or they (2:24) did added another performance allowing more Cowboys cowgirls to come on in and (2:29) compete and reflecting I’ve got the day sheets right here in front of me when I (2:33) mean day sheet that is the contested cowboy cowgirl list and you are not (2:38) hurting for contestants we are jam-packed so when you talk about that (2:43) you’re you’re talking about the kind of the upper echelon of rodeo Cowboys and (2:48) cowgirls you better believe it I’m looking at the list here you get (2:52) Cowboys have been to the Wrangler National Finals nine times ten times I (2:56) mean in every event you’ve got somebody that’s been to the Wrangler National (3:00) Finals or trying to get there and some great great outstanding young talent (3:05) coming up bareback riding of course obviously you got a hometown kind of a (3:09) cowboy right there Donnie profit he’ll be back he won the rodeo a couple years (3:13) ago so he’s coming back and he’s ranked number 33 in the world standing and (3:18) climbing with a lot of rodeo just down the road from Evanston Wyoming you got (3:22) Miles Carlson gonna be there Cooper Cook here’s a standout here’s one that (3:26) nobody’s seen coming 22 years young nobody kind of knew about him he’s from (3:31) Victor, Idaho just came back from the Calgary Stampede won it all won over (3:38) $64,000 at one rodeo he’s at your rodeo you know you talk about in the (3:46) bareback and that’s just the bareback riding and you talk about some of those (3:48) names you mentioned Donnie profit of Lincoln County right and riding Kemmer (3:51) what an opportunity for someone like him to come to his hometown rodeo right at (3:56) his own Lincoln County Fair and and really kind of make some noise against (4:01) some talent and some some Cowboys that are above him in the standings I mean if (4:05) someone like Donnie wins this thing that’s a big deal for him.
You better (4:08) believe it and you know and people don’t take it for granted just because (4:11) he’s from you know a little town there this kid has got some athletic ability (4:15) that is unreal and to be ranked in the top 30 in the world right now and (4:21) climbing but you know this is only July coming into August basically now but we (4:25) go all the way into October and some of the major rodeos are still coming up in (4:31) the County Fair and rodeo run so there’s going to be a ton of (4:36) rodeos and this guy easily could slip into that top 15 with his riding (4:40) abilities. So as you talk about this this circuit this this this County Fair (4:46) circuit and how all of these people basically you know that they got to form (4:51) their own their own schedule and where they’re gonna ride and where they’re (4:54) gonna go this third day really does give them an opportunity to draw another (5:00) level another round of competitors to Lincoln County is that correct? Very (5:07) correct what it did is it allows them to come into a rodeo and the Thursday (5:11) night’s going to be an exceptional rodeo we get a lot of top talent because (5:15) those Cowboys and Cowgirls need to go on to another rodeo a Friday and Saturday (5:19) Sunday rodeo so this is allowing them to have one more opportunity for a huge (5:25) paycheck and I guarantee a Lincoln County Fair and rodeo has a outstanding (5:30) payout for these top Cowboys and Cowgirls so they’re coming for a reason. (5:35) Les Ullhauser PRCA rodeo announcer for the Lincoln County Fair rodeos next week (5:39) Thursday Friday Saturday less you mentioned the Saddle Bronc I understand (5:43) as some of the other events we have a top ten guy from in in this in the (5:48) Saddle Bronc I think you bareback is what you mentioned Saddle Bronc top ten (5:52) we have a barrel racer in the top five right now and in Busby tell us who else (5:57) is is coming on your day sheet that’s that’s a big name.
Well I can tell you (6:01) right now a cowboy that nobody kind of heard anything about but boy did he (6:05) break waves not long ago at Castro Island when we had the college finals (6:09) the cowboy from Maple Creek Saskatchewan was going to school there qualified for (6:14) the college national finals won it all James Perrin here’s your new world (6:18) champion college cowboy he has entered your rodeo another up-and-coming and I (6:23) know it’s a no-name to most but he’s from Florence Colorado Walker is on a (6:27) coach going to be there and another good kid now here’s one that’s really climbing (6:32) and I mean climbing Coleman Shaw better had won just about every major rodeo a (6:37) 20 year old cowboy can win and he was just one of those guys that like well (6:42) where is this guy from where’s Gunnison Colorado well he put him on a map he’s (6:47) won a ton of money the NFR Open 12 grand there went to college at Tarleton (6:52) qualified for the Mountain State circuit finals won the Mountain State circuit (6:56) finals started out Rapid City South Dakota extreme bronc ride won it all (6:59) took a ton of money out of Denver Colorado and normally the beginning of (7:04) the year when you start winning that huge you know you can find out you got (7:07) to draw the good horses but whatever horses cowboy drew he made it happen (7:11) Chet Johnson a cowboy went to the Rango National Finals three times has entered (7:17) your rodeo he has come out of retirement he’s coming back to compete so it’s (7:22) gonna be a fun rodeo another superstar Jay Tatum and here’s a guy that’s a (7:27) bareback bronc rider went to school in Texas travels he’s an all-around cowboy (7:32) young talent he’s here so it’s gonna be some fun Ira Dickinson just down the (7:38) road sitting I believe he’s number two in the world standings for rookie of the (7:41) year and this cowboy’s got tons of talent he’s there so it’s yeah you got (7:48) the young guns then you got the guys that just been there a little bit longer (7:52) children Cooper Hooper excuse me children Hooper nine times to the Rango (7:57) National Finals he’s there you see him on the TV Cowboy Channel all the time (8:02) Les Ulhauser PRCA Rodeo announcer coming to next weekend’s Lincoln County Fair (8:06) rodeos on Thursday Friday and Saturday less appreciate your time just one more (8:10) question I wanted to ask about the culture of rodeo you go to so many of (8:14) these as you mentioned over the course of the year and there’s one thing that’s (8:18) always the same and that’s that’s the culture of the sport of rodeo and and (8:23) kind of the respect that that is there and maybe touch on that a little if you (8:27) would you bet the Cowboys and Cowgirls it’s changed so drastically you know (8:34) years ago you worked on a ranch or whatever you into the rodeo on the (8:37) weekend you got on your truck car you drove to it got on got off and went on (8:40) but now these guys are doing a professional they got trainers they stay (8:44) in shape when they’re not competing during the day or at night they’re (8:47) working out they’re at a athletic facility gym and they they’re doing (8:53) everything they need to do right it’s a living now you can make a living doing (8:57) it and just like the young cowboy that one cook that one Calgary he had to get (9:04) on I think four horses and won $64,000 you do the math you know eight second (9:09) rides 32 seconds yeah I think he did well (9:12) Les Ulhauser don’t miss the PRCA rodeos Thursday Friday Saturday next week (9:16) tickets available at Lincoln County Fair dot info less look forward to seeing (9:21) you next week in Afton I’ll be coming in I’m gonna have a great time (9:25) hospitality is always five-star five-star in Afton Wyoming it’s first (9:30) Bank of Wyoming sports Friday on the SBI radio network