Ellensburg Rodeo announces ticket "stimulus package"
Numerous Washington kids and military veterans will be able to attend performances of the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo for free on Sept. 4 and Sept. 7. The rodeo committee announced the "Ellensburg Rodeo Stimulus Package" at a press conference on April 29.

"We are delighted to be able to give something back to the community that has been a critical part of the Ellensburg Rodeo," said Dave Standish, Ellensburg Rodeo president. "It couldn't come at a better time with the current state of the economy."

The Ellensburg Rodeo runs Sept. 4-7, and will also host the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, presented by B&W Trailers Hitches, on Sept. 5.

On Sept. 4, there will be free admission to the rodeo and fairgrounds for the Kittitas County youth baseball players (620 tickets) and local Veterans of Foreign War members (100 tickets). On Sept. 7, there will be free admission to the rodeo and fairgrounds for the Kittitas County 4H and Future Farmers of America members (more than 400 tickets) and local VFW members (100 tickets). Vouchers for the tickets will be issued to the organizations prior to the admission dates.

Along with members of the rodeo committee, 10-time PRCA Announcer of the Year Randy Corley attended the press conference, along with PRCA Director of Member Relations John Davis.

Corley will announce the Ellensburg Rodeo, alongside ProRodeo Hall of Famer Hadley Barrett.

The Ellensburg Rodeo is the final regular-season gold-tier rodeo on the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour presented by Justin Boots. The Justin Boots Playoffs are Sept. 11-13 in Puyallup, Wash., followed by the Justin Boots Championships, Sept. 24-26, in Omaha, Neb.

The Ellensburg Rodeo, founded in 1923, is held annually on Labor Day weekend. It is among the top 20 ProRodeos in the country, featuring more than 500 competitors and a purse of more than $250,000. Ellensburg is approximately 90 minutes east of Seattle.


Tickets on sale for Xtreme Bulls Finale
Tickets are now on sale for the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, Sept. 5, in Ellensburg, Wash. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1.800.637.2444, or by visiting the Ellensburg Rodeo Web site: www.ellensburgrodeo.com/tickets.html.

Ticket prices range from $20-$40, and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early. The Ellensburg Xtreme Bulls stop traditionally sells out the 8,500 seats in the Ellensburg Rodeo Arena, and this year it will have an $85,000 total purse.

The Finale will be the culmination of the eight-city Xtreme Bulls Tour, which has a combined total purse of $535,000. The Finale will feature 40 bull riders in preliminary competition, with the top 12 immediately brought back for the finals, where an Ellensburg champion and a season-long Tour champion will be crowned.

The field could include World Champions J.W. Harris (2008, May, Texas); Wesley Silcox (2007, Payson, Utah); B.J. Schumacher (2006, Hillsboro, Wis.); and Cody Hancock (2000, Taylor, Ariz.)

"It's appropriate that Ellensburg will be the location for the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale in 2009 since the PRCA Xtreme Bulls program was initially hosted by the Ellensburg Rodeo Association in 2002," said Sam Dunn, director of the Xtreme Bulls Tour. "The bull riding fans in Ellensburg are the best, and this will provide another great chapter in the history of the Ellensburg Rodeo."

The Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Classic with eight-time World Champion bull rider Don Gay handling the TV color commentary. ESPN2 and ESPN Classic reach 99 million and 63 million U.S. households, respectively.


Cassidy takes over all-around lead in PRCA World Standings
Canadian Curtis Cassidy earned $1,660 for a fourth-place finish in the second round of the tie-down roping in Guymon, Okla., over the weekend, which wouldn't be a big deal except it was almost exactly what he needed to qualify for the PRCA All-Around World Standings. It put his tie-down roping earnings at just over the $3,000 minimum that is required to be included in any event, at $3,215. Added on to his event-best $69,700 in steer wrestling, Cassidy, of Donalda, Alberta, shot past Trevor Brazile into the all-around lead by $9,743.

The only other change at the top of the leader board this week was in the steer roping, where Landon McClaugherty of Tilden, Texas, used his win in the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo to jump from eighth place to first with total earnings of $14,662. He leads Brazile by $902.


PRCA Gold Card member Tony Costa dies at 69
Team roper Tony Costa, a PRCA Gold Card member, died of an apparent heart attack while taking part in the Ranchero Visitadores Ride in California. He was 69. Those wishing to offer their condolences may write to Ann Costa, P.O. Box 40, Byron Calif, 94514.