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Veteran
Posts: 286
 
Location: GA | I know first hand the devastating feeling of having a bad NFR. My rookie year, I DQ'd myself out of the avg. in the first round. It was completely my fault and not my horse. I confused and tore down my horses confidence. I spent the next 9 rounds telling Bull that I was sorry and trying to restore his confidence; and, my NFR earnings reflected that. The next year was much better for us. The difference between my experience and the girls this year, is that the ground was not their fault and it took them out of the avg. money. The horses were doing all that they could given what they felt underneath them. Given PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED GROUND,every single horse out there, could have gotten their run, on any given night and won the round. Every single lady and their horses earned the position and deserved to be there. It would have made for some exciting watching, to have been able to watch the top 15 shine this year. They should have had a fair shot of getting the kind of runs, for us all to see, that they've made all year that got them to the NFR. I totally agree with Tammy, no one should have one critical thing to say about someone's riding or how their horses worked. Those poor gals were handicapped from the get go and set up for less than what their horses are capable of. Instead, I hope everyone says enough is enough and contacts by phone, email, letter and everything else to Shawn Davis, Carl Stressman, Las Vegas Event Center and make it clearly known that we expect better from them and demand PROFESSIONALLY PROVIDED GROUND. Shawn Davis does indeed own the ground, same tractor driver for 10+ years whose plow that he was using out there this year had missing teeth/rippers. Totally unexceptable from the PRCA, Las Vegas Events and the people in power that could do something, but just won't! Please don't ease up the pressure now, word is they are beginning to get the message. Let's make sure that they do, because there will be a NFR next year too, and the top 15 deserve/earned better! Let them know that people want to see some smoking great runs by next years, and following years Top 15. |
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 I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
 
Location: Online | Just a word of caution. I heard a completely different story, from a reliable inside source. There are always two sides to every story. Just sayin'.
Hopefully someone in the know will come on and tell the real story.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 865
| First couple rounds were dicey, but they stepped up to the plate and improved the ground. That was proven by the 13.6's ran in there. So complaining about the ground is getting old! There were horses that made nice runs. Can't always use the ground excuse. Just remember all 15 ladies had to run on a lot crappier ground at some rodeos just to make it to the Thomas and Mack! |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I'll take what former and current NFR competitors have to say about the ground then some dude anyday.
Thanks for posting this, Clays Mom.
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  The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | Tired..Tired...and by the way I am TIRED. The ground at TM should be the best anyone sees or runs on. You would think after 20 plus years at TM they could get it figured out....they don't because their attitude is "It's rodeo". Well if that is the case I would love to witness them winning the most improved ground award for 2015. Come on people we as spectators deserve better than what that ground delivers. |
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The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | Hope this gets more attention in the AM. Not sure those who have not competed at this level understand it? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 865
| rodeomom13 - 2014-12-15 8:48 PM
Just a word of caution. I heard a completely different story, from a reliable inside source. There are always two sides to every story. Just sayin'.
Hopefully someone in the know will come on and tell the real story.
I'm with you on this. Let's hear the other side of the story. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | Texas Tornado - 2014-12-15 10:39 PM
rodeomom13 - 2014-12-15 8:48 PM
Just a word of caution. I heard a completely different story, from a reliable inside source. There are always two sides to every story. Just sayin'.
Hopefully someone in the know will come on and tell the real story.
I'm with you on this. Let's hear the other side of the story.
We've already seen the other side of the story. There's no need to hear it. There wasn't a horse there (except maybe Fuzz) that didn't have trouble with the ground at some point during the NFR. Some nights were absolutely scary and you could watch the ground crumbling out from under the horses as they attempted to do their job. No matter who's fault, there is NO excuse. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 865
| We're there any horses that got hurt in 10 Perfs? |
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Regular
Posts: 79
| I've run on some pretty treacherous ground.... like Calgary after the worse summer rain storm in history. Watching the majority of runs at the Thomas & Mack made me cringe.
This story is not old unless you've given up, or just don't care because you'll never make the NFR anyway. I don't usually post on boards and try hard to mind my own business, but I think social media has it's uses, and exposing this issue is one of them. |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I would like to know why they didn't hand rake after each runner like they had been doing in the past? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 591
| What about the ground they run on all year long to get there? There are so many more rodeos with ground way more treacherous than what they just got done running on and for way less money. At least everyone had the same handicap. Not like usual where the perfs are good and slack is bad or vice versa. No one thought it was bad enough to NOT run their good horse on (except for maybe Samantha who didn't run Pistoletta except for 2 rounds). There were several rodeos this year where I saw those girls climb off their good horse and run a colt because of the ground (Fallon and Trula both did at Red Lodge, MT). Didn't see Lisa get her backup or hardly anyone else. If the ground was truly that bad, why did all those girls risk their #1 horses night after night???? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 865
| 3 To Go - 2014-12-15 11:31 PM
What about the ground they run on all year long to get there? There are so many more rodeos with ground way more treacherous than what they just got done running on and for way less money. At least everyone had the same handicap. Not like usual where the perfs are good and slack is bad or vice versa. No one thought it was bad enough to NOT run their good horse on (except for maybe Samantha who didn't run Pistoletta except for 2 rounds). There were several rodeos this year where I saw those girls climb off their good horse and run a colt because of the ground (Fallon and Trula both did at Red Lodge, MT). Didn't see Lisa get her backup or hardly anyone else. If the ground was truly that bad, why did all those girls risk their #1 horses night after night????
