Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: Hello folks and welcome to your outlet for outdoors and western lifestyle news, the Ben Show. I am your host Rebecca Wanner, AKA Beck. And as we say this each and every week, we love hearing from everyone. Comments, stories, ideas get a hold of us anytime. Call or text 305-900-2363. Again, that's 305-92363. Or you can always email Ben radio showmail.com and join along as always is my producer, sound engineer and co host Jeff Tigger Earhart.
Now, what's going on in our household? We are getting excited because, you know, some people count down to Christmas. We count down to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
[00:01:06] Speaker C: Nfr, baby.
[00:01:08] Speaker B: The super bowl of rodeo. And we're getting excited because 90 some.
[00:01:13] Speaker C: Days away, exactly like that.
[00:01:16] Speaker B: And their official season in order to qualify for the WNFR is coming up. I think September 30th is end.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:01:25] Speaker C: That is the cutoff for any of the contestants in the PRCA to make the top 15 to go to Vegas for the finals. And it is a very, very, very tight race of who's going to go.
[00:01:36] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:01:37] Speaker C: So I'm assuming you're going to go through some of the events.
[00:01:40] Speaker B: Can I give it a try? Can I give it. By the way, just a little heads up for those announcer voice that don't know Tigger is a PRCA Pro Rodeo Cowboy association announcer.
[00:01:53] Speaker C: And those of you that don't know, Beck is a PRCA music music director.
[00:01:57] Speaker B: I am.
[00:01:58] Speaker C: And you are one of the only.
There's only a handful of you lady PRCA music directors out there.
[00:02:05] Speaker B: That's true.
[00:02:06] Speaker C: One of them.
[00:02:07] Speaker B: I was surprised when I did obtain my card. And it's not easy neither for Tigger for us to get these cards. Just not anybody can be part of the prca. But anyway, I was surprised when I found out I was the first and only woman in our state to have that card.
[00:02:22] Speaker C: Well deserved.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: Thank you, honey.
[00:02:23] Speaker C: Do a nice job. Okay? Do you. We're going rodeo stuff now.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: We're going rodeo.
[00:02:28] Speaker C: Right on.
[00:02:28] Speaker B: I am not a rodeo announcer, however. But I'm going to do my best with the current PRCA standings. First one. I think that everyone knows this gentleman's name, Stetson Wright from Beaver, Utah. He's all around earnings right now.
Let me tell you folks. Listen to this. He has made well over $391,000 after the eight time world champion sustained injuries at the 2023 NFR. Sidelined during the 2024 rodeo season. He has made a runaway comeback for the coveted 2025 Wrangler NFR all around champion. Listen to this. He's number one in bull riding and number nine in saddle Bronx.
[00:03:09] Speaker C: So when it comes to the bull riding, I mean, Stetson is an amazing bull rider. But I want to brag on Junior Stratford for a little bit because he's our buddy Steve's son and he had a run here a few years ago. This summer has been amazing for him. He is as of right now, I know there's rodeos going on, but he's number seven in the standings from Breyers, Kansas. So buddies root for buddies in the rodeo business. I'd like to see J.R.
go to the finals and just blow it out of the water and make a ton of money.
[00:03:40] Speaker B: Here's another household name I think a few of us have heard of before. Rocker Steiner. Yes, coming from Weatherford, Texas, this bareback rider is leading the world with making over $243,000. With the closest contender being Bradley Miller of Huntsville, Texas and Jess Pope of Waverly, Kansas riding neck and neck with just $11,000 in year earnings in difference fighting for that second place title.
[00:04:09] Speaker C: And it's the bareback riding that's really tight. I mean, when you go down, you look like, you know, 10th and then you go down to 12th and 14th and 19th and on into 20th. And as you said, there's still a month of rodeos yet, so that whole top 15 could kind of get jockeyed around. But Rocker Steiner, the best way to describe him is electric. I mean, the kid is absolutely amazing. This young man has got talent.
[00:04:34] Speaker B: I've got to give kudos to him too because recently he visited one of our local rodeos and my nephew had a chance to go behind the shoots and visit with him. And he was ear to ear because he's also a rider. And he said that Rocker was so.
