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DOUGLAS — Six members of the Cochise College rodeo team are off to seek national glory.
Apache bull rider Sam de la Cruz, team roper Colten Butler, roper Frank Whitehead, Grand Canyon Region all-around champion Mert Bradshaw, saddle bronc rider Tyler Staker and bull rider Garrett Faulhaber are heading to the College National Finals Rodeo.
On June 14-21, nearly a month after some of the sophomores graduate, the team will head on out to Casper, Wyo.
Cochise College was second in the Grand Canyon Region and 18th nationally.
 Cochise College rodeo team members Mert Bradshaw, back left, and Tyler Staker will head to the College National Finals Rodeo on June 14 in Casper, Wyo., along with Coach Kelly Slover, front left, Garrett Faulhaber, Colten Butler, Frank Whitehead, Sam De La Cruz, and Assistant Coach Kim Chavis. (Courtesy of Cochise College) |
Butler is a graduating sophomore. The native of Buckeye, Ariz. said he will try to ride for Mississippi Valley College, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation this season.
Butler did not find out until about two weeks ago he would have to compete in team roping with a rider from New Mexico State University, instead of his partner. The last-minute switch could throw Butler’s timing off, after he worked with a Cochise teammate nearly the entire season.
“I have one more rodeo for this team,” Butler said. “I won’t know until I get there who I will ride with. They made me change my partner. We’ve been fighting it, because we don’t know why we had to do it.”
Butler, whose fastest time was 16.9 seconds on May 3 at a rodeo at New Mexico State University, has ridden on a male Sorreo horse named “Kid” this season.
Like every other bull rider, Elfrida native De La Cruz will ride on more difficult bulls from the Professional Bullriding stock.
This will be De La Cruz’s CNFR debut.
“It’s very exciting,” De La Cruz said. “We’ll be riding the PBR bulls. They’re called ‘extreme bulls.’ If you scaled the bulls we’ll be riding, they’re pretty tough.”
De La Cruz’s toughest bull led to him slipping his hand right out of the first jump.
“Compared to the bulls we’ll be riding, that was nothing,” De La Cruz said. “They’re pretty much practice bulls.”
Bradshaw will compete in three events. He finished second in the region in saddle bronc, fourth in steer wrestling and was 11th in team roping as a header.
Bradshaw comes into the CNFR ranked 23rd in the country.
Staker of Snowflake is ranked fourth in the nation in bareback riding. Faulhaber is 22nd nationally in bull riding.
Last season at CNFR, carrying fewer team members, Cochise finished 42nd out of 52 teams.
Rosa Ryan wrote on May 17, 2008 5:51 AM:
In a world overwhelmed by technology, politics and violence it is so refreshing to be reminded the raw power of man and animal have not been stamped out. It is my extreme pleasure to be regularly inspired by Sam De La Cruz to leave behind this stressful world I live in and enjoy what's around me.
One family on the East Coast will be tuned in and cheering the entire team on! Good Luck and God Bless! "