NFR cowboys don neckties to honor renowned bucking horse

It isn’t often that a cowboy volition beryllium spotted wearing a necktie. So erstwhile 15 of them showed up sporting 1 astatine past week’s National Finals Rodeo Welcome Reception astatine South Point, you knew determination had to beryllium a peculiar crushed for it.

The peculiar crushed was a peculiar horse.

Each of the 15 NFR bareback riders arrived wearing stylish leather ties hand-tooled by Ty Skiver of Skiver Bootmakers. The neckwear is simply a tribute to Powder River Rodeo’s Craig astatine Midnight, the 2016 Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association bareback equine of the twelvemonth and apical bareback equine of the 2017 NFR who died unexpectedly June 5 astatine the Riverton, Wyoming, ranch wherever helium was raised.

Hank Franzen, Craig astatine Midnight’s owner, said the almighty grey gelding weighed 1,700 pounds and astir apt died of a heart-related problem.

“He was conscionable a big, beardown animal. He conscionable laid down and went to sleep,” Franzen said. “The 1 happening astir Craig astatine Midnight is that radical followed him. He went to the nationalist finals 9 years successful a row, and this would person been his 10th trip. Just a equine that touched a batch of hearts. Everybody loved to ticker him.”

Franzen said Craig astatine Midnight’s size and bucking prowess reminded rodeo enthusiasts of Bodacious, the legendary bucking bull. After Friday’s NFR show astatine the Thomas & Mack Center, immoderate of the cowboys who rode him — and a clump that didn’t — met astatine New York-New York to reminisce and stock stories astir the large equine with the large heart.

“He was a challenge, but each cowboy loved the situation — benignant of similar Bodacious,” Franzen said of the revered equine who is buried adjacent the Franzen location nether a cottonwood histrion adjacent to Khadafy Skoal, the rodeo company’s ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee.

Craig astatine Midnight was named for Craig Roe, a Powder River hired manus described arsenic a bigger mentation of Rip Wheeler, the quality played by histrion Cole Hauser connected the deed TV bid “Yellowstone.”

“Craig’s a truly ample guy, and helium was drinking immoderate brew 1 night, and we got to talkin’ astir however we request a bully sanction for this large equine due to the fact that helium was going to beryllium thing someday,” John Franzen, Hank’s son, recalled with a telling chuckle.

“About the clip we were talking astir that, Craig got up and started to stumble astir trying to drawback himself. Somebody said let’s telephone him Craig. It was astir midnight, and helium was afloat of beer, and idiosyncratic said let’s telephone (the horse) Craig astatine Midnight. And that’s what stuck.”

Around the horn

— Las Vegas nonmigratory Pat Fitzsimons, who finished tied for 22nd astatine the 1975 Masters during which Lee Elder became the archetypal Black to play successful the prestigious tournament, recalls determination being “quite a buzz” erstwhile Elder made past astatine staid Augusta National Golf Course.

“I didn’t person a batch of idiosyncratic acquisition with Lee, but I did play with him successful the archetypal 2 rounds successful Milwaukee (in 1978), and helium ended up the winning tournament,” Fitzsimons said of Elder, who died Monday astatine property 87. “Mr. Elder had rather an unorthodox method — tons of question of the assemblage and not existent graceful — and I had a beauteous smooth, graceful swing.

“And I missed the cut, and helium won the tourney (in a playoff against Lee Trevino). He got the occupation done, and helium was a bully antheral and was alert of the world.”

Lee Elder has passed distant astatine the property of 87.

In 1975, helium made past arsenic the archetypal African American to vie successful the Masters Tournament.

Lee was honored this past April astatine Augusta National and his bequest volition surely unrecorded on. pic.twitter.com/1o05rephKt

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 29, 2021

— Congratulations to Jamie Little, the NASCAR pit roadworthy newsman and Green Valley High graduate, connected being named 1 of 3 finalists for NASCAR’s Community Champion award. Each finalist received $30,000 to donate to their foundation of choice, with Little making hers to Las Vegas-based Animal Help Alliance that rescues and treats injured pit bulls and different canine breeds.

Helping disadvantaged pets find their everlastingly location has been @JamieLittleTV's mission.

It's our grant to person this carnal advocator arsenic a 2021 #ComcastCommunityChamp finalist. pic.twitter.com/cLF9ibvRZU

— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) October 27, 2021

0:01

— Bleary-eyed Lee Elder, aft leaving a firm play work successful Florida and driving astatine a precocious complaint of velocity to drawback up with Tiger Woods connected the putting greenish earlier the last circular of Woods’ history-making triumph astatine the 1997 Masters:

“Go instrumentality attraction of business.”

"The fierceness to combat for thing you judge in… I don't deliberation helium gets capable credit."

Tiger Woods reflected connected the bequest of Lee Elder successful his interrogation with @RexHoggardGC connected Golf Today. #RipLeeElder pic.twitter.com/mzP6uVacWt

— Golf Today (@GCGolfToday) December 1, 2021

Contact Ron Kantowski astatine rkantowski@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski connected Twitter.