[00:04:50] Speaker C: Kind, gave him the time and day. I love that, just sat and visited with him. That's really important for young athletes, male and female, that your mentors that they take time to visit with the next generation because you're getting looked up to right Saddle Brock.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Now this is an event that is one of my favorite. Another individual you've probably heard of, rider R. Height of Beaver, Utah. His earnings at this point, well over $273,000. Saddle bronc this year is even a tighter event than ever. The top 12 in the world fighting for their seat in the winner's circle have all earned well over $150,000. This includes well known names such as Damien Brennan in second with Dawson Hay right behind Brody Wells and Zeke Thurston. All over the world. $200,000 in 2025 earnings. Following not far behind are Ryder Wright's brothers, Statler Wright sitting in sixth and Stetson Wright in ninth. And we gotta give a shout out to a friend of the show, Montana cowboy Sage Newman. He is right up there too sitting in sixth place. Then we head to steer wrestling where the leader is Will Loomis. He is with over $161,000 in earnings.
[00:06:04] Speaker C: You know I am going to root for for J.D. struxness. I think he's like fourth right now in the PRCA. And here's the reason is I did one of his first interviews ever when he was in college. He wasn't even 21 years old yet and he made it to his first wrangler National Finals Rodeo. And I did one of the first interviews that he ever did in his life.
So I'm kind of rooting for JD Struxness to get in there and just make a pile of money. That's just me.
[00:06:34] Speaker B: Team roping. Let's first look at the headers. Tanner Tomlinson of Mineral Wells, Texas is the current world leader. He's won over $153,000. However, it's a tight race as a household favorite here. Derek Begay.
I love Derek Begay. If you don't know who he is, he's from Arizona. He is just $3,000 behind in the earnings. And I got to throw a flashback to to y'.
[00:06:59] Speaker A: All.
[00:06:59] Speaker B: Okay. Do you remember last year during the 2024 Wrangler NFR when Derek Begay borrowed his well known mule John Henry to saddle bronc favorite Zeke Thurston and he rode. Zeke rode that mule in the first two grand entry parades.
[00:07:16] Speaker C: That was awesome. That was awesome. I love Derek Begay.
[00:07:19] Speaker B: Now let's look at the team roping healers. Levi lord of Sturgis, South Dakota. He's brought in over $155,000. This four time NFR qualifier is making sure the world knows there's more to Sturgis, South Dakota than just a huge motorcycle rally. Next tie down roping. Riley Webb of Denton, Texas is a current world leader. He's brought home over $264,000. Not a bad place to be after 2024 being his first WNFR. Chasing him is six time qualifier Shad Mayfield sitting with over $237,000. Then we go to Oklahoma. Why? Because in the steer roping, Cole Patterson from Pawnee, Oklahoma is currently leading world standings with over $92,000.
Now here's a favorite Barrel Racing Cassie Mowry of Dublin, Texas is the world barrel racing leader at over $202,000 in earnings. The top three looking to make this a race to watch just like in 2024 also includes Texas stars Brittany Posi Tanazi and Haley Kinzel. But don't leave out the legend Lisa Lockhart as she's sitting 10th. And this cowgirl knows the grind and how to move mountains. That's just a quick snapshot of where we stand looking towards the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this December. By the way, it kicks off in Las Vegas December 4, runs through Saturday, December 13 and and will be held at the Thomas and Mack center in Las Vegas. Coming up next, we answer your questions. Can crops alter the weather? We have a house divided on this one. The bend will be back right after this.
[00:09:08] Speaker C: Is there that particular pair of boots or that shirt or pair of jeans that you just can't find anywhere else? Check out Madora Boot and Western Wear. Medora Boot and Western Wear is the go to for boots, jeans, especially jackets and even those hard to find accessories that make perfect gifts. Check out madoraboot.com or better yet, give Kim a call at 701-623-1005 and tell Kim that Tigger and Beck sent ya for the latest in Western and outdoor practical and fashionable wear. There is only one Madora Boot and Western Wear. The 2025 Devil's Leg Shootout Rodeo going down in history as the first rodeo ever at the all new Western State Bank Arena September 5 Season 6 and 7 with over 400 contestants competing for over 34 grand in added prize money. Performances Friday and Saturday at 6:30, slack at 9:30am both days. Sunday's shootout round begins at 2:30. Watch the Devil's Lake Rodeo Club Facebook page for real time info. The 2025 Devil's Lake Shootout Rodeo September 5th, 6th and 7 at the all new Western State Bank Arena.
