Ranch, Rodeo, And Random News Outlet

For the second year in a row, bull rider Sage Kimzey did what no one has done before. He actually did two things nobody has done before. At the age of 23, Kimzey won his fourth consecutive world title in his fourth attempt, the first bull rider to ever do that. He won the fourth one in style, riding 4L & Diamond S Rodeo's Girl Money to the tune of 88 points to win Round 10 and take home the gold buckle at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday in front of 16,954. His fourth title has him halfway to tying Don Gay's record of eight bull riding world titles. "Each one of them is a step on the way up the mountain, and each is special because the road is so different each year," Kimzey said. "The trials and tribulations are different, and this being the fourth one, I'm halfway up the mountain that Donnie Gay set. I usually have a healthy lead, but this year I was hurt and banged up and sore, but I got the ball rolling in the spring.&

WILDFIRE DISASTER ASSISTANCE  As fires continue to rage across California, destroying life and property, our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected. Various federal government programs exist to provide disaster assistance for those who have been impacted by wildfires. Although your attention is no doubt focused on the situation at hand, it's important to note that several of the disaster assistance programs have initial notification deadlines that must be met in order to be eligible for funding. Livestock Indemnity Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to reimburse producers up to 75% of the market value of animals lost due to adverse weather conditions. Adverse weather conditions under LIP include wildfires. All classes of cattle are eligible for reimbursement including cows, bulls and calves. For 2017, a claim for a bull is paid out at $1,350.34, a cow at $1,038.73 and non-adult cattle (calves) from $471.22 per

U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota, led a bipartisan group of colleagues Dec. 5 in calling for delayed implementation of electronic logging devices (ELDs) for commercial motor vehicles transporting livestock or insects.  The senators’ letter to Senate leadership supports a provision in the U.S. House-passed Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill delaying implementation of ELDs and providing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) time to make the necessary adjustments to hours of service rules to address animal welfare concerns. “Livestock production is a key contributor to the economies of our states, and jobs in rural communities depend on the ability to transport livestock across large expanses of the country,” the senators wrote. “For example, it is common for cattle in Western and Southeastern states to be purchased by producers and feedlots in the Midwest and Great Plains. These ani

 The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo released its annual educational commitment for 2018, awarding more than $26.7 million to support young Texans and statewide educational programs. This brings the Rodeo’s total educational commitment to more than $450 million, since 1932. “The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s annual educational commitment is a testament to the efforts of 33,000 dedicated volunteers, 100-plus staff members, and the generosity of hundreds of loyal donors and sponsors,” said Jim Winne, chairman of the board. “It takes a diligent workforce to host millions of visitors at the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo, and we are proud to pay it forward and give back to our communities by supporting educational efforts across the state of Texas.”    For 2018, the organization has committed to presenting more than 750 college scholarships, supporting 70 educational programs through grants, awarding numerous graduate assistantships, and providing sizable prizes

20 events in 15 states highlight the first half of the season During the 20 events in the first half of the 2018 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) expansion series, emerging bull-riding talent alongside superstars of the sport will compete in 15 states across the country and visit six new cities. Fans attending the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour (RVT) events will be treated to electrifying, dirt-flinging action as the athletes take on some of the rankest bulls in an attempt to climb the ranks and qualify for the 2018 PBR World Championship. The 2018 tour opens in Oakland, California’s Oracle Arena in early January where fans can cheer on RVT standout talent like Skeeter Kingsolver , Alex Marcilio , Cody Campbell and many more. The tour will visit 32 markets throughout the season, returning to fan-favorite cities like Bangor, Grand Rapids and Youngstown, which saw sold out crowds in 2016 and 2017. New stops to the first half of the tour include North Charle