June 2009

June 20, 2009

I had planned to write this a week or so ago but every time I started to write an update something else came up. So finally I am getting something typed up. Better late than never, right?

The main thing that has happened since I last wrote is that we celebrated my son’s first birthday (he turned one on June 7). It turned into a HUGE party with about 75 people. The theme for his party came from the book “Where the Wild Things Are.” Cade had a crown and a tail just like Max did in the book and surprisingly enough he wore it the entire time. I have posted some photos from his party in my photo gallery. The cake was definitely his favorite part as you can tell from his messy hands in the photos. Cade got a huge pile of gifts but of course one of his favorites was a birthday card that sang when you opened it.

It was definitely a busy weekend (June 5-7) with Cade’s birthday and the Santa Maria Rodeo. It was a true family affair with several of my family members competing, including my wife, Lindsay, who competed in the WPRA barrel racing. I ended up finishing second in the steer wrestling with a total time of 9.9 seconds on two head.

The last couple of years my mom and dad have been teaching the youth in the area how to rope. The kids come out two to three times a week and really enjoy themselves. During the Santa Maria Rodeo there was a mini rodeo where they got to compete against each other and test out their skills. It was fun for my parents to watch these kids compete.

I competed in my first two rounds in Reno on the 19th and then I came home for a few days before we hit the Fourth of July run. I will head back to Reno on Thursday (June 25) to fly to Ponoka (Alberta) for the rodeo up there. Then we are off to Greeley (Colo.), Cody (Wyo.), Livingston (Mont.), Prescott (Ariz.), St. Paul and Molalla (Ore.) and Casper, Wyo., before heading north for the Calgary Stampede. We will have Willie up in Canada and we plan to use Billy Bugenig’s horse Smarty for most of the events in the States during this time. Be sure to keep an eye on my schedule for where I will be next.

That is about all the news for now, so until next time,

Luke

Two-time and reigning PRCA World Champion Steer Wrestler