Hey guys and gals. This is John Armand with Alton Ultimate Outdoor Adventures TV Ultimate Outdoor Adventures TV travels the back roads to the backwaters in pursuit of the ultimate adventure in hunting and fishing.
Join Team U away every week for exciting action in the crosshairs of the outdoors. Catch ultimate outdoor adventures TV on YouTube, Amazon prime and make sure to follow TeamUOA on Facebook and Instagram to share in the ultimate outdoor adventure.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: Welcome back to the Bend. We head to the phone lines or I should say the email this time because I did get some More listener questions. The one that popped out to me was from Nate. He comes from a state that doesn't have a whole lot of corn in the past, but does now. And he's wondering, can crops alter the weather?
[00:11:03] Speaker C: We're kind of a household divided on this.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: We are, because throughout my travels I, I've had this conversation with states that are known to be in the Corn belt. And I've had people mention to me that oh, it's humid here or they feel it is because of all the corn that's growing, which had me thinking the same thing. I'm kind of feeling like maybe these crops do affect our humidity.
[00:11:24] Speaker C: Well, this is a really good question. Yes, we are a house divided. But let me just say this. Where we live, for the most part, it's a three crop rotation. It's corn, wheat, beans, corn, wheat, beans, corn, wheat, beans. That's kind of the mainstay. But the question is, can increasing the amount of corn acres, for example, actually change and alter a weather pattern? So here's what I did. I went to KX News chief meteorologist Kenny Miller. He's kind of our go to weather guy and he did a lot of forecasting for Agriculture Commodity Traders, now the chief meteorologist at KX News. So Kenny, thanks for standing by and hanging on the telly with us. Good to have you back. You heard the question. So individuals were wondering that with planting that much corn, can that actually change the type of climate that a person has? Can it increase the dew points, can it increase humidity? Can it actually alter your climate that maybe you were used to at a certain time? And I'm going to preface this by saying when I lived in Oklahoma and I lived right in a winter wheat country, you could actually see right before harvest you could see the heat waves on the wheat. It was kind of a fascinating phenomenon. But I thought, all right, I'm going to reach out to Big K and see if this is actually possible based on the crops that a person has. If you can actually kind of modify the climate a little bit.
[00:12:55] Speaker A: So it's a fascinating question. This process is called corn sweat. Or the technical term is evapotranspiration. It's like nine syllable word that means nothing to the average person. But it's called corn sweat. So the long and the short of it is no, it cannot change the climate, but yes, it can impact to an extent the localized short term weather. And by short term I mean for a month or so. And here's what I mean by that. So basically it's the corn releasing water vapor back into the atmosphere off of its leaves to help cool itself down during the peak summer months. And this can lead to an increase in localized humidity. And by localized, I mean like the general area where the corn fields are. So if you're in, you know, Iowa or Nebraska or those states that have just corn, 80% of the acreage across the entire state, it can make it feel like an oven. You know, in the dog days of late July and August, when the corns looking pretty tall, it's got its maturity going on and all that kind of stuff, it can knock up the humidity value or the dew points by a few degrees. Like that is absolutely true. So it can make it feel more humid or oppressive than it normally would if there was no corn horn there. The long term or the wide scale impacts of that are near negligible. However, in order to like impact a long term pattern for a season or whatever, you're going to need kind of like we had this year with, hey, you know, it's just the way the pattern is. We were as active as we were this year because there was a big old area of high pressure that just parked itself over the Southeast us forced all the systems that came in off the Rockies or the Pacific that would normally impact the Midwest to basically ride that high and shoot right through the Northern plains, which is why it was so active.
So I think the extent of the impact of corn sweat is it just makes it feel more humid. And you know, sure, it adds more water vapor to the atmosphere, which, you know, you might be able to squeeze nine more raindrops out of a cloud because it's more humid. Like it's not really an impact in terms of changing storm systems or, you know, every single summer we're going to get more storms because we have more corn. It's just going to make it feel humid for about a month or so.
