North Dakota

The man considered by many to be North Dakota’s best rodeo cowboy

Published

2 years ago

August 20, 2022

The man considered by many to be North Dakota’s best rodeo cowboy

FARGO — Who was one of the best rodeo performer to ever come out of North Dakota? There could also be some disagreement from North Dakota rodeo followers, however I consider a strong case might be made for bestowing that honor onto Brad Gjermundson.

Whereas in class at Halladay, he was the North Dakota Excessive Faculty All-Round Champion. He earned the rookie of the yr honor within the North Dakota Rodeo Affiliation (NDRA) throughout his freshman yr of faculty and, in his senior yr, was the School Nationwide Saddle Bronc Champion.

Brad turned professional in 1980 and was named by the Skilled Rodeo Cowboys Affiliation (PRCA) because the saddle bronc using Rookie of the 12 months. He certified for the Nationwide Finals Rodeo (NFE) eight straight occasions (1981-1988) and once more in 1994, and received the saddle bronc world championships in 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1985. He additionally received the Badlands Circuit saddle bronc championship six occasions. He was inducted into not less than six totally different halls of fame.

Bradley Jay Gjermundson was born in Richardton on March 25, 1959, to Stanley and Sharon (McNamara) Gjermunson. Stanley, the son of a Norwegian-born father, owned a ranch 3.5 miles west of Marshall in Dunn County, and Sharon was the city’s postmistress. Brad helped on his father’s ranch and attended faculty in Halliday, positioned about 15 miles north of Marshall.

Whereas in grade faculty, Brad grew to become keen on rodeos and “took half in show-de-os and the saddle membership.” He additionally attended most of the native rodeo occasions. Brad’s father, Stanley, “rode rodeo rough-stock in his day,” and helped out by “retaining Brad in horses.” He consistently purchased contemporary horses for Brad to experience, inspired him to observe rodeo occasions, and even bought a bronc saddle and a bucking machine to observe on throughout the winter months.

As a rodeo participant in 1975, whereas in highschool, Brad certified for the Little Britches Nationwide Finals in Cheyenne, Wyo., competing in bareback using, bull using and calf roping. Brad received the state saddle bronc championships in 1976 and 1977 and, in 1977, he was the North Dakota Excessive Faculty Rodeo All-Round Champion.

In 1977, Brad graduated from highschool and enrolled at Dickinson State School (now Dickinson State College) the place he grew to become a member of the rodeo group. Brad majored in farm and ranch administration and commenced relationship Jackie Lynn Brown, a pupil majoring in elementary schooling. Apart from attending lessons, competing in rodeo occasions and relationship, Brad additionally labored part-time on the Peavey Elevator in Dickinson.

Throughout his freshman yr, he earned the Rookie of the 12 months honor from the North Dakota Rodeo Affiliation (NDRA) and, in 1979, he received the NDRA saddle bronc championship. Brad completed second within the School Nationwide Saddle Bronc Championship in 1979 and was the nationwide champion in 1980.

Following commencement from Dickinson State in 1980, Brad turned skilled. Though he had participated in a number of totally different rodeo occasions up to now, he determined to give attention to saddle bronc using as an expert. Rising up he rode bareback, however he mentioned, “saddle bronc appeared to come back extra pure.”

No North Dakotan had ever received the nationwide saddle bronc championship and the competitors seemed to be evenly matched as a result of six totally different cowboys had received that occasion up to now 5 years. Just one particular person had ever really dominated that occasion, and he was Casey Tibbs, from Fort Pierre, S.D., who received six nationwide bronc using championships between 1949 and 1959.

Saddle bronc using was much like bareback using, however the rider makes use of a specialised Western saddle with out a horn. The rider wanted to remain on the bucking horse for at least eight seconds and judges assessed the experience primarily based on sure standards. The cowboy with the very best rating given by the judges was declared the winner.

In 1980, “there was no restrict to (the quantity) of rodeo entries” an individual may enter. Brad signed up for the utmost variety of rodeos he anticipated he would be capable to compete in, even when it meant a couple of rodeo on a given day. He mentioned, “One Fourth of July, I entered 5 rodeos and made 4 of them.”

