Easy rider: Rodeo riders travel together | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

SPRINGDALE — The stereotype of a lonesome cowboy traveling alone from place to place on the rodeo circuit no longer applies.

Plenty of cowboys travel in groups, and they travel in style.

Bareback rider Cole Franks from Clarendon, Texas, flew in on a plane with two other competitors then flew out again after competing Friday in the 80th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks at Parsons Stadium.

“It’s a really cool rodeo, a lot of fun, and I’ve had some success in the four years I’ve been coming here,” Franks said. “It’s a little bit warmer today than I like, but it’s nice to be here.”

Springdale in June is certainly much warmer than in Canada, where Franks and two other bareback riders, Rocker Steiner and Waylon Bourgeois, were before hopping on a plane and heading south.

The guys then rent a vehicle and load it up with their cowboy gear before being dropped off at the next event. On Friday, the three friends had successful rides with Steiner scoring an 87, Franks 85.5 and Bourgeois 67 following a re-ride on a bucking horse.

“We travel all over the place, so flying on a plane is the best way to go this time of year when it’s busy,” Franks said. “We were in Canada two days ago. We flew from Canada back to Weatherford, Texas, to stay at Steiner’s home, then we got on a plane and flew in to Springdale. We’ll be back in Texas on Saturday then we’ll flew to Greeley, Colorado, on Sunday.

“So, we’re running and gunning pretty much every day this time of year.”

Franks, 23, grew up with the rodeo and learned from his father, Brett Franks, who made the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas a couple of times. Cole Franks also made the National Finals Rodeo in 2021 and 2022 and he’s confident he can finish in the top 15 in bareback riding to qualify again in December.

“That’s the plan and I’m sitting in 12th place right now in the standings,” Franks said. “I knew from the time I was little that I was going to rodeo and to finish at least in the top 10 at the NFR is the goal, for sure.”

Rodeo announcer Jeff Lee helped keep the action moving Friday with an assist from rodeo clown Dusty Myers, who entertained the large crowd with plenty of jokes and his antics in the arena.

It was a tough night for team ropers, where only two of the eight entries were able to score points. Louisiana cowboys Ric LeBlance and Dusty Purvis managed a 6.7 while Oklahoma cowboys Brent Mibb and Blayne Home scored a 7.7.

In the final event of the night, Trevor Reiste of Finley, Okla., sent the crowd home after scoring 86.5 points in bull riding. Dakota Skye of Keosauqua, Iowa, scored 80 points to finish second in the go-round.

The final edition of the 80th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks concludes tonight with gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the Grand Entry scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.