Not long ago I wrote of George Menkenmaier, a bronc rider who Lynn Weishaar and Dean Strong asked me to research.

Here's some more good background from a "usually reliable source", Don Tescher: Jim, George Menkenmaier was a tall long-legged bronc rider from the Southeast Oregon town of Burns (desert country, with big ranches). My dad, Tom, said, "George rode awful good, especially for a long legged fella." He was leading the world standings by a long ways in August of 1958 when he was killed in a car wreck. Only one guy could win enough to pass him up in the standings the rest of the year.That was Marty Wood. So George still ended up second for the year!

- Speaking of long legged bronc riders … I once heard my uncle Jim talking about a long legged Oklahoman named George Williams "charging hard" at a small, fast, electric good saddle bronc. He said "with arms and legs going fast in all directions, it looked like two spiders fighting!"

- I've been told that that this year's Sentinel Butte bronc riding match will be televised (I believe it will be on RFD TV on the Tyler Magnus roping show). I understand that the event will include a high school calf-roping match featuring three roping teams from South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana.

- My note on Cloverdale B.C. decision to ban timed events starting with the 2008 rodeo drew this response from Sandy Austin.

"Hi Jim, It seems we go through this animal rights stuff every few years.

While I was manager of Little Britches, the PRCA was instrumental in organizing the Animal Welfare Council. Terri Greer, the animal welfare person at the PRCA, worked hard to put the rodeo side of this group together.

I am proud to say I was a founding member. We soon branched out to include Disney World, the carriage drivers, elephant trainers, dog racers, horse racing, you name it they all joined, even Sea World, because every industry including the circus had problems with demonstrators. I had them.

Terri kept track of all the states considering removing timed events and we all sent letters. The motto of this organization was "Education not confrontation." Pretty appropriate. They put out lots of propaganda.

Sheila, from Professional Rodeo, worked hard on this. I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't working on it now. On the rodeo side, we had managers from all the big shows. All of this was organized and partially financed by the PRCA in the mid-90s and went on for years. Terri went around the country meeting with contestants to explain the serious situation and consequence of "training" horses in the arena.

Our friend Lyle was around in those days and probably was involved. At Little Britches I enforced the humane treatment rules. But our kids reported teachers that were critical of their rodeo cause it was cruel to animals. There were booklets produced by the PRCA available to the media, "Animals in Rodeo."

One wonders what the recently past management might have done with all that stuff or even that department.

That's the story as I remember it. Sorry to see it lift it's ugly head again. Those people can be dangerous, turned the bulls out at our finals in Colorado Springs. Fortunately, we had hired security in anticipation and no one was hurt.

Keep up the good work, Jim. It seems you are the only voice for rodeo out there.

Sure wish I could go to the College finals. I served on the board in

Bozeman. What a show!!!

Travel safe." Sandy Austin

- By the way, the College Nationals are underway in Casper, Wyo., at the Casper Events Center this week, ending Saturday night with the short round. Good luck to all the contestants.

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.