PSN, ProRodeo.com on Facebook
For those who Facebook with their friends and thrive on Tweets — and for everyone who wants up-to-the-hour rodeo news — the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is using both new forms of communication to reach out to fans and members.

On Facebook, members of the rodeo community can see which of their rodeo friends have joined the ProRodeo Sports News and ProRodeo.com pages and request to network with them. They'll be notified about stories, rodeo results and updates in the magazine and on ProRodeo.com, and can access the newest PRCA merchandise through Facebook.

PRCA members and fans can sign up online for free to become "friends" or "members" of the PRCA's pages on Facebook. Those who are already Facebook members can access the PSN page by typing "ProRodeo Sports News" in the search bar.

ProRodeo.com also is on Twitter.com, an online messaging service that offers instant bursts of short text messages, such as major rodeo winners. Fans who sign up to be ProRodeo "followers" on Twitter will receive "Tweets" — free online notifications of items posted to ProRodeo.com. A fee is charged to have the same notifications sent to a mobile phone or PDA.

Links to both Facebook and Twitter can be found at the end of ProRodeo.com's left-side menu.

"We have seen that some of our members, rodeo committees and stock contractors are already on social networking sites, so this is another way to stay in touch with them, (especially) our cowboys on the road who travel with laptop computers or PDAs, like BlackBerry devices or iPhones," said Sean Daniels, vice president of PRCA Properties.

"We also hope to reach new fans all over the world on Facebook and Twitter," he added. Facebook boasts about 200 million members, and Twitter around 4 or 5 million.


College rodeo champions crowned in Wyoming
CASPER, Wyo. — Ryan Von Ahn saw how a victory in the College National Finals Rodeo helped launch his brother Kollin's career in the professional ranks, and now he is hoping it is his turn.

Ryan Von Ahn and his Southeastern Oklahoma State University teammate Trevor Connolly combined to win the 61st annual CNFR team roping title on June 20 at the Casper Events Center with a total time of 30.1 seconds on four head.

"It feels good to win," Ryan Von Ahn said. "I'm following in my brother's footsteps and hope that someday we can both be roping at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo."

Kollin Von Ahn and his Southeastern Oklahoma State teammate Ryan Carter won the 2005 CNFR title, set an arena record in 2006, and Kollin is now the second-ranked heeler in the PRCA World Standings.

R.C. Landingham, a freshman at Blue Mountain Community College, earned the bareback riding title with 316 points on four head, one point better than his friend and fellow Oregonian Steven Peebles. Peebles, from Redmond, is attending Walla Walla (Wash.) Community College and is leading the bareback riding rookie standings in the PRCA.

"I came here with hopes of making the short round," Landingham told the East Oregonian," and then making the top three was awesome, and being able to win…it's almost like it hasn't clicked in yet."

There was a tie for the men's all-around title with Jake Wright from Western Texas College — one of World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Cody Wright's six brothers — and Wyatt Smith from the University of Montana-Western each earning 300 points. Wright competed in saddle bronc riding and bull riding, while Smith won the steer wrestling championship and also earned points in saddle bronc riding.

Wright helped his WTC team earn the men's championship.

Nikki Steffes from the University of Wyoming won her second all-around title in three years. She had 395 points and also helped carry the UW women's team to the championship.


Preston Williams earns World's Greatest Roper title
RENO, Nev. — Nevada native and veteran all-around hand Preston Williams came from behind to win the 2009 World's Greatest Roper event, June 21 in conjunction with the Reno Rodeo.

The 34-year-old former college national all-around champion had a total time of 78.1 seconds on nine head (three rounds each of heading, tie-down roping, and heeling) to edge second-place Randon Adams by two seconds for the $25,000 paycheck from Lazy E Productions.

Adams, the World Champion Heeler, earned $12,000, while Marty Becker and Jake Cooper tied for third place, each receiving $6,000.

In the dramatic final round, leaders Chad Masters, Pat Boyle, Cooper, Becker and Bret Fleming all relinquished the lead at various times. Williams and several others who made the final round were beneficiaries of a new format.

For the first time, Lazy E Productions opened the $88,000 World's Greatest Roper event to the world, so ropers who weren't invited could enter and compete in qualifying rounds. Williams was one of 17 ropers who qualified to compete alongside a group that included last year's champ, K.C. Jones, and world champs like Masters, Trevor Brazile, Adams and Matt Sherwood.

Williams, who doesn't compete in rodeo nationwide, preferring circuit rodeos and Indian rodeos, isn't entered in today's Bob Feist Invitational. That means he's not eligible for the annual "Reno Triple Crown," which is an extra $100,000 bonus for a roper who wins the World's Greatest Roper, the BFI, and the average of a roping event at the Reno Rodeo.

For complete results, visit www.lazye.com.

The BFI, the richest one-day team roping event in the world with prize money estimated at more than $700,000, got under way at 8 a.m. (PT) today in the Reno Livestock Events Center.