[00:15:31] Speaker C: So I'm assuming that same question could be geared towards if people are planting, excuse me, a large amount of trees, that it would take a massive amount of trees that would be established for literally 100 plus years for it to ever actually make a significant amount of weather change in a particular area that you can actually quantify it statistically. Look at me, I sound like a meteorologist there, you got it.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: You just come on in and we'll, we'll give you the ropes. You can have half. No, like, you know, it's a drop in the bucket. Like, you know, I did some research in preparation for you calling and you know, per acre of corn. So if you have an acre of corn that can release between, the numbers are 3,500 to 5,000 gallons of water vapor over the course of one to two days. And yeah, you know, that sounds pretty impressive. You know, 5,000 gallons of water vapor every two days for a month, that's going to seem like, oh, my gosh, that's going to drive everything but the amount of water vapor that we get. When our winds are out of the southeast off of the Gulf of whatever you want to call it, it's like a billion times that. So the effect of corn sweat versus, oh, our winds are off of the Gulf today, it's not even in the same, like, stratosphere in terms of impact. So you couldn't cover North Dakota in complete corn 100% acreage and have that be a driving force.
It matters in the sense of, you know, your heat index, if you stand in a Cornfield might be 3 or 5 degrees warmer than the heat index in the middle of, you know, just prairie grass or whatever, but it's not really impacting the weather. It's just making it feel more humid in that generalized location.
[00:17:24] Speaker C: And that was going to be. My question is maybe when you're just, you're actually working in that area that you're in that field, or maybe you've got several fields close to each other where just because of the rotation, your, your corn is in your rotation this year. And it feels. And it could be the neighbors, and that's maybe kind of how it is by our place. It seems like everybody's kind of in that similar rotation where when everybody plants corn, everybody's planting corn that year, every third year. So it's more. We're just. It feels like it at that time because we're just kind of smack dab in the middle of the actual field or that particular area or that range.
[00:18:02] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: And, you know, it's one of those things where, like, let's just say if you were, you know, 30 miles in the, into the area east of the highway where there was no corn, you still might feel the effects of the corn sweat. But if you were 200 miles, you probably wouldn't. So it's like there's like, again, a very generalized localized impact of, you know, if you've got fields all around you and 90% of it is corn, it's probably going to feel a little more humid Even if you have no corn in your backyard or anywhere around you within a mile or two. But if it's in your general area, you're probably going to feel again some microscopic or minuscule effects of it's going to bump up my heat index by a couple of degrees.
[00:18:43] Speaker C: So there's your answer. We're both kind of right.
Well, even though we were house divided.
[00:18:48] Speaker B: On this, all I'm going to say is, regardless, house divided or not, big thanks again to you, KX News Chief Meteorologist Kenny Miller. We sure appreciate you jumping on this show.
[00:18:58] Speaker C: I call him Big K. From now on. He is Big K and we are going to have him bust some more myths. But we need your help on this. What are some of those weather myths out there? Like it rains 90 days after a fog or I'm one is like what, six weeks after you hear the cicadas, you're going to have your first freeze. So if there are some of those out there that you want Big K to debug or agree with scientifically, reach out to us.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: That's right. Give us a call. Or you can text anytime. 30592363 again, that's 305-900-2363 or always. You can email Ben radio showmail.com all right, we're gonna take a short break crew. There's more of the Ben show coming up right after this.
[00:19:51] Speaker C: You asked for it, you got it. Watch the Cowboy Channel anytime, anywhere with the Cowboy Channel plus, live stream the Cowboy Channel or watch your favorite PRCA Rodeos on demand. Classic PRCA rodeos added weekly. Get the Cowboy Channel plus for only 9.99amonth or save 25% by signing up for a full year. Visit cowboychannelplus.com to sign up and start streaming today.
[00:20:21] Speaker A: The Hunt, the Stories, the Memories. This is Jake Fenrick with JB's Wildlife Designs. Let me capture and preserve that hunt, that story, that memory with a trophy mount to last you a lifetime. Look us up on Facebook @JB's Wildlife Designs to see samples of our taxidermy and reach out at any time with any and all questions you may have. This is Jake Fenrik with JB's Wildlife Designs. Taxidermy is my passion. Let me preserve yours.
