NSRA member, Jerry Buckles, Bridgeport, NE 2011
- Chuck Borcher
Meet the Member: Jerry Buckles
NSRA member, Jerry Buckles, Bridgeport, NE 2011 – Chuck Borcher
story by Lily Weinacht
Since joining the NSRA 39 years ago as a junior in high school, Jerry Buckles of Burwell, Neb., has only missed the NSRA finals rodeo once. The year was 1985, and Jerry had won PRCA Rookie of the Year in the bareback riding, competing in Las Vegas, Nev., during the WNFR’s inaugural year in the city. He had been riding bareback horses since high school, but an injury to his riding hand forced him to hang up his bareback rigging after about nine years. But Jerry was soon back in the arena, this time astride a roping horse, returning to team roping – primarily heeling – an event he had competed in since childhood. “I really loved to ride bareback horses, and I used to win quite a bit in college, so I was disappointed when I had to quit, but roping was my first deal,” says Jerry.
Now 57, Jerry grew up roping alongside his dad and grandpa. The skill came naturally to him after years of helping his dad run the family’s stock contracting business. “My dad was hauling me to jackpots when I was 11 – at that time there weren’t many high school or Little Britches rodeos in our area,” says Jerry. “If it hadn’t been for my dad, I wouldn’t have been going to all those ropings, and he kept me mounted, even in college. Two people who also really inspired me are good friends of mine – Craig Haythorn and Norm Cotton. They’re older than me, but as kids and even after high school we roped together a lot.”
As the manager of East Taylor Ranch, owned by Barter Cattle Company, Jerry enjoys the solitude of ranching equally as much as the camaraderie in and around the arena at rodeos. “I stay here on the ranch nine months out of the year, so rodeoing, especially in the summertime, is great!” says Jerry. “Nebraska is a great place to rodeo – we have 70 – 80 rodeos in the summertime between the NSRA, MSRA, and co-sanctioning with Kansas and South Dakota.” Many of the Nebraska rodeos have long barriers, and among them, Jerry’s favorite is Ogallala. “It’s a huge arena, and that rodeo comes down to who’s mounted good and who’s not,” he explains. Jerry also used to compete in the North American Rodeo Commission, which he won twice.
Jerry’s wife, Carmen, travels with him to many of his rodeos and helps him with the ranching. A former breakaway roper, she has worked 22 years for Burwell Family Practice Clinic, making the 30 mile drive into town four days a week. Jerry also has two step-daughters, Rachelle and Felicia. Rachelle high school rodeoed and now works in the hospital in Omaha doing ultrasounds, while Felicia is a dental hygienist.
When he’s not working cattle, Jerry spends the remainder of his time riding his horses. Several retired rodeo horses, a broodmare, colts, and his roping horse, Stewie, make up his herd. “I bought Stewie two years ago as a ranch horse, and I just started hauling him the first of June this year. The more I hauled him, the better he got!” Jerry ropes as often as he can with his partner of ten years, Mark Swanson. “We’re best buds,” says Jerry. “He’s like me – he runs a ranch up in Arthur, and we travel together whenever we get the chance.”
Having won the NSRA finals eight times, and the MSRA finals seven times, Jerry’s goal is to win one of the finals of those associations at least one more time. “But the main deal is to have fun and be competitive,” he says. “As long as I’m healthy, I’ll rope for as long as I can!”
