American Pro Rodeo Association (APRA) Archives

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American Pro Rodeo Association (APRA)

Phone: (610) 413-5010
Fax: (610) 869-4218

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 362, Cochranville, PA 193330

Email: renee.kenny@aprarodeo.com

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Members

Meet the Member Trevor Brenize

story by Michele Toberer Sometimes it just takes the desire to do something in order for it to become a reality. Starting out, rodeo was not a big part of Trevor Brenize’s life, as he grew up in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania on a dairy farm with 6 sisters and 2 brothers. But, when he watched as his oldest brother, Nathan, ride bulls, he couldn’t wait to turn 18 so that he could give it a try…

Meet the Member Colten Brown

story by Lily Weinacht Colten Brown is going in to his first APRA Finals this September leading the bull riding by more than $6,500. The 20-year-old from Deansboro, New York, joined the APRA last year and competed in a handful of rodeos, but this year he wanted to give the competition all of his focus. “I’ve just been going to every rodeo and focusing on riding that bull at that time, and making sure I…

Meet the Member Andrew Deierlein

story by Lily Weinacht The love of rodeo took hold of Andrew Deierlein four years ago and he’s made a second home out of the arena since, capturing the many faces of rodeo from behind the lens of his Canon camera. The 18-year-old from Lake Luzerne, New York, discovered that rodeo was a particularly exciting subject when a friend working at Painted Pony for the summer asked Andrew to come take photos of her. “I…

Meet the Member Jason Bergey

story by Lily Weinacht Bullfighter and rodeo clown Jason “BuckShot” Bergey stepped foot in the arena for the first time two-and-a-half years ago. Not one to do things by halves, the 35-year-old from Green Lane, Pennsylvania, spent his first days in an arena in April of 2017 learning to fight bulls, and two months later, he landed his first bullfighting job for Dave Martin. “Me and my dad used to joke around about trying bullfighting…

Meet the Member Jaime Fowler

story by Lily Weinacht Jaime Fowler is sitting second in the APRA barrel racing standings. The 30-year-old from Greensboro, Maryland, joined the APRA two years ago and she’s won two rodeos thus far this season. “I started off in the WPRA, and I heard from my friends about the APRA. I like that there’s a lot of different pens around here and it’s not the same one every weekend. Our finals were in Atlantic City…

Meet the Member Rolling Stone Rodeo Co.

story by Lily Weinacht The owner of Rolling Stone Rodeo Company based in Germantown, Ohio, Travis Kershner is one of rodeo’s biggest fans, a passion he says is crucial to being a rodeo producer. Working with fair boards and APRA and SEBRA rodeo committees, Rolling Stone Rodeo Company constantly strives to produce the best Rock’n Wild West Shows possible. “Being a rodeo athlete brought me to this path,” says Travis, who competed in roughstock from…

Meet the Member Tye Elgin

story by Lily Weinacht Tye Eglin of Broadalbin, New York, has numerous irons in the fire in the livestock business, chief among them running his stock contracting company, Lucky E Productions. The 26-year-old and his girlfriend, Paige Reynolds, started the company three years ago, and as of last year, provided stock for 25 open rodeos. Tye grew up riding horses and buying and selling livestock. While he enjoys competing, qualifying for the APRA and First…

Meet the Member Alan Coley

story by Lily Weinacht As rodeo athletes meet and contend in the arena, APRA photographer Alan Coley takes on the challenge of capturing their grit and effort. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, resident shot his first rodeo three years ago at the APRA rodeo in North Washington, Pennsylvania, then caught the rodeo bug and purchased his APRA card in 2018. “It was a challenge, and the challenge was not only capturing the action but trying to get…

Rodeo Spotlight Benton Rodeo

story by Lily Weinacht The Benton Championship Rodeo celebrates its 35th year this summer, drawing in contestants from all over the East Coast and as far as Canada for a three-day rodeo July 18–20. Produced wholly by volunteers, the Benton Rodeo features the standard eight APRA events and is co-sanctioned IPRA, while also carrying on rodeo traditions such as mutton busting and a calf scramble. “We have three nights of rodeo, and Tuesday night, we…

Meet the Member Rafter Z Rodeo

story by Lily Weinacht Rafter Z Rodeo based in Millmont, Pennsylvania, supports the western lifestyle all over the Northeast. Started by Shawn Zrowka, Rafter Z Rodeo puts on 45–50 rodeos a year, along with providing stock for the AFR the last three years, the International Bull Riders Finals, IPRA, and PBR events. “I went to a lot of rodeos and had a lot of ideas of what to make better for the spectators and contestants.…

Meet the Member Eli Hershberger

story by Lily Weinacht Eli Hershberger capped off his rookie year in the APRA by qualifying for AFR 41 in the bareback and saddle bronc riding, winning money in both events. The 23-year-old, currently of Piffard, New York, climbed over the back of the chutes for the first time in 2016 at a bronc riding school in Wyoming. A year later at a bronc riding school in Pennsylvania instructed by Heith DeMoss and Clint Cory,…

Meet the Member Kurt Warner

story by Lily Weinacht Kurt Warner of Montour Falls, New York, is announcing the APRA finals rodeo for the second time in a row this November. The 43-year-old educator, husband, and father of two has been on the other side of the arena as well, having qualified for the AFR several times in the team roping, along with the PRCA Frontier Circuit Finals. But in 2010, after inadvertently walking into an announcing job, Kurt found…