Spur'N Conversations: January 2008

« December 2007 | Main | February 2008 »

January 2008

January 24, 2008

NABA Finals

Oh' man it has been a couple crazy weeks.

Let's see, where to start?

Well...who is going to drive this big yellow truck?

Aaaaaahhhh, I don't see any takers in time to make it to Denver or Memphis,,,,,ssooooooooooooooooo

I guess that leaves me.

It's not like I don't enjoy driving, it just happened to be the legal issue of not having a Class A CDL and my time was rather consumed with all the Federal BS complying with becoming an International Commercial Carrier....

I just want to haul some rodeo gear...

I need to show you proof of what?

So we do the mad dash, try to study for the CLD test (ya right)...fail a couple times...race around and get in with Dr Moran in Indianola so I could get cleared for a Medical Card (required to leave the state)and finally give in and call my new friend in Fort Dodge at Scott's One Day CDL....

...oh' buddy he is a life saver.

Took a day and half off and ran up to Fort Dodge, passed the written tests(3) and then completed the driving portion the next day....literally just in time to pack up and take the truck out to Denver last week to go to the WESA Markets.

Let's just say we put my driving skills to the test...however everyone lived and no dents and we returned home in one piece.

Then last Thursday (I must have been excited to go) I woke up waaaaaaaaayy too early at 4 am. Packed everything up and we all jumped in the truck around 7pm to head out to Memphis, TN for the NABA finals.

I am clearly not as young as I once mentally thought...and Mt Dew has limited effect after you have 24...it can only do soooo much. We arrived in Memphis around 10:30am Friday morning and unloaded everything....hung out all day/night.

Met some great new friends.

Packed up Sunday morning (note to self: be sure to check your King Pin before pulling out from under your trailer ~ regardless how tired you are. Special thanks to Jerry Grady & Billy Roe for freezing their butts off with us to fix my fiasco). Back on the road by noon headed home.

Some where near no where Missouri we noticed my Voltage gauge was dropping fast....crap what next.

Well, do we stop or keep going?

Keep going....

Sooooooo....just south of the Sikeston, MO Exit we broke down with a fried alternator.

What are the odd's of getting road side service with an alternator on a Sunday evening?

Amazingly pretty darn good. Placed a call to Keller Truck Stop and they hooked me up with the owner of the Truck Wash at the Flying J who also owned a mobile repair business and he came to the rescue.

Andrew Hart (Intern working for us from Simpson College) hit it off in conversation with the guy (sorry I didn't catch his name....I'll get it because we owe him big time) and his daughter is a Pro Barrel Racer and they owed a Western Store (C-K) as well as a bunch of horses.

Sooo...one bad turns into something great...some new friends in Sikeston. Ya gotta love it!

Made it home safe and insane around 2am Monday. so for those of you wondering where we were....well, there ya have it. Spending some quality windshield time with friends.

My heart goes out to all the truckers that do it full time from Border to Border....takes a lot of patience!

See ya down the road....

Spur' It UP!

PS: Did I mention we saw some great bull rides? Check it out....

Posted at 04:43 PM in NABA | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: bull riding, c-k western store, flying j truck stop, mo, naba finals, sikeston

Drag Racing Fans?

Are you a drag racing fan?

I know I am.

I guess it must be like rodeo. Once you get exposed to it, you become addicted. The passion involved in the business is present everywhere.

So what does this have to do with the price of CORN?

Absolutely nothing....

Then why are you asking me if I like drag racing?

Honestly?

Well....our Sister and her Husband love drag racing so much that they decided to open a new store in South Bridge Mall in Mason City, IA. It has gone over so well that they invested the time and money into a new e-commerce site that allows you the opportunity to visit them on-line and order the really hard to find items.

I had a chance to check out the new web-site today and was really impressed.

They are called DRAG RACING HEAVEN and you can visit them on-line at http://www.dragracingheaven.com

Let me know what you think....never know, you might just see our big truck at the drag races. Maybe we can find some cross-over. We already know that the moto-x's love our protective vests. Maybe we have something in our product line that the drag racers need....