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September 13, 2020
Bareback
1 Tanner Rupprecht $6,346.34
2 Whitten Hoover $4,407.49
3 Austin Rose $2,186.58
4 Logan Glendy $1,359.19
5 Gauge Mcbride $1,329.31
6 Trey Seevers $1,216.97
7 Spencer Denaeyer $1,192.20
8 Jared Schultis $763.67
Calf Roping
1 Riley Pruitt $6,190.40
2 Boe Brown $5,192.68
3 Chip Wilson $4,984.46
4 Cody Rieker $4,422.27
5 Jt Adamson $4,326.82
6 Miles Garwood $3,589.58
7 Chadron Coffield $2,808.06
8 Tanner Stec $2,675.83
9 Patrick Martin $2,290.29
10 Grant Turek $1,838.70
11 Nick Becker $1,568.98
12 Matt Elliot $1,523.28
13 Miles Kenzy $1,399.05
14 Clete Scheer $1,242.77
15 Brian Garr $1,207.16
16 Garrett Nokes $1,096.29
17 Cody Nye $708.28
18 Cameron Jensen $619.90
19 Jace Logan $552.21
20 Lucas Phillips $510.38
Steer Roping
1 Ora Taton $8,558.21
2 Will Mcbride $2,898.36
3 Matt Hebbert $2,686.64
4 Tyrel Taton $2,445.76
5 Rod Hartness $2,419.59
6 Brian Garr $2,407.88
7 Troy Tillard $1,800.37
8 Wade Pearson $1,440.69
9 Blaine Baumgartner $1,268.55
10 Chris Pearson $1,229.77
11 Cameron Jensen $1,219.72
12 Ryan Bestol $1,061.28
13 Wayne Barber $1,039.59
14 Wade Shoemaker $828.92
15 Todd Eberle $668.80
16 Ryan Miller $379.93
17 Paul Fornstrom $154.58
Breakaway
1 Bailey Brown $8,717.98
2 Makenzie Wilson $6,698.87
3 Macy Fuller $6,602.38
4 Georgie Lage $5,849.71
5 Brittni Mccully $5,401.16
6 Mable Mcabee $4,653.34
7 Brandy Schaack $4,365.77
8 Brooke Mccully $4,220.99
9 Jan Brown $4,163.66
10 Katie Mundorf $4,132.63
11 Jessica Koppitz $3,939.21
12 Amber Coleman $3,617.84
13 Ginalee Sinner $3,611.47
14 Jessica Mcmaster $3,033.79
15 Kirby Eppert $2,891.56
16 Brandy Jamerman $2,179.85
17 Brook Jamison $2,068.45
18 Katie Haythorn $1,812.19
19 Kelley Haythorn $1,692.71
20 Lillian Fletcher $1,633.55
Team Roping – Header
1 Cooper White $7,559.41
2 Brian Dunning $5,771.45
3 Clayton Van Aken $5,534.72
4 Cooper Brott $4,628.88
5 Nick Becker $4,399.60
6 Steve Sherwood $3,774.08
7 Jhett Trenary $3,752.80
8 Jade Schmidt $3,022.44
9 Lucas Phillips $2,951.42
10 Tad Sheets $2,734.51
11 Taylor Davis $2,450.80
12 Jeff Johnston $2,425.46
13 Cole Remington $2,038.91
14 Mark Wray $1,774.86
15 Spencer Jobman $1,501.58
16 Reece Weber $1,475.28
17 Spencer Sinner $1,035.23
18 Cole Morgan $1,005.94
19 Blaine Finney $876.84
20 Nathan Poss $869.58
Team Roping Heeler
1 Tucker White $7,559.41
2 Levi Tyan $6,226.47
3 Toby Mentzer $5,771.45
4 Dawson Mcmaster $4,925.43
5 Dustin Harris $3,942.04
6 Clay Elkington $3,774.08
7 Bret Trenary $3,752.80
8 Chris Sherman $2,967.34
9 Tyrell Reynolds $2,951.42
10 Todd Hollenbeck $2,878.30
11 Cody Ware $2,038.91
12 Matt Kasner $1,538.06
13 Hunter Walker $1,501.58
14 Jett Hillman $1,495.25
15 Dustin Chohon $876.84
16 Gunner Walker $869.58
17 Cody Merritt $809.83
18 Lynn Campbell $783.05
19 Doug Finney $749.47
20 Brad Schieck $600.62
