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GIRARD —
GIRARD — No doubt one gets to meet interesting people daily on the International Professional Rodeo Association and the American Cowboy Rodeo Association circuits.
For example, Josh Baker and his brother Shane Baker, professional bull riders from Birch Tree, Missouri, a small town with a population of 634. Former Missouri governors Mel Carnahan (1993-2000) and Bob Holden (2001-2005) both have roots in Birch Tree, not bad for one small town.
The Bakers have rodeo in their blood.
“Ever since I can remember,” Josh Baker said. “We started out riding sheep when we was little and we moved up to the calves and then up to steers, junior bulls and then our way up to the big bulls. We’ve been riding professionally since we were 18. My brother, he’s 23 and I’m 24. I’ve got four brothers who ride. There’s five of us and my oldest brother’s retired, so there’s four of us active. We’ve been riding a while.”
“My dad did it, all my brothers did it,” Shane Baker said, “I’m almost the youngest. There’s one brother younger than me. I’ve been riding professionally, trying anyway, since I was 18.”
Josh Baker said that he’s competed in Girard twice before 2012, including last year where he took first place. Rodeo takes the Bakers all over the place.
“We go all over the United States and even in Canada,” Josh Baker said. “This is international, so we go to Canada a few times. We travel around quite a bit. We go to two or three or four rodeos a weekend and we’re going to four rodeos this weekend.”
“We try and travel everywhere together,” Shane Baker said. “There’s been good times, bad times. I have a wife and two kids . . . It’s hard for me to go as much as him but I try and go with him quite a bit.”
Josh Baker mentioned one unique rodeo event during his travels.
“I went to Lakeside, California,” he said. “It’s near the Mexico border. It was kind of a different place, palm trees all-around, definitely a different atmosphere for rodeo.”
Shane Baker, who did not make the Lakeside trip with his brother, said that an event in Montgomery, Alabama, stood out most in his mind. He mentioned a saddle and a belt buckle he won during the event.
Nicholas Shenold — a saddle bronc rider from Glencoe, Oklahoma (pop. 601) — scored a 74 in his event Wednesday night, tied for the best score with Andrew Leeper of Leon, Iowa.
GIRARD — No doubt one gets to meet interesting people daily on the International Professional Rodeo Association and the American Cowboy Rodeo Association circuits.
For example, Josh Baker and his brother Shane Baker, professional bull riders from Birch Tree, Missouri, a small town with a population of 634. Former Missouri governors Mel Carnahan (1993-2000) and Bob Holden (2001-2005) both have roots in Birch Tree, not bad for one small town.
The Bakers have rodeo in their blood.
“Ever since I can remember,” Josh Baker said. “We started out riding sheep when we was little and we moved up to the calves and then up to steers, junior bulls and then our way up to the big bulls. We’ve been riding professionally since we were 18. My brother, he’s 23 and I’m 24. I’ve got four brothers who ride. There’s five of us and my oldest brother’s retired, so there’s four of us active. We’ve been riding a while.”
“My dad did it, all my brothers did it,” Shane Baker said, “I’m almost the youngest. There’s one brother younger than me. I’ve been riding professionally, trying anyway, since I was 18.”
Josh Baker said that he’s competed in Girard twice before 2012, including last year where he took first place. Rodeo takes the Bakers all over the place.
“We go all over the United States and even in Canada,” Josh Baker said. “This is international, so we go to Canada a few times. We travel around quite a bit. We go to two or three or four rodeos a weekend and we’re going to four rodeos this weekend.”
“We try and travel everywhere together,” Shane Baker said. “There’s been good times, bad times. I have a wife and two kids . . . It’s hard for me to go as much as him but I try and go with him quite a bit.”
Josh Baker mentioned one unique rodeo event during his travels.
“I went to Lakeside, California,” he said. “It’s near the Mexico border. It was kind of a different place, palm trees all-around, definitely a different atmosphere for rodeo.”
Shane Baker, who did not make the Lakeside trip with his brother, said that an event in Montgomery, Alabama, stood out most in his mind. He mentioned a saddle and a belt buckle he won during the event.
Nicholas Shenold — a saddle bronc rider from Glencoe, Oklahoma (pop. 601) — scored a 74 in his event Wednesday night, tied for the best score with Andrew Leeper of Leon, Iowa.
Not bad for somebody in high school at Ripley High School.
“I’ve been around horses and I break horses year-round,” Shenold said. “I’ll be a senior next year. Last year I went to 60 (events) and this year I’ll probably hit 90 or 100.”
Shenold discussed his plans after high school, at least for the first two years.
“Yes, I think I’m going to Fort Scott for two years and then I’m not sure from there where I’ll transfer,” Shenold said. “I’ve met Mr. Cross (FSCC head rodeo coach Chad Cross) and I like him a lot.”
What does Shenold like the best about rodeo?
“You get to meet a lot of people and I enjoy their good company,” he said. “I just like being here.”
Kyle Sutherland, a recent graduate of Boys Ranch High School (Amarillo, Texas), was the lone competitor Wednesday night in bareback riding. Sutherland was a recent finalist in the National High School Rodeo.
On Wednesday night, Sutherland scored 73 points on the back of the horse Lunatic. Sutherland said that he will be attending South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and that he one day hopes to go professional.
Matt Williams and Williams & Long Rodeo Co. again provided the livestock.
The rodeo concludes tonight, looking at roughly a 8 p.m. start.