[00:20:47] Speaker B: This is Beck First, I appreciate all of you for listening and making the bend part of your week. Many of you have asked, how do I catch past episodes? The answer is super easy. Head to thebendshow.com and click on the Shows tab. There you can listen to every episode all the way back to episode one. Podcasters, head to your favorite podcasting app and search the bend you'll find us. Be sure to follow and subscribe and never miss another episode again.
Welcome back to the Bend Show. When a storm took down the ropes on a 13030 foot flagpole in Star Valley, Wyoming, most folks would have called it a job for the young and fearless. But not Darcel Hulse. At 78 years old, the rancher grabbed his gear, called a crane and went straight up to fix it himself. That's because flying the American flag isn't just tradition. On his Salt River Ranch, it's a statement. Hulse proudly flies a few 1500 square foot flag. Did you hear that? 1500 square foot flag. From the highest point on his property. And when it needed replacing, he wasn't about to sit it out. Recently, in a Cowboy State daily interview, Darcel Hulse joked, I'm an old guy, but I'm not afraid of heights. And judging by the 1.4 million views on social media, his daughter's video took of this flag raising. Gotta put it this way, the country loves him for it. The massive flag, 50 by 30ft, has become a beloved landmark in Star Valley, Wyoming. Locals call it our flag, and when it was temporarily down, the phones lit up. Everyone wanted to know when Old Glory would be back for halls. Raising that flag is about more than patriotism. It's about values, family, and returning to his western roots. And while he hopes that the new rope holds strong for a while, you can bet that if it doesn't, he'll be right back up there making sure that Star Spangled Banner keeps waving high, a major move for Alaska officials. This last week, the state has officially banned two popular but destructive trees, the Mayday tree and the chokecherry. These fast growing ornamentals were once a garden favorite, but they've turned into a serious threat to Alaska's natural landscape. The ban, now statewide, blocks the import, transport or sale of these trees, which have overrun native birch and spruce forests, especially around Anchorage and Fairbanks. They may look pretty, but they're wreaking havoc under the surface. Their berries toxic to moose, their roots so tough, new trees grow right out of the stumps. And now they're even spreading a nasty fungal disease known as black knot. Not exactly the kind of greenery you want in your backyard. The good news? Officials are working hard to remove them and replace them with native trees. And this ban is a big step forward.
So next time you're planting something new, remember, going native helps keep ecosystems wild, balanced and beautiful. Check your state on plants that have landed on the noxious or invasive list. By reaching out to your local extension agent agent records are made to be broken, right Crew An Alabama fishing trip turned legendary when Robert Fritz and his crew caught a massive listen to this 550.3 pound swordfish that's over 100 pounds heavier by the way than the current state record in Alabama. The catch happened in the early morning hours of August 15th after the crew set out from Orange Beach Marina aboard the Trade Desk boat originally aiming for marlin. The six man crew fished near deep water oil rigs dropping a squid bait setup hundreds of feet down overnight. Around 4am Robert noticed the reel clicking and jumped into the fighting chair for what became a four and a half hour battle. The swordfish fought hard and deep before finally surfacing, stunning the crew with its dinosaur like appearance. Once landed, the fish was so big it filled the entire deck, forcing the crew to end their trip early. The swordfish measured 150 inches long with a 62 inch girth and is expected to break Alabama's current record of £448, pending official approval. Now my question is what? Where does one find the wall space to hang a monster dinosaur looking fish like this? And that's all for this week folks. Thank you again for riding along with us. And remember to keep sending in any questions you might have, something spot worthy or even a recipe to test out. It is starting to get close to crock pot season. You know as well as your area's field reports if you have harvested the monster, we want to know about it. That number you can call or text anytime is 305-900-2363. Again, 305-900-2363 or you can always email benradioshowmail.com and if you missed part of this show or want to hear past episodes, you can find them all on the website the BenShow.com and be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting app and to the Ben Show YouTube channel. Finally, a big thanks to all of you listeners out there that came along. Whether you're coming or going today, stay with us as we ranch it up. And remember to keep up with me back all week long by following the Bend on Facebook and on Instagram. Hebend show. This is Rebecca Wanner. Catch back if you can next week on the Bend.
Sam.