Mixed Team Roping
1 Shelby Hinkle $6,747.73
2 Brook Jamison $5,212.86
3 Leigh Sherwood $3,631.00
4 Lydia Van Aken $3,425.93
5 Shawnee Sherwood $3,045.86
6 Mercedes Trenary $3,018.10
7 Ginalee Sinner $2,698.88
8 Danielle Wray $2,655.50
9 Jessica Mcmaster $1,506.03
10 Peyton Mentzer $1,491.42
11 Macy Fuller $1,359.28
12 Sydney Graff $1,252.81
13 Amber Coleman $1,151.16
14 Pam Hollenbeck $957.82
15 Bodelle Mueller $949.26
16 Tanya Goad $737.18
17 Sarah Campbell $688.36
18 Jada Jensen $546.94
19 Kori Phillips $539.88
20 Emily Vinton $495.80
Steer Wrestling
1 Boyd Sawyer $5,285.10
2 Ben Robinson $4,184.85
3 Tom Littell $3,210.53
4 Dru Melvin $2,886.25
5 Kris Rasmussen $2,793.93
6 Cord Hesseltine $2,571.77
7 Weston Winkers $2,407.55
8 Jeff Johnston $2,300.12
9 Trevor Haake $2,254.72
10 Chad Vancampen $2,234.04
11 Jace Logan $2,130.99
12 Jeff Richardson $1,641.49
13 Marshall Still $1,600.56
14 Tyler Ravenscroft $1,589.21
15 Parker Johnston $1,267.76
16 Chadron Coffield $978.27
17 Brody Cleveland $722.14
18 Taylor Davis $709.01
19 Jarrett Rasmussen $565.65
20 Danny Manning $524.19
Saddle Bronc
1 Derek Kenner $10,304.58
2 Sage Miller $3,943.49
3 Brody Mcabee $3,844.87
4 Rowdy Chesser $3,446.71
5 Triston Eklund $1,651.44
6 Cable Wareham $814.07
7 Jack Skavdahl $512.96
8 Blaine Flack $316.63
9 Jared Schultis $228.96
10 Monty Bailey $37.11
Barrel Racing
1 Dori Hollenbeck $14,429.40
2 Ginalee Sinner $11,443.88
3 Gayle White $6,016.99
4 Carla Jensen $5,959.26
5 Patty Finney $5,033.80
6 Lorie Diodosio $4,215.11
7 Branda Marsh $3,922.17
8 Michaella Lay $3,567.93
9 Sandy Hickey $3,395.55
10 Jessica Leach $2,702.66
11 D’ann Gehlsen $2,315.01
12 Jena Garwood $1,866.01
13 Kelsey Lauenstein $1,651.50
14 Jordan Littell $1,583.59
15 Ashton Ottley $1,243.08
16 Haley Brown $915.94
17 Jamie Chaffin $844.14
18 Pam Hollenbeck $817.05
19 Mataya Eklund $712.90
20 Katie Loughran $708.18
Bull Riding
1 Brett Mcabee $7,947.75
2 Lane Gambill $6,309.20
3 Lance Daniel $1,964.54
4 Ethan Lesiak $847.88
Male Rookie Of The Year
1 Brett Mcabee $6,933.74
2 Sage Miller $3,943.49
3 Rowdy Chesser $2,543.49
4 Lance Daniel $1,964.54
5 Jace Logan $2,683.20
6 Cameron Jensen $1,839.62
7 Grant Turek $1,838.70
8 Marshall Still $1,600.56
9 Tyler Ravenscroft $1,589.21
10 Ethan Lesiak $847.88
Female Rookie Of The Year
1 Jessica Koppitz $3,939.21
2 Morgan Busby $738.72
3 Caitlyn Comfort $415.73
All Around- Women
1 Ginalee Sinner $15,670.01
2 Macy Fuller $7,961.66
3 Brook Jamison $7,281.31
4 Amber Coleman $4,769.00
5 Jessica Mcmaster $4,539.82
6 Brandy Schaack $4,499.69
7 Danielle Wray $3,707.00
8 Shawnee Sherwood $3,332.74
9 Peyton Mentzer $2,282.93
10 Katie Haythorn $2,217.68
All Around- Men
1 Nick Becker $5,968.58
2 Jeff Johnston $4,725.58
3 Chadron Coffield $3,786.33
4 Brian Garr $3,615.04
5 Lucas Phillips $3,461.80
6 Taylor Davis $2,569.77
7 Jace Logan $1,924.18
