RFM Article: Bringing Worlds Together…

Posted on December 22nd, 2011 in Stories by admin

RODEO CULTURE AND FACEBOOK

by: Julie Baish-Sproul

The cowboy culture has caught onto a new social networking trend…Facebook! With each passing day, Facebook is changing how cowboys and cowgirls do business and compete more and more. Leaders in the rodeo world such as Speed Williams, Trevor Brazile, and Sherry Cervi, and companies like Equibrand and Pro Rodeo Live have realized the influence Facebook has on the new era of technology-driven society.

The best of the best in the rodeo world are using the site as a tool to promote, market, and keep their fans (“friends”) informed, updating them on what’s been happening, and letting them know where they’ve been winning. With over 41.6 million Facebook users in the United States, the possibilities for business to grow are exponential (Wikipedia, 2011). As such, Facebook is proving to be a platform that has the ability to provide a marketplace composed of each individual’s ideal demographics.

What exactly is Facebook? Facebook is a social networking site, launched in 2003 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and a few of his friends, with an original investment of $19,000. It was originally designed for Ivy League College students, enabling them to communicate and share information through the creation of profiles that display interest, education, employment, age, relationship status, and photos. Since then, it has branched out, and is now accessible to anyone who is over the age of 13 and has access to a computer or mobile internet.

Facebook’s mission statement is simple, “Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected” (Facebook, 2011). As of 2010, the estimated net worth, of one college kid’s late-night idea was estimated at $50 billion. Facebook is now being used in 207 countries around the world.

As technology advances, businesses are discovering that social media forums are great ways to connect with thousands of people instantly, and for free. Team Roping legend Speed Williams believes Facebook has been a vital part of building his business, www.speedroping.com. After posting, “Who should I rope with?” on his profile page, he got hundreds of comments from fans all over the world. “I had to laugh at the response,” Speed said, “it was overwhelming”. It was at that time when Speed realized the power of Facebook, and how helpful it would be as a marketing tool to reach thousands of potential clients.

Facebook is often dismissed as a site for individuals seeking friends or companionship; however, quite the contrary is true. Businesses such as Equibrand, Wrangler Twenty X, and The Jud Little Ranch use Facebook to share with “friends” their new products, new videos, schedules, and merchandise. People can stay informed with minute-to-minute updates on you and your business, without the huge cost of pre-Facebook advertising. These perks are accessible not only to huge companies, but also to small boutiques all over the world…one reason 500 million people have created accounts on Facebook.

Being part of the rodeo lifestyle requires competitors to be miles away from loved ones. The upside is, however, this lifestyle gives you the opportunity to make great friends along the way. With the help of Facebook, staying in touch has become much easier for those who leave home to chase that rodeo dream.

When talking to Arena de la Cruz, wife of NFR-Qualifier Cesar de la Cruz, about how she uses Facebook while going down the road, she stated, “Since having my son, Facebook has become a huge way to share his big moments in life with all my family and friends – from our rodeo friends that live across the country to family that live in the same city. I can post updates and photos of the moments they don’t want to miss”.

Being a parent myself, I am aware of the debates about how bad social networking sites are for our children. Please allow me to reassure you that, by no means am I overlooking these facts, and this article in no way supports those abuses. Parents should keep an eye on their children that have Facebook accounts, and should make sure they are being used responsibly. The internet is easy access to our children’s lives, and should always be monitored by an adult.

As a parent, business owner, and a Facebook user, I believe the benefits of using Facebook are endless and can vary to meet an individual’s needs. Barrel Racer and NFR-Qualifier Sheena Robbins explained that she uses Facebook as a tool to help her while going to rodeos, stating, “Facebook keeps me updated about how each rodeo is going, what is winning it, what the ground is like, what the weather is like, it helps me prepare for my runs even before I get there, and it helps me make a plan”. Essentially, being able to keep in immediate connection with someone who is already where you are going is just one of the ways Facebook is helping the best compete, and stay competitive.

This change in the way we communicate with each other via computers and mobile internet is just the beginning. Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are the first of many sites that have paved the way for a new era – an era allowing us to connect with one another from the comfort of our home, trailer, horse, or wherever it is that we currently call home.

(Note: This is a re-publishing of this article…It was originally published in Rodeo Fame Magazine’s Issue 1, in Summer 2011.)

