BADLANDS NEWS • November 17, 2011. Lockhart Locks up Year-End and Average Titles at Ram Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo...read more

May 20 , 2011. Mandan Rodeo Poster Honors Homegrown Barrel Racer & Horse...Mandan, N.D. – The Mandan Rodeo Days publicity poster for 2011 honors a local barrel racing duo that is winning big at professional rodeosacross the nation. Britany Fleck and her mare Dasher Dude are currently ranked eighth in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association standings with $26,083 in earnings as of May 4, 2011.

The Mandan Rodeo poster featuring Fleck and the horse she affectionately calls “Rootie” is the eighth in a series of prints highlighting memories, notable contestants, contract personnel, and featured events of the annual Fourth of July celebration.

Fleck’s richest victory to date,$14,519, was the pay check for a first place final finish and placing in other rounds of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in February. Another major win was a first place tie during the opening round of the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, Denver, Colo., worth $3,763. Other earnings came at Clovis and Lakeside, Calif.; Laughlin, Nev.; Houston, San Angelo, and Bay City, Texas; and Tucson, Arizona.

The daughter of Duane and Terri Fleck, Britany grew up on a ranch near Solen and moved to Mandan after college. The 27-year-old made the gutsy decision last June to leave a good job at Northland Financial to compete full-time at more andlarger professional rodeos. She finished 17th in 2010 in the WPRA standings with more than $45,000 in winnings and earned nearly that same amount in the Canadian standings. The top 15 WPRA barrel racers qualify to compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo held annually in Las Vegas. Fleck is hoping to make her debut there in 2011.

Fleck’s teammate in barrel racing is also a product of North Dakota. She trained Rootie herself, a feat somewhat unusual in the sport of professional barrel racing. The black 11-year-old mare is by Texas High Dasher, a stallion raised by M.G. Olson of Glen Ullin and purchased by the late Leslie Roth, also of Glen Ullin, in the late 1990s. Fleck and Rootie’s successes were covered in the April 2011 issue of Barrel Horse News.

Fleck is proud to appear on this year’s Mandan Rodeo poster. “It is a great honor as a hometown cowgirl to be featured on this year’s poster. Mandan is a great rodeo with an exceptional crowd and committee,” sheexplains. “We have had many humbling moments, but always try to stay focused on our accomplishments. My teammate Rootie and I are going to continue to work hard and try to make everyone in not only Mandan, but North Dakota proud,” she states.

Fleck is planning to compete at the 2011 Mandan Rodeo where she has been a contender for the last several years, winning second in each 2009 and 2010. She earned the Badland’s Circuit championship in 2009 as the top money earner at WPRA barrel races held North Dakota and South Dakota combined.

The poster features original artwork of Deb Knuth titled “Racin’ with Rootie.” CLICK HERE TO VIEW POSTER. Posters will be available later this month at the Mandan Progress Organization office, 411 West Main St, Mandan, phone 751-2983, and at the Mandan Rodeo on July 2 to 4.

Knuth’s other rodeo, horse and western prints have appeared on the cover of Today’s Horse magazine and in American Cowboy and Horses in Art magazines. Among Knuth’s inspirations are her two sons, who formerly competed in rough stock events. Her pen and inks have been published on covers of books and publications, many of which hang in the North Dakota Supreme Court. Her oil paintings are in private collections. Other samples of Knuth’s work can be viewed at www.debknuth.com.

The Mandan Rodeo Days series of commemorative posters is available at the Mandan Progress Organization office. Previous commemorative Mandan Rodeo posters featuring the artwork of Knuth include prints of a rodeo pickup man, the event of chuckwagon racing,Miss Rodeo America 2007 Ashley Andrews of Bowman. Other posters highlight the artwork of Kaye Burian of Manning, N.D., honoring World Champion Bucking Bull Little Yellow Jacket from the Berger Ranch near Mandan; 1992 World Champion Bareback Rider Wayne Herman of Golden Valley, N.D.; four-time (1981, 1983-1985) World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Brad Gjermundson of Marshall, N.D., and 1957 World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Alvin Nelson of Grassy Butte, N.D.

For more information, visit www.mandanrodeo.com or call 751-2983.

April 11, 2011. 2011Required Participation

8.8.2. Forty Percent (40%) 15 Rule
8.5.2.1. In order to satisfy the 40%/15 rule, a contestant must comply with the following:
1.) If the contestant’s principal place of residence is within her designated circuit, said contestant must compete in either 40% of the rodeos within that circuit (based on the total number of rodeos during the previous rodeo year which held the particular event for which the contestant seeks to become a CR contestant) or 15 rodeos with that event within the circuit, whichever is less or;
2.) If the contestant’s principal place of residence is not within her designated circuit, said contestant must compete in either 40% of the rodeos within the circuit (based on the total number of rodeos during the previous year which held the particular event for which the contestant seeks to become a CR contestant) or 15 rodeos with that event within the circuit, whichever is greater (provided that, if there are less that 15 rodeos with a particular event in a circuit during a rodeo year a nonresident must satisfy this rule if she competes in 100% of the rodeos with that particular event in the circuit during that rodeo year).

January 18, 2011. IMPORTANT INFORMATION About Rodeo Co-approvals! Unlike the PRCA, co-approved rodeos DO NOT count in your circuit rodeo count. They have not and do not. Co-approval rodeo money does count toward your circuit rodeo money. Rodeos up to $5000 added money (the $5,000 is an increase over prior years) may be co-approved with neighboring circuits if the circuit's boundary is within 150 miles.

These rules were added to help the smaller rodeos draw contestants. The WPRA feels you should support your own circuit if you are going to compete at your finals. (A percentage of payoff is held back to go into the circuit finals money)

Please support your circuit and the rodeos it co-approves.