Jul 01, 2007 - 04:11:59 CDT
Bull rider Jorey Dahners and bareback rider Lee Dunford of Menoken need a good performance at the Mandan Rodeo to help salvage their seasons.Dahners hasn't been able to accumulate much winnings in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's Badlands Circuit because of an injury.
Dunford is sitting in 15th place in the Badlands Circuit.
"The Mandan Rodeo is one of the highest paying rodeos in our circuit besides the stock show in Rapid City and Deadwood," Dahners said. "If you do well (at Mandan), you're guaranteed to make the circuit finals. It's a big opportunity to make up a lot of ground."
The Mandan Rodeo will be held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in conjunction with the Mandan Rodeo Days. Competition will be held at Dacotah Centennial Park each night at 7:30 p.m.
The rodeo's 470 contestants will be competing for nearly $46,000 in added money.
"This is probably the biggest rodeo in North Dakota," Dahners said. "The crowd is really good and full of energy. The stock is always good. It's close to home. For a lot of us it's our hometown rodeo."
Dahners dislocated his shoulder in March. He was thrown off a bull and landed on his elbow, which knocked his shoulder out of place.
"It wasn't that fun," he said.
Dahners competed for the first time since his injury last weekend. He placed in Clear Lake, S.D., but got thrown in Strasburg.
"Iwas a little nervous right away," Dahners said. "It was my first rodeo back and I wasn't sure if my shoulder was healed all the way. It worked out all right."
Dahners didn't make the Badlands Circuit cut last season because of another injury. He broke his ribs July 4 when he got run over by a bull at a rodeo. He was unable to compete the rest of the year.
"I've had some bad luck, hopefully that changes," Dahners said. "Injuries are part of it. Everybody deals with them at one time or another. Most of the time it isn't near as bad as it looks, but at times it can be, too."
Dahners will be competing at Mandan on Wednesday.
Unlike Dahners, Dunford has managed to stay healthy this season. He placed third in the Badlands Circuit last season.
"Things just haven't been going my way this year," Dunford said. "I've just drawn medium to the bottom end of the pen. I haven't had much luck."
Dunford's older brother Jay will be competing in bullriding. Jay is sitting atop of the Badlands Circuit standings with $4,765 earned.
It's possible the Dunfords might compete on Wednesday. Usually the brothers compete in rodeos on separate days.
"My mom and dad are excited about it,"Lee Dunford said. "They don't have to travel very far."
Other noteworthies for the Mandan Rodeo are:
3 A slack performance will be held free of charge on July 2 at 8 a.m. The slack session is held because there are more time-event contestants hoping to compete for the top prize money than the evening rodeo performances can accommodate.
3 July 3 rodeo contestants and attendees are being asked to wear pink to show support for breast cancer awareness and research.
3 Joe Braniff, Calgary Stampede and 2004 Canadian Announcer of the Year, returns to work this year's rodeo.
3 The July 2 slack performance will feature Clint Cooper, son of legendary and Hall of Fame roper Roy Cooper. His brother-in-law is reigning world champ Trevor Brazile. ... NFR top 10 finalist Blair Burk is ranked third in the world all-around standings and fourth in the world tie down standings. ... NFR qualifier Terry Kaye Kirkland will round the barrels.
3 The July 2 performance highlights four-time world saddle bronc champ Brad Gjermundson of Marshall. Gjermundson will compete in team roping. His son and daughter will also be competing. ... Several-time world champion tie-down roper Fred Whitfield will compete. ... Jill Moody, ranked 14th in the world standings, will compete in barrel racing. ... Bobby Harris is entered to heel in team roping. He won the 2002 NFR average and is last year's Mandan champ. ... NFR qualifier Ivan Teigen will compete in steer wrestling.
3 The July 3 performance will see Keene's Levi Wisness, who is ranked ninth in the world steer wrestling standings. ... NFR qualifier Garret Nokes is entered in tie-down roping. ... NFR qualifier Matt Zancanella will be heeling in the team roping.
3 July 4th will include former world all-around and tie down roping champion Joe Beaver in team roping. ... California's Caleb Twissleman, a four-time national high school champ, will be among the heelers in team roping.
3 Other top-notch competitors, whose performance days have yet to be determined, are2005 world saddle bronc champ Jeff Willert; former Canadian saddle bronc champ Denny Hay; former world saddle bronc champ Marvin Garret; NFR bareback qualifier and Killdeer native Larry Sandvik; former NFR qualifier Red Lemmel in the saddle bronc; and Beau LeDoux, son of the late country music singer and world bareback champ Chris LeDoux, will be carrying on family tradition.
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