Posted at 09:40 AM in Ramblings | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: angie dodd, auto racing, die cast collectible cars, drag racing, drag racing heaven, mason city, south bridge mall, troy dodd

January 16, 2008

NABA Finals

It's hard to believe a year has flown by so fast. Saturday we headed out to Denver for a quick stop at the Denver WESA Trade Expo Market. As it turned out we took our big truck and had the opportunity to show it to our suppliers including SADDLE BARN and PHOENIX PERFORMANCE. We turned right back around and headed out on Sunday evening in time to reopen on Monday. Definitely excited to expand our travels this year and hit the road to see some of our friends.

Our first official stop with the new truck is at the NABA Finals in Memphis, TN this weekend. We will be closed here in Iowa from Thursday - Sunday, reopening on Monday. Quite certain we'll have a few hick~up's along the way to work out, but that is expected with any new venture.

If you happen to be in the area (Memphis) stop by and see us. For our loyal blog readers we will offer a special 10% Discount and FREE Shipping for any orders placed at the NABA Finals in person.

SPUR IT' UP!

Posted at 05:47 PM in Upcoming Events | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: denver, memphis, naba bull riding finals, phoenix performance, rodeo gear, saddle barn, wesa

January 07, 2008

Do you wear a bull riding helmet?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Posted at 10:22 AM in Bull Riding Gear | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: bull riding gear, bull riding helmets, bull tough, bullistic helmet, bulltek, helmet, protective rodeo equipment, rank1

Are fuel prices affecting your ability to compete in rodeo events?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Posted at 10:14 AM in The Rodeo Biz | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: bull riding, gas prices, producers, promoters, rodeo, rodeo contractors, roughstock, stock contractors, survey

PBR Institutes Drug Testing Policy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Denise Abbott
VP, PR & Marketing
719.242.2800, ext. 3381 office
719.440.0565 cell
dabbott@pbrnow.com

PBR Institutes Drug Testing Policy

Drug Testing Started at PBR's VERSUS Invitational

NEW YORK (January 6, 2008) - In recent weeks steroid use has taken center stage in the sports world. As major league baseball players have had to respond to the questions and speculations, so have bull riding athletes. But it’s not the bull riders who are the target of the rumors – it’s the bulls.

Whether the bucking bull steroid problem is real or perceived, the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) has deemed the issue of such importance that it has developed a PBR Bull Testing Committee which is introducing a Steroid Testing Policy for the 2008 Built Ford Tough Series season. Under the new policy, PBR will test the top performing bull or bulls at various events throughout the season. The first such testing was conducted following the conclusion of the PBR’s VERSUS Invitational event held this weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A stock contractor whose bull is found to have yielded a positive test result will be subject to discipline by the Committee.

While it is unclear to what extent, if any, bulls competing in sanctioned PBR events are being subjected to anabolic steroid treatments, concerns have been raised of late, in large part by PBR member stock contractors themselves, with respect to that very possibility. Those concerns could be residual in nature. Proponents contend that steroid use was far more prevalent in the past. Stock contractors have since realized that the serious and detrimental side-effects that steroids had upon their bulls simply out weighed any benefit gained.

In an effort to ensure and maintain the integrity of competition and the health of its bull athletes, PBR and its Bull Testing Committee have partnered with the leading veterinarian in the bucking bull industry, Dr. Gary Warner, DVM. and world renowned veterinary scientist Dr. Walter Hyde, M.S., Ph.D. to create the first ever anabolic steroid bull testing protocol and policy in the history of the sport. Testing methods will include taking samples of a bull’s blood and urine.

The Bull Testing Committee is comprised of PBR Board Advisors Ty Murray and Cody Lambert, Richard Patterson, co-founder and partner of Spire Capital Partners LLC and Chairman of PBR's Corporate Board, and Matthew A. Rivela, PBR's General Counsel. In keeping with the belief that PBR's founding cowboys should still drive those decisions which tend to affect the sport of bull riding, the PBR Board of Directors have seen fit to create three advisory committees to that end. In addition to the Bull Testing Committee, there currently also exists a Competition/Rules and Regulations Committee and a Conduct Committee.

For more information on the PBR Steroid Testing policy, please contact Denise M. Abbott at 719 242 2800 ext. 3-381 or dabbott@pbrnow.com.

###

Posted at 09:58 AM in PBR | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: bull drug testing, bull riding, denise abbott, pbr, rodeo