Sports

The 2008 edition of the Wild, Wild West Independence Day Rodeo is in the vault, and Southwest Texas LIVE! Publisher John Ludlum has the stats and his personal comments on the event here.

He does it on a full-time basis. Matt Baldwin was part of a four-member team working to keep a safe distance between the bulls and their dismounted rider at the 31st George Paul Memorial Bull Riding Event in Del Rio on May 3 and 4.

Cooper Kanngiesser of Zenda, Kan. said it was a dream just to be at the 31st Annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding Event on Sunday while holding his champion's buckle and a big check for $10,000.

Bull riders may be competing against a field of cowboys for the moneybag, but they are in a true one-on-one competition with a 1,800-pound beast.

The first day of the George Paul Bull Riding saw riders scoring as high as 93.5 points and 14 of the 40 contestants completed their eight-second ride. UPDATED with more pics!

Four world champion bull riders and most of the Championship Bull Riding’s best bull riders have entered the thirty-first edition of the classic George Paul Memorial Bull Riding, the Original Superbull. Reigning CBR world champion, Bonner Bolton, Gardendale, Texas, is entered and if he should win, it would be the first time the son of former George Paul Memorial Bull Riding champion would win the event. His father, Toya Bolton, also of Gardendale won the event in 1991, 17 years ago. The entire Bolton family will be in attendance cheering on their son and brother.

The 31st George Paul Memorial Bull Riding dates are set for May 3-4, 2008, and the granddaddy of all stand-alone bull ridings will reunite three-time George Paul Memorial Bull Riding champion and four-time world champion Tuff Hedeman with Del Rio fans.

The third year on Lake Amistad produced another big-prize winner in the ESPN-captured Bassmaster Elite Tournament. Fisherman and civic leader Ron Castle captures the winning moments for the one hundred grand winner, Todd Faircloth. Castle also captures the spirit and lauds the impact of local promoters of the area’s world-class leisure time resource.

Well, forget all the talk about how all the Amistad big bass are gone, and it won’t take much weight to make the cut, etc., etc. It looks like it’s still “game on” at the Big Friendly!

Predictions by the National Weather Service for Thursday winds gusting over 40 mph from the North, led Bassmaster Elite Series tournament director, Tripp Weldon, to cancel day one of the “Battle on the Border” at Lake Amistad.