Exactly!!! |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | 3 To Go - 2014-12-15 11:31 PM What about the ground they run on all year long to get there? There are so many more rodeos with ground way more treacherous than what they just got done running on and for way less money. At least everyone had the same handicap. Not like usual where the perfs are good and slack is bad or vice versa. No one thought it was bad enough to NOT run their good horse on (except for maybe Samantha who didn't run Pistoletta except for 2 rounds). There were several rodeos this year where I saw those girls climb off their good horse and run a colt because of the ground (Fallon and Trula both did at Red Lodge, MT). Didn't see Lisa get her backup or hardly anyone else. If the ground was truly that bad, why did all those girls risk their #1 horses night after night????
$19,000 to win a go. Calculated risk. And if none of them got hurt (and we don't know the outcome on that yet), it was by the Grace of God because there were some horrible slips and stumbles that would have taken out less athleticly gifted and experienced horses. |
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I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
Location: Online | WrapSnap - 2014-12-15 9:49 PM Texas Tornado - 2014-12-15 10:39 PM rodeomom13 - 2014-12-15 8:48 PM Just a word of caution. I heard a completely different story, from a reliable inside source. There are always two sides to every story. Just sayin'.
Hopefully someone in the know will come on and tell the real story. I'm with you on this. Let's hear the other side of the story. We've already seen the other side of the story. There's no need to hear it. There wasn't a horse there (except maybe Fuzz ) that didn't have trouble with the ground at some point during the NFR. Some nights were absolutely scary and you could watch the ground crumbling out from under the horses as they attempted to do their job. No matter who's fault, there is NO excuse.
No there is never an excuse for bad ground.
What is the other side? The part where some WPRA person went in and had it changed before the 1st round? It was not Shawn Davis at fault, he fixed it after the 2nd round. Since I am hearing this third person, I don't even know the real story.
Again, I wish someone associated with the WPRA would come on and explain. |
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 Rebel Without a Cause
Posts: 2758
Location: Adopt a homeless pet - www.petfinder.com! | All I can say is the barrel racing at the NFR this year was so dissapointing, and it wasn't the ladies and their horses fault. Having had record times and good ground last year I was so excited to watch this year, but having to watch them struggle, slip and slide, more often than not, it was a total bummer. I can't imagine working hard all year to get there and then having to deal with that.
Edited by Calangelo 2014-12-16 8:41 AM
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 Saint Stacey
| Some of you need to pull your heads out if your ass. There is a difference between bad ground and dangerous ground. That ground was dangerous at times. Yes, during the regular season some rodeos are less than ideal ground wise. But no girl should have to go to a rodeo the size if the NFR and be forced to decide what horse is disposable. That ground is hauled in specifically for THAT rodeo. It should be perfect. Rodeo has enough problems without a horse breaking a leg on national TV because Vegas was too lazy to do what is in the best interest of the contestants. No other rodeo is 10 runs in a row. It's usually just one run on bad ground. Gheesh. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| Either way, its hard for me to believe that the tractor had missing teeth on the ripper etc. Come on, its a multi million dollar rodeo. I have seen jackpots where tractors and implements were donated as advertisement. In LAS VEGAS, land of money, a brand new tractor and implements to work the ground is a drop of water in a bucket of ocean to them. |
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Expert
Posts: 1561
Location: North of where I want to be | Bad ground is bad ground. Yes these ladies travel the road to the NFR running on less than stellar ground, but they come to the TM expecting the best, and it certainly was not that at all. When they have mother nature to deal with its a little easier to forgive bad ground. But inside, not so much. And maybe noone was injured but I would be willing to bet at least one of those horses that slipped had a rider who was sick to their stomach worried that they pulled or strained something.
Whatever side of the story you choose to land on the ground was BAD. It was one of the hardest NFRs ever to watch.
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 Leggs
Posts: 4680
Location: lexington KY | SKM - 2014-12-16 9:40 AM Some of you need to pull your heads out if your ass. There is a difference between bad ground and dangerous ground. That ground was dangerous at times. Yes, during the regular season some rodeos are less than ideal ground wise. But no girl should have to go to a rodeo the size if the NFR and be forced to decide what horse is disposable. That ground is hauled in specifically for THAT rodeo. It should be perfect. Rodeo has enough problems without a horse breaking a leg on national TV because Vegas was too lazy to do what is in the best interest of the contestants. No other rodeo is 10 runs in a row. It's usually just one run on bad ground. Gheesh.
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