Meet the Member Tony McDowell
story by Michele Toberer There’s luck, then there’s beginners’ luck, and Tony McDowell may just have both. Although the argument that luck is just preparation […]
Trey Runge - Courtesy of the family
story by Michele Toberer
It all started due to a Christmas gift, and 8-year-old Trey Runge has found a passion for a sport he may never have realized otherwise. The third grader lives in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and when his dad, Gary Runge, received a Christmas gift of miniature Herefords this past December, a new world was opened up to him. “My wife, Chastity, gave me the cattle and we started playing with them and as I was researching what people did with them, we saw how they were used as bucking stock for rodeos. We decided to let Trey give it a try.”
Trey’s dad is an air traffic controller at the Greater Cincinnati International Airport, and his mom is an internal medicine doctor for Tri Health; and neither of them had any ties to the rodeo world. Gary had ridden a bull once at an extended bachelor party, but never thought the one-time experience from his youth would be something he’d spend miles traveling to watch his son compete in one day. But, since Trey went to a Gary Leffew clinic in Celina, Ohio this past spring, they have become immersed in a whole new lifestyle. “He went to a second clinic in Louisiana with Gary Leffew and started going to rodeos sanctioned by the International Miniature Rodeo Association. We have driven as far as 13 hours and as close as 3 hours for him to practice and compete. We’ve definitely been putting many miles on the truck! I guess we didn’t realize what we were getting into, because I thought we would maybe try it a few times a year. There is so much more available than we thought, and we’ve been impressed by the level of intensity and the positive, serious competitiveness there is at this youth level. It has been eye-opening. Trey has played many other sports; football, baseball, hockey, mixed martial arts, but this has by far become his favorite sport. It’s also been great to see how other competitors are so willing to help each other in rodeo, much more than any other sport we’ve been involved in.”
Trey currently competes in the Pee Wee division and is riding miniature bulls and bareback ponies. “I like riding bulls the most. I like the feeling of getting nervous when you get on their back, but when you nod your head, you’re just trying to ride and hang on, so that goes away. It’s like you’re on a roller coaster but you’re not strapped in and you’re just hanging on with one hand!” Trey’s favorite bull he’s been on is a black miniature Dexter named Rocky, owned by the Wooten Rodeo Company. “He’ll jump-kick then turn sharp and jump-kick somewhere else. I haven’t made a full ride on him yet, he’s a challenge for me.”
Trey attends Saint Lawrence Elementary where his favorite subject is gym class, and he enjoys going to the library. He loves to read, especially the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books. Trey has a younger sister, Siena, who is 5 years old, and she has already given bareback riding a try and may follow in her brother’s footsteps. Since starting to compete at IMRA rodeos put on by Latting Rodeo Productions and Rafter H Mini Broncs, Trey has made new friends in the sport, and was able to meet a friend named Auston Young that lives just 15 minutes from him. “Auston is 10 years old and rides miniature bulls also, we practice together and he taught me how to goat tie.”
Trey is grateful to be involved in rodeo and is very appreciative of the help he’s been given from Mike Latting of Latting Rodeo Productions, Gary Leffew, Keith Wooten, Gus Haley, and his mom and dad. He is looking forward to going to his first IMRA finals in January, and is excited about making the trip to Guthrie, Oklahoma where they will compete at the Lazy E Arena and he could potentially earn his first champion buckle.
story by Michele Toberer There’s luck, then there’s beginners’ luck, and Tony McDowell may just have both. Although the argument that luck is just preparation […]
story by Michele Toberer Currently reigning as the 2021 International Miniature Rodeo Association Reserve Champion Senior Barrel Racer, Abbey Lanier has already started setting her […]
Story by Michele Toberer What a year it has been for Kira Hillary of Glen Allen, Missouri! The 14-year-old homeschooled freshman may not have a […]
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South Eastern Youth Rodeo Assoc.. – Florida – August 22nd & 23rd, 2020
Call in 2 weeks before rodeo
June Ates Arena, MIlton FL
Bryson Harpole 501-605-6476
Lightning H Rodeo
Arkansas
August 22- El Paso, AR-IMRA
August 29- NCCR- IMRA, Clinton Ar
September 26-TBA -IMRA
Call in Monday night before event 5pm to 10pm
Christina Griffith 731-571-9685
Skullbone Buckers
Tennessee
August 15th 2020 Halls TN
Association has cancelled all rodeos this year.
Joe and Melody Pratt 706-508-2108
West Georgia Junior Rodeo
Georgia
Aug 1st,2020 (Call In July 23)
Aug 29th, 2020 (Call -in August 20)
Sept 19th,2020 Call-in September 10)
www.westgajrrodeo.com
Gus Haley 765-570-3924
Rafter H Mini Broncs
Indiana
August 1st – Kankakee IL
August 13th – Georgetown IL
August 30st – Peotone IL IMRA Qualifier
September 19th – Joliet IL IMRA Qualifier
Call in Monday before each event
Angela Schliesser 907-414-8788
Rodeo Tough Productions
California
More dates coming in August, September and October.
Mike Launius – 870-451-2304
Riding For The Brand Tour
Josh Burrow 918-257-0313
Missouri
August 22 – White Oak Arena (Double Point Event)
Sept 11-12 – Finals TBA
Greg Christie 256-612-4178
Boys from the South Mini Buckers
Alabama
August 14th & 15th – Fayetteville, AL
Rick Rector 580-258-0319
D&R Mini Bucking Bulls
Missouri
August 28th & 29th – Cuba, MO
September 11th & 12th – Iberia Kasper Farm, MO
Call in – Monday before each rodeo. You may enter online at bwrodeo@outlook.com or call 573-793-3193 from 6pm to 9pm. Any questions please call 573-336-5066
Ashley 641-295-0393
Tuff Nuff Miniature Rodeo
Iowa
August 1st-2nd, 2020 – Dayton, IA
August 15th-16th, 2020 – Dayton, IA
September 5th, 2020 – Chilhowee, MO
September 12th,2020 – Dayton, IA
Call in (or Text-In) Monday Prior from 6-9pm