The skilled rodeo season had already begun in 1980 when Brad turned professional, however his entry into that sport was glorious, profitable greater than his share of rodeo occasions. When the season ended, Brad was chosen as nationwide saddle bronc using Rookie of the 12 months by the PRCA.

In 1981, “Gjermundson led the saddle bronc competitors from begin to end,” using in 130 rodeos, and he received his first PRCA saddle bronc championship. He mentioned he received $8,000 in that occasion, “again in 1981 that was a yr’s wages.” Additionally, that yr, North Dakota Gov. Allen Olson proclaimed a “Brad Gjermundson Day.”

In 1982, Brad entered 210 rodeos and went to 155. It was his finest yr moneywise — at about $95,000, he had the very best earnings of any skilled rodeo cowboy. He got here in second within the nationwide saddle bronc championship however was extraordinarily happy with the yr’s outcomes. Brad was additionally happy together with his rodeo ends in 1983 and capped it off by profitable his second PRCA championship within the saddle bronc competitors.

For Brad, 1984 was a major yr. He received his occasion in 15 straight rodeos, together with the PRCA championship.

That summer season, at a rodeo occasion in Reno, Nev., he introduced his girlfriend, Jackie Brown, with him, and on June 20 they have been married. “Their honeymoon was an all-night drive from Reno to North Platte, Nebraska, for one more rodeo. Then, from North Platte to Miles Metropolis, Montana, in order that Brad may catch a non-public airplane experience to Canada for one more rodeo.” Brad and Jackie rented a home in Keene, N.D., the city the place her dad and mom lived.

Brad received the PRCA saddle bronc championship once more in 1985, and though he certified yearly till 1988, the saddle bronc occasion was dominated by Clint Johnson, from Spearfish, S.D. In 1987, Brad and Jackie bought a ranch close to Marshall. Though he continued to compete in rodeos till his official retirement in 1999, Brad spent extra time tending to his ranch. He additionally frolicked annually serving to on the Residence on the Vary Champions Journey Rodeo, which is the largest fundraiser for Residence on the Vary, a facility in Sentinel Butte that “gives a optimistic, therapeutic residence for kids and teenagers who’ve skilled trauma and abuse.”

Few individuals from North Dakota have been inducted into extra halls of fame than Brad Gjermundson. He was inducted into the Western Heritage Corridor of Fame in 1981, adopted by the Scandinavian-American Corridor of Fame in 1986, the North Dakota Cowboy Corridor of Fame in 1990, the North Dakota Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1994, the Professional Rodeo Corridor of Fame in 1995 and the Nationwide Cowboy Corridor of Fame in 2012.

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North Dakota

North Dakota Horse Park gets finances on track as 2025 season takes shape

Published

7 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

North Dakota Horse Park gets finances on track as 2025 season takes shape

FARGO — Slowly, the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo is growing its live horse racing meet and for the first time in nearly a decade, the organization that runs the track is not scrambling to make the tax payment that once loomed over it.

The Fargo track is operated by Horse Race North Dakota, a nonprofit organization that contributed when the track was built in 2003.

At a meeting of Horse Race North Dakota on Friday, Dec. 20. Cindy Slaughter, accountant and co-owner of TaxLady, which contracts with Horse Race North Dakota, said the track’s overall income is up about $93,000 from this time last year.

A fourth weekend of racing cost the track about $148,000 this year. However, that cost can be offset in the future by factors such as attendance and the amount bet on the races.

“There’s a couple of things we could do differently this year to reduce that amount,” North Dakota Horse Park General Manager Hugh Alan Drexler said.

Horses race out of the starting gates in the 5th race of the day during opening day at the North Dakota Horse Park on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

While Drexler and HRND will look to decrease costs, they will not try to do that at the expense of the horsemen, as they hope to keep purses for each race flat or increase them in 2025.

“I don’t want to cut the purses at all, that would be the last thing we would cut,” HRND President Jay Aslop said.

“That is what our goal is, to promote racing and to increase race dates,” Drexler said. “The day the finances don’t look the same, that is when we need to make a change.”

Live racing receives additional funds from the North Dakota Racing Commission. The commission will meet in February to determine the amount of funds that will be granted to the Fargo track as well as Chippewa Downs, the second horse racing track in North Dakota near Belcourt.

