Micheel rodeo: Cowboys gather to honor one of their own

By Milo Dailey, Belle Fourche Post & Bee | Sunday, December 31, 2006

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DEADWOOD - Cowboys from across the Northern Plains gathered Friday for the first performance of three days of rodeo activity at Seven Down Arena - and to pay tribute to one of their own, the late Bernie Micheel of Newell.

Micheel was proud of the rodeo bulls he raised and the youngsters he helped in the sport.

Friday night his wife Barb stood in public for the first time with Johnny Holloway, Bernie's longtime partner in producing rodeos for the Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association (NRCA) and South Dakota Rodeo Association (SDRA).

The Cowboy's Prayer was dedicated to Bernie, who died late this fall when he was caught in a power takeoff. Both stood strong as they faced the announcer, backs to the crowd, during the prayer. They say cowboys - and cowgirls - don't cry. They don't say eyes and noses may not moisten a bit from the dust in a rodeo arena.

Barb hopes to keep the bulls Bernie worked so hard to develop into the perfect rodeo rough stock - gentle in the truck and chutes, then twisting, spinning, bucking and flying in the arena.

The bulls, along with Johnny and Barb, will be on hand Sunday afternoon for a final bull riding at Seven Down as a wild kickoff for New Year's Eve entertainment in the Northern Hills. There even will be youth steer and kids' mutton bustin'.

It starts at 2 p.m.

Most of the time at rodeos, Barb is in the cook shack preparing burgers, hot dogs, chili and nachos as her contribution to the family fun and entertainment side of the sport.

Rodeo is more than a sport to her, Holloway and thousands of others who ignore the hard work the same way they ignore the dings and potential danger of riding bulls, wrestling steers and sliding quick horses around hard steel barrels in the arena.

It's a lifestyle.

The Bernie Micheel Memorial this weekend is an example.

The contractors bring in the livestock and make certain the critters are comfortable.

Barrel racers and other timed event competitors, the rodeo announcer - Alec Whipple on Friday and Saturday, Dale Christianson is on the microphone Sunday - the secretary and kitchen crew haul whatever they need into corrals or rodeo secretary's rooms.

There seldom is a stranger.

The Seven Down winter event, according to Jacquie McInerney, secretary of the NRCA at Sundance, "It's always our first rodeo of the year, and Bernie has put this on as a rodeo producer and stock contractor."

Barb took her place in the kitchen, cooking hot dogs and working with Holloway family members and friends; then she checked with Holloway to make sure everyone was on the same page for the rodeo opening ceremonies.

Technically, she said of the rodeo her husband started a half dozen years ago, "I'm kind of the head of it. Gerald (McInerney, NRCA president) asked if I would do it again."

She added, "I'm pretty much setting it up, but I've never done that before."

The Grubb and Lantis families at Seven Down helped, along with Holloway and stock contractor Ron Wilson of Kyle.

Bernie originally was from Nebraska; Barb's from Nemo. They teamed for rodeos, Bernie taking the lead for the livestock and production and Barb in the kitchen. Cowboys and rodeo spectators both like their snacks.

One event Bernie got talked into producing for some rodeos has been a mini-wild horse race for the younger set. The mini-horses aren't broke.

"Our grandkids used to bug Bernie about it," she said. "Then they got their heads drilled down in the ground."

That's part of the game, too, she said. Both of them had four children when they met; Now she has 26 grandchildren and a great grandchild. They met in 1993 and started doing rodeo together in 1997, she said.

Since Bernie's been gone, Barb said, "Thank God I have a good neighbor who feeds the bulls." Robert Boylan has been an angel, she said. She's handled her own house chores, including fixing frozen plumbing.

She looks back at years of hard work and good friends: "Bernie encouraged a lot of kids. There are a lot of people that he touched the lives of."

Both NRCA and SDRA officials noted that Micheel has played a major role in helping to promote rodeo as a sport in the entire region.

He had bull riding schools and promoted the Newell Bull Bash. The Mustang Rodeo in Nisland was one of his promotions and friends noted, "He was always helping kids."

Becky Auer of Whitewood carried the flag in her rodeo queen outfit for the National Anthem.

Barb said she'd done the same for Bernie's funeral; it was set up like a rodeo performance with cowboy honors.

When the opening was over and the bareback horses rigged, Holloway headed for the chutes and Barb back to the kitchen.

It was time to rodeo.