Pro File: Summer Kosel
Summer Kosel from Glenham, South Dakota, was talked into entering Cheyenne to “experience it just once.” That experience will be with this mother of four […]
Cole Bailey stepped into the Silver Spurs Arena, home of the 2016 RNCFR, for the first time this spring. The 27-year-old tie-down roper from Okmulgee, Okla., has been competing on the PRCA Prairie Circuit for eight years, winning the average at the 2015 Prairie Circuit Finals with 26.5 seconds on three runs. His debut at the RNCFR was a highlight of his career, placing first in the semi-finals with nearly $7,500. “It was awesome! The facility was unbelievably nice, and it was cold and rainy at home, so it was nice to go to Florida – it was my first time rodeoing there,” says Cole. “It was pretty exciting to be at that big of a venue – there’s not many times in a year that I rope for that much money. I stayed pretty booked up with the rodeo, but my wife and I had a chance to check out some restaurants and go down to the beach.”
Another highlight for Cole was competing in The American in 2015, finishing fourth in the finals, while he advanced to The American Semifinals this year. “The competition is just amazing when you get to rope against the caliber of guys like Tyson Durfey who are out there going full time,” says Cole. He grew up on the coaching of his dad, Mike Bailey, and world champion ropers like Joe Beaver, who stopped in and roped at the Bailey’s arena. “I started junior rodeoing when I was seven, and that’s all I’ve known to do with my spare time the last 20 years! Clint Carpenter is one of my friends I’ve been roping with since I was eight. We’ve always been competitive with each other, and to this day, he still ropes with me and helps me critique my roping. Growing up, our arena was set up for roping calves, and we always had good calf horses, so it was easy to pick up that event.”
Cole added steer wrestling and team roping to his résumé when he college rodeoed for Southeastern Oklahoma State University, qualifying for the CNFR twice. He continues to team rope with his dad on occasion, but quit steer wrestling several years ago. Soon after college, he was invited to church by a rodeo buddy, where he met his wife, Brittany, a barrel racer. Their two-year-old son, Brody, feels no day is complete without riding and helping his family check cows. He rides his dad’s rope horse, Baboo. “Baboo started out as Baldy, but Brody was having a hard time saying his name,” Cole explains with a laugh. “I’ve been hauling Baboo for about three years now. He was born and raised on my family’s place, and we have the growing pains to prove it! Brittany ran barrels on him and got him rode down, and then I started riding him more. He’s 12, and now it’s smooth sailing for us. I was confident going into the RNCFR because I have a lot of confidence in my horse. Baboo’s super talented and always gives me a shot, even if the calves are running hard or being wild. He’s been a blessing to my family.” Baboo has also carried Cole to several major ropings, including the Windy Ryon Memorial Roping, Spicer Gripp Memorial Roping, and Mike Johnson’s World’s Richest Calf Roping.
When the truck is in park, Cole and Brittany are working cattle on their ranch outside of Okmulgee. “We run close to 300 head. It started out as a hobby, but it’s not much of a hobby anymore,” says Cole. “I start out my day selling trucks at my family’s car dealership, then come home and take care of cattle. I have a guy that helps me with them, but there’s not much free time. We like to hunt and fish, and Brittany teaches Sunday School, but with whatever time is left, we’re homebodies.”
During the summer, the Bailey’s home is often on the road, blending rodeoing with vacation. They’re planning a trip back to Florida for all things Disney World this fall, but otherwise meld rodeo and vacation together. “I’m pretty fortunate that my wife enjoys being gone for a week or two at a time. Last year, we left the Colorado Springs Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and went to Cheyenne Frontier Days after visiting some water parks and riding bicycles. I’d been to Cheyenne before, and it went pretty good! I had some luck last year, and this year I’m rodeoing a bit more and seeing how it goes. I’m going to Reno this month, and if things are going good, I’ll stay out longer doing PRCA rodeos. Otherwise, I’ll stay close to home and circuit rodeo. But I feel I have a pretty good horse that will let me win, and I’d like to try it!
Summer Kosel from Glenham, South Dakota, was talked into entering Cheyenne to “experience it just once.” That experience will be with this mother of four […]
Sydney Frey, daughter of NFR bareback rider, Shawn Frey, won the barrel racing at the Junior American, held in Fort Worth, Texas. Her efforts against […]
Vickie Shireman has lived around the Elk City (Oklahoma) area all of her life. “My family rodeoed – that’s all we did,” said the daughter […]
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