Overcoming financial struggles

Heavy special assessments loomed over the North Dakota Horse Park for several years after it opened.

In 2003, the city of Fargo spent $1.5 million to extend sewer, water and other infrastructure to the track. The city planned to recoup the costs with special assessments, a kind of property tax assessed to benefiting properties, but the city agreed to suspend the assessments for five years in hopes that the race track would stimulate the development of commercial and residential properties. This would spread the assessments over more property owners and create a smaller bill for the track, which in 2015 was about $1.9 million.

The track is now in repayment of its taxes, making annual payments to the city of Fargo, and accountants are confident a fourth weekend of racing in 2025 will not adversely affect the track.

“I don’t have any concerns about running a fourth weekend this year,” Slaughter said.

Horse racing will be held at the Fargo track in 2025 over four weekends, likely July 12 through Aug. 3, track officials said.

“(It will be) some combination of either Friday, Saturday or Saturday, Sunday depending on what other events are going on in the area,” said Drexler.

In 2024, attendance at the Fargo track was up overall with about 8,358 in attendance over the eight race days, up from about 8,127, in 2023.

The Fargo track held horse races on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for four consecutive weekends, starting Saturday, July 13. The weekend of July 27-28, races were held in the evening so as to not compete with the Fargo AirSho. The horse park competed for attendance each weekend as the Fargo Street Fair, Red River Valley Fair and the Renaissance Fair overlapped the schedule. The horse park’s closing weekend coincided with WeFest.

The track hosted only three weekends of racing in 2022 and 2023, as it was constricted to operating expenses and the amount of money granted for a live season by the North Dakota Racing Commission. The Fargo track hosted a four-week meet in 2021 but held only two weekends in 2020.

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North Dakota

Sports Spotlight: Ben DeForest

Published

16 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Bismarck High Wrestlers win a lot of titles.

“We’re striving for a state championship, that’s where the bar is set,” said Bismarck High Wrestling head coach Mark Lardy.

Three of said titles belong to the top-ranked 133-pound wrestler in North Dakota, Ben DeForest.

Now, Ben’s going for number four.

“It would mean everything to me,” said Ben DeForest. “There have been some great wrestlers from BHS that have been four-timers it would just mean a lot for me to add my name to that list.”

”He led a lot by example in the past,” said Lardy. “Now he leads not only by example but his voice in the room is heard.“

Even when his BHS days are over, Ben has another chapter to write in his story: He’s committed to Wrestle at UMary.

“We pride ourselves on trying to keep and retain as many local North Dakota kids here at U-Mary and we’re just very thankful that Ben chose to come here and wrestle for us as well,” said U-Mary Wrestling head coach Adam Aho.

The state champ has a bigger goal in mind.

“His goal is way beyond what our room is going to give him. This is just a stepping stone,” said Lardy.

Ben wants a national championship.

“We need every guy to have that type of mentality,” said Aho. “Without it, we will never be relevant on the national scene.”

”Once you get your hand raised you realize, all those morning practices you didn’t want to go to and all those lifts that you were like, uh I don’t know, it’s worth it. It’s worth it,” said DeForest.

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North Dakota

My Heartfelt Christmas Wish To You North Dakota

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

My Heartfelt Christmas Wish To You North Dakota.

Not a “catchy-clicky” title and I doubt many of my listeners or readers will probably even read this article.

However, I wanted to share something with you that is on my heart. This is so not me, as I’m more the guy who writes about “North Dakota’s 10 most quirky this and that”.

It’s not that I’m not a sensitive guy, because when I was growing up, I was probably too sensitive. I would avoid sad movies, songs, or anything that would spark too much of an emotion.

Yes, you could say my heart has become a bit jaded and cold over the years. It’s not something I’m proud of but more of a defense mechanism.

2024 has probably been one of the most challenging years for my family.

From losing loved ones to family issues to health issues to very challenging financial times, it’s been one of those years where you just can’t catch a break. I’m sure many of you can relate.

As we were attending a Christmas Eve candlelight service last night a young child caught my eye.

She was a cute little toddler who was starting to