Published: October 01, 2007 10:18 am            

A difference between entering and riding

Rodeo Insider column

Last week, I reported in my syndicated column for West Texas newspapers that Texas Tech senior Brittany Hofstetter had entered five pro rodeos and one college rodeo, meaning that she was scheduled to compete in six cities within less than a week.

Good thing I used “entered” because entering a rodeo and actually competing are two different things. Contestants often enter rodeos but decline to compete for various reasons: bad weather, drawing a mediocre bronc or bull, sustaining an injury or being scheduled to ride in another rodeo at the same time.

Hofstetter competed in the five Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association shows in cities including Amarillo and Texarkana (a rodeo that she won). But she decided not to compete at the Eastern New Mexico University Rodeo, which was conducted in her hometown of Portales, N.M.

Hours before the Friday night performance in Portales and just after competing at a morning show in Oklahoma City, Hofstetter received a call from her father, Charles Bennett. He was in charge of plowing the Portales arena and advised her not to head to Portales because rain had slowed the ground and she would be at a disadvantage because other barrel racers had made runs on dry ground the previous day.

They also concluded that she would risk injuring her prize horse.

“It was taking a chance on ruining your good horse and one rodeo is not worth that,” said Hofstetter, 22, an agriculture communications major. “You have to reason: ‘I want to run this horse for several more years and I want him to be sound.’ ”

She’s talking about a speedy 14-year-old gelding named Paco who might well carry Hofstetter to her first National Finals Rodeo appearance.

Only two weekends remain in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association 2007 regular season — this weekend and the Nov. 9-11 Texas Stampede in Dallas. Hofstetter will not compete in the invitational Dallas rodeo and so, she’s traveling relentlessly to as many pro rodeos as she can make before the end of the month. She is entered in rodeos this weekend in the East Texas town of Henderson, Harrison, Ark., Fort Collins, Colo., Poway, Calif., and San Bernardino, Calif. (She has contracted an East Texas-owned horse to ride in Henderson and Harrison).

When the PRCA world standings were released Monday, Hofstetter was ranked 13th with $52,560. Only the top 15 in each event qualify for the National Finals in Las Vegas when the season ends Nov. 11.

Earlier this week, I called Hofstetter and informed her that she was ranked 13th and was cutting it close. Her response: “You just stress yourself out if you try to keep up with what everybody else is doing. You just try to take care of business and hope by the end of the week that you are maintaining your position.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.