On the Road: Bad news haunts rodeo world

By Jim Thompson | Tuesday, November 21, 2006

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Does bad news always come in threes? And why three? Why not six or four?

I bring it up because shortly after hearing about Shane Drury's death and Josh Carter's bull riding accident, I got the news of the death of Bernie Micheel.

Bernie and Barb ran the Ram 'N' Jam rodeo company, producing exceptional bucking bulls for smaller rodeos around the area. Bernie got caught in a power take off as he was building a corral near Newell. He died on Tuesday, Oct. 31. What a loss.

n Regarding the death of Dru Melvin's father in October, Bill Mulligan of Valentine, Neb., wrote to say, "I remember losing my father to a heart attack as I was finishing slack in the calf roping and doggin' at the NARC finals in Denver over 20 years ago. For over two years, I could not get 'back in the box,' anywhere, and not think of my father.

I surely hope that Dru can use his father's loss as positive motivation when he competes at his first finals. If you don't already know Dru, please make it a point to meet him, Jim. He is sure positive proof that "the fruit falls close to the tree."

He is a fine young man.

* Donnie Tescher called to tell me that two North Dakotans did quite well at the Senior Finals Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nev., recently.

Rodney Nelson won his first buckle, a steer wrestling championship at age 57 when he wrestled four steers in 21 second flat to beat our a lot of younger guys. Don reports that he was pretty tickled.

And former Almont calf roper Tim Feland, now living in Arizona, won his speciality at the same rodeo.

* If you've heard the rumor that Jack Daniels has been lost as a sponsor for the PRCA, then join the crowd. Seems that everyone knows that an official of pro rodeo couldn't remember the Jack Daniels reps names. So after several meetings, they got tired of being called "Dude" and didn't renew.

See ya down the road somewhere.

Jim Thompson, a veteran rodeo announcer, can be heard on the daily network radio talk show "Live with Jim Thompson" across North and South Dakota each weekday at 1 p.m. Locally he can be heard on KBHB 810 AM in Sturgis.