View from the (Denali’s) Driver’s Seat
The California Run with Trevor Brazile

Well here it is the first of April, and it is time to start the spring run of rodeos in California. I want to welcome everyone to the Driver’s Seat, and I hope you enjoy the thoughts and views that I share with you. March was a very big month for the sport of rodeo, and there are a bunch of events to give contestants and fans alike a chance to get their fix. As we move forward into April it is a different feel and a much different aspect of the rodeo lifestyle.

Credit: Courtesy Trevor Brazile

As many of you have probably seen on Trevor’s fan page

there are some exciting changes for me and our team kicking off this rodeo season. First and foremost we got a brand new 2015 GMC Denali pickup to drive. Which I am super excited about simply because, well let’s face it who doesn’t like a new truck but also because this truck is sporting the Trevors Brazile on the side and the Relentless wings on the hood along with the JAMESWOOD.COM sticker and together they all look pretty darn sharp. It is always refreshing to see partnership in rodeo and how businesses want to come along side the contestants and do what they can to help them get down the road and to be successful. And so far for what dealings I have had with James Wood Chevrolet and GMC in Decatur I think they are the right kind of people to do business with.

This trip for us will be a little different the two younger members of the Brazile familyplaying soccer and baseball at home so they along with Mom have elected to stay home while Trevor and I hit the road for the spring action. That means there will be times when I am driving alone or staying alone while Trevor flies back home to see the kids in action. His dedication to his family and to investing in his children is an inspiration. I would pick him up at the airport Wednesday morning before the jackpot. So the solo drive went pretty well I was able to make it to Vegas shortly after noon Tuesday local time.

We have just come off of two and a half weeks of time at home where we practiced everyday where we tuned our skills and our horses to prepare for the next month of events. April in the TR world kicks off with a jackpot in Las Vegas at the home of Charlie Horky. This years marks the 15th Hork Dog and it’s claim is the highest paying backyard single-day jackpot there is. I would have to say that with $40,000 split between the 1st place team it has accomplished that claim. With an entry fee of $500 go 3 times the best in the world show up in full force to make a run for the cash. At the time of me sitting here writing this it is done and over Trevor and Travis ended up 4th and had a good payday for their efforts. The big winners were Tom Richards of the Scottsdale, AZ area and the new young gun in the PRCA Junior Nogueira who has come here to America from Brazile with a style and flare that has made the best in the world stand up and pay attention.

After the Hork Dog you are thrown right into the rode lifestyle. With two rodeos overlapping one another one in Logandale, Nev. and the other in Oakdale, Calif., depending on how you entered and drew up you may have to leave Vegas drive to Oakdale and then turn around and drive back to Vegas to go to Logandale at the end of that rodeo. This is how we got up simply because Travis also had to fly to Oklahoma for RNCFR at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie.

Easter Sunday has arrived and here I am in Clovis,CA the last 2 weeks have gone by quickly and I have seen a bunch of miles and some really good team roping. Trevor and Travis ended up 4th at the Horkdog in Vegas and the following day we headed out to Oakdale,CA for the rodeo and the second jackpot of the trip. The rodeos in Cali are set up to where everyone that is entered ropes in a slack first and then the top 24 teams are divided into the performances. Oakdale also has a jackpot after the first day of slack that is rather unusual for anyone that watches much team roping. Both header and heeler start from the heeling side of the roping box and that makes for an interesting day of roping. In both the jackpot and the rodeo in Oakdale Trevor roped with Paul Eaves because he and Paul’s partners were both in Guthrie at the RNCFR. We had no luck in the TR there but we had our day in the TD and Trevor came away from Oakdale with a championship in the TD. We were only in Oakdale one night and 2 days then we turned rt around and headed back to Vegas so we could make Logandale on Sunday. So far my first week of rodeo I had put 3,100 miles on the new Be Relentless GMC and I was truly enjoying the ride. I did have a little fun on the way from Oakdale to Vegas as Derrick Begay caught a ride and spending time with him was pretty awesome.

Logandale rodeo on the 13th of April man it was windy and the roping boxes faced right into the wind so it took its toll on the success rate for the days roping. We didn’t have any luck while we were there but we did get a tour of the home of BEXs sunglasses while we were in town. That was cool to see the operation that was built right there in that small town and is growing by leaps and bounds in the extreme sports arena as well as in the world of rodeo. We only spent one day there and that night headed back to Vegas to head across to Red Bluff,CA the following day. It truly seems like a whirl wind but that is the rodeo road never staying in one place to long. Although when we get to Red Bluff the moving around slows down considerably.

Next after the Logandale rodeo is the Broc Cresta Jackpot on tuesday the 15th. Starts at 9 in the morning with a Pro-am and then at 1 the open starts. All of the guys that are here for the California rodeos come out for this one because the memorial of one of their own is something that is important to them. Not to mention there is a good amount of money to be one and if roping is your lively hood you should be there. On monday as I was driving across to Red Bluff I got a call from my good friend Jake Barnes. Jake and his partner Junior were headed to the Broc Cresta on tuesday and Jake wanted to know if I was planning on entering the pro-am. I said I didn’t think so because I didn’t bring a horse out here with me and Jake was nice enough to offer up his second string Jackpot horse so that I could have a chance to rope. I accepted the offer and entered the Pro-am and drew Jake Long out of the bucket for my partner. Come tuesday morning I was up with the sun and ready to rope. I didn’t have any luck in the roping but I did my job well and was encouraged that what I have been working on with Trevor was paying off. Trevor roped well all day and was 5th high call in the jackpot and unfortunately as his horse left the box on the short round steer his nose caught the barrier and the penalty took them out of the money.

The Red Bluff rodeo has come and gone there was truly nothing exciting there and we as a team didn’t have a good week. Thursday after the second go of slack I hauled Tuf Cooper and Trevor to the airport so they could fly home and get ready for the Corpus Christi Rodeo Monday after Easter. After my last blog several of you emailed me with comments and stories of your own please as always feel free I love to here from readers joshschley80@gmail.com and something that is new is I am now on twitter as it seems to be the vehicle to use for quick updates and small announcements. So again here I am in Clovis and the rodeo starts wednesday morning with slack 1st go and then wednesday evening there is a pro-am here that i hope to rope in. So as for now that is the View from the Drivers Seat and as always I want to wish you all good roping and Gods blessing! Happy Easter and He is Risen!!

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