Julie Baish-Sproul

***Julie Baish-Sproul is the Associate Editor of Rodeo Fame Magazine; as well as, a RFM Feature Writer, and Professional Photographer (www.arenalens.com). Julie is also a wife, mother, barrel racer, and co-owner/operator of SS Equine, LLC., with her Husband, Shain Sproul (5x-NFR Qualifier, Team Roping)***

RFM Highlights Cowboys for Cancer Research (C4CR)

Posted on December 21st, 2011 in Stories by admin

Collectively, We CAN make a Difference!

 by: Julie Baish-Sproul

(Read on to find out how one simple team roping, held almost 30 years ago, has managed to make a world of difference in supporting Cancer Research.)

 ‘Tis the season to be giving; and that is exactly why Rodeo Fame thought this would be a great time to introduce a new type of feature article, that will continue to be present in every issue that follows, to its’ readers; an article dedicated to highlighting  individuals in the rodeo community who make a difference through volunteering, donating, and giving back.

Personally, I believe that success without sharing is actually failure, and that giving of the self to help others is the only way one will be truly happy. I also believe the time has come that we (as a community) acknowledge, support, and give credit to those who donate their time, their money, and their talents to help make this world a better place.

So, for this article, I have chosen an organization that is near-and-dear to my family’s heart: Cowboys for Cancer Research (C4CR). Together, C4CR coupled with New Mexico State University’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink Campaign, these two raised $900,000 cash, in-kind, in 2011. All proceeds were then donated to the University of New Mexico Cancer Research Center to fund cutting edge research with hopes of finding a cure.

It all started in 1981, when Alma Cohorn, a rodeo wife, mother, and friend, lost her fight with cancer, being taken too soon from life and the ones she loved. As the Cohorn family was a rodeo (and more specifically, team roping) family, it made perfect sense Alma’s husband and son, Kenneth and Larry (who made it to the NFR in 1978 and 1979 in the calf-roping, and is still a tough competitor in the Turquoise Circuit as a header), to put on a benefit-type team roping in her memory as a way to help raise money to fight this disease.

So, the first C4CR benefit was held in 1982. It included a smooching contest (they could not promise that there would be no fist fights), and open ropers paid $60 to enter 5 times. That year, they raised a grand total of $750. Unfortunately, almost 30-years later, there is no longer a smooching contest on the agenda. However, there is a week full of events, all helping raise money for the cause, that occur throughout the whole city of Las Cruces, NM, including: a dinner, a dance, silent auctions, guest speakers, and countless NMSU football tailgating functions. While the events may have changed over time, one thing has still always remained the same; and that is, the spirit of Alma Cohorn is still present at every event.

Fast forward twenty-three years after the very first C4CR benefit, and it is the year 2005; a year that, when it comes to the topic of cancer and making a difference, I will never forget. You see, in 2005, the same day I filled my Women’s Professional Rodeo  Association permit, my Dad told me he was diagnosed with cancer. There is nothing that can prepare you for the overwhelming fear and helplessness you feel when you hear this news. I never saw it coming, but when it did, it changed my life forever. After intensive chemotherapy, countless trips to MD Anderson, and my Dad’s incredibly strong will to survive, I am happy to report that after five years, my Dad is still in remission. However, his fight has not ended, and the fear that one day his cancer might return still weighs heavy on us as a family.

It is experiences such as these that remind us finding a cure for cancer is race against time for so many, and why organizations such as C4CR, and their team of volunteers, are vital in fighting this tough fight. “We have been overwhelmed by the pouring out of support by our little Las Cruces, NM community; my dream is to see everyone become inspired and realize that collectively, we CAN make a difference”, says C4CR president Kevin Davis.

C4CR President, Kevin Davis (right)

With the help of modern technology, well-trained doctors, brilliant scientists, and the money organizations such as these raise to help find a cure, the medical community is getting closer than ever to finding a cure, and saving the lives of our loved ones; and, when they do, at the heart of that cure will be the hundreds and thousands of volunteers who dedicated their lives to raising one dollar at a time, helping to finally win the fight against cancer.

So yes, ‘tis the season to be giving; and with endless possibilities of how you can make a difference, is there really an excuse not to do so? Just in case you need a couple ideas to help get you started, this holiday season you could choose to: give your time to the local soup kitchen, give old winter clothes to a homeless shelter, and give yourself fully to a greater cause of something much bigger than you. And, in a short time, when the clock strikes 12 (Midnight) on New Year’s Day, make a resolution that you will be the kind of person who gives back and will actively help to make this world a better place.

While I will never know the volunteers who were raising money to help end this dreaded disease long before it affected my family, I do know because of them, this year my Dad will still be with our family on Christmas; and for that, I am eternally grateful.

If you are a part of a non-profit organization in the rodeo community, we would like to hear your story and profile your efforts in Rodeo Fame. Email your story (and pictures if you have them) to: rodeofame@gmail.com

2011 C4CR Champion Team Roper Cole Salopek