by Naomi Loomis, WSRRA Association Representative
At the first WSRRA National Finals, held in 2010 at the Winnemucca Event Center in Winnemucca, Nevada, the WSRRA Cowboy Crisis Fund was started. Since then, it has raised more than $50,000 for members and their families.
Each year at the National Finals, a silent auction is held to raise money for the crisis fund. Donated items have included framed photographs, posters and prints, jewelry, tack, horses, Western decor, gift certificates and much more. One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to the crisis fund.
This year Jim Gebauer, a top fifteen WSRRA bronc rider, is the Crisis Fund recipient.
Jim Gebauer of Akron, Colorado, has held his card with the WSRRA since 2013, finishing in the top fifteen of the WSRRA World standings ever since, including this year. Sadly, at this year’s finals, Jim will be attending as a spectator, instead, because he broke his humerus arm bone in three places while attempting to get off his ranch bronc at the Miles City Ranch Rodeo in Miles City, Montana earlier this year. Jim’s arm is 70% healed and he still cannot work a full time job.
Life, now, is particularly difficult for Jim. Tragically, two years ago his girlfriend, Shannon Deny, was killed in a car accident, so he is now a single dad raising three young children. “My kids are the reason I never give up and that I keep trying,” stated Jim.
Jim grew up with cowboy in his blood. “My uncles, Dick and Tom Quint, had a horse sale every year. Justin Quint and I would ride the sale horses every night after school. You never knew what those horses would do,” Jim states. Besides riding sale horses, Jim also rode bulls, throughout high school and into college. “I knew you could ride bulls, but, man, you sit a ranch bronc pretty, pretty,” Jim’s Grandpa Jim said one day after watching Jim ride at the Panhandle State Ranch Bronc Riding in Kansas. That was all it took for Jim to hang up his bull rope. “I entered the Double A Feeds WSRRA Ranch Bronc Riding the summer of 2013, bought my WSRRA card, and started on the WSRRA rodeo trail,” says Jim.
When Jim isn’t riding ranch broncs, he is busy with his kids and cowboying.
The Western lifestyle and its traditions are important to WSRRA. The West was won on handshakes, honesty and good neighbors. Each year WSRRA holds a silent auction during the National Finals to raise money for the crisis fund. Please join WSRRA in its effort to support these families. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from this year’s auction will go to Jim. Past recipients include Guy Norcutt, Curt Casey, Randy McClure, Curt Casey, Troy Duncan, Nick Hay, George Michel, Fred Loomis, Les Dial, Wade Korneman, Miles Binger and Arnold Fox III.
Please join WSRRA in its effort to support these families. Donations for the silent
auction can be sent to:
Winnemucca Events Center
Attention: Brenda Keating/WSRRA
50 West Winnemucca Blvd.
Winnemucca, NV 89445For more information, call 916-296-2326
or e-mail info@wsrra.org.
