story by Mary Williams Hyde
The Western States Ranch Rodeo Association (WSRRA) was started seven years ago very specifically to showcase talented rodeo competitors like George Barton, first in the Great Basin of the West, now throughout thirteen western states, and this year, Canada. For George, and other early ranch bronc riding greats, Rolly Lisle, Jack Payne, Sid Kocham, Eli Burr, Chris Baird, Chance Miller, Chance Peila, and Victor Madrigal to name a few, it was at the end rather than at the height of their careers that the association was formed.
George, who now works at the Twin Creeks Mine for Newmont Mining, and Lane who works as a welder for Nuffer Welding, both enjoyed years of living and working on ranches near McDermitt. George, his wife Denise, a teacher for the Humboldt County School district, Lane, and their other son, Chance, now live near Winnemucca, Nevada.
Lane, who also started riding broncs at 13, and who has ridden about 200 broncs so far, is an exciting performer to watch, thrilling crowds wherever he rides, as did his dad. “I like the wildest horses better. The ones that get out of line, the ranker ones,” says Lane, with a gleam in his eye.
“It is a dangerous game we play though,” says Lane, referring to a life-threatening wreck when a bronc stepped on his head and badly fractured his skull a year and a half ago. “I remember coming out of the chute and the first two jumps. Then the next thing I remember is waking up in the ICU unit of the hospital,” he adds of the ghastly accident that horrified everybody who witnessed it. Though he felt ready to go sooner, his parents kept him from riding for months after that to ensure his complete return to full strength.
“To be a good bronc rider you have to be dirty tough and have a higher pain tolerance than others. You have to be able to get the heck beat out of you and keep going,“ Lanes adds, who also tried his hand at bull riding for two years while in high school. George, who has had his fair share of broken bones from bronc riding, would surely agree.
Being on the road for Lane means spending hours traveling across vast, isolated Great Basin desert country to get to events in Nevada, eastern Oregon, northern California, Colorado, and Idaho. His usual traveling partners are fellow bronc rider, Cole Estill, and now his girlfriend, Kayla Dowd. And hours trying to get home to make it to work on time, which has left him working on an hour or two sleep at times. No problem for a young man so focused on achieving his goals!
George, a lifelong roper, who rode for the DeLong Ranch team in the first WSRRA National Finals, focuses, now, on winning another regional ranch rodeo competition so he can compete again. Lane will settle for nothing less than a world ranch bronc riding championship, whether it is this year or next…. or the year after that. In the close-knit Barton family, it is only too obvious why he is working so hard at it…to make the dad he is so proud of, proud.
George and Lane Barton are two of hundreds of competitors in the organization who most usually have ranch roots, though association with a ranch is not a requirement for membership in the WSRRA, as it is with some other ranch rodeo associations. Lane appreciates the hard work it took to get the WSRRA up and running and really likes that now both he and his dad can complete for bigger prize money and more recognition than was possible for his dad before. He just recently decided to be part of the team that runs the organization, becoming a bronc riding rep for the WSSRA. He works with the other riders, event organizers, producers, and other reps to grow the organization. To those who are interested in being bronc riders, but who don’t have access to practice horses, he recommends riding young horses/colts who often buck in their early days of training.
The WSRRA will not forget where it came from, though, and wants to honor the many talented performers, both bronc riders and ranch ropers, who came before and who are the foundation of its successful formation.
The Western States Ranch Rodeo Association Finals will be held November 3-6, at the Winnemucca, Nevada, Event Center. In addition to ranch bronc riding, the audience will enjoy open and women’s ranch rodeo team competition, the Professional Wild Horse Racers national finals, women’s steer stopping, kids wild pony racing, family and open jackpot roping, and a large Western Trade Show packed with great Christmas gift ideas.
For more information check out the WSRRA website: www.wsrra.org, the WSRRA Facebook page, or call 916-296-2326.
*See also page 12, for the On The Trail featuring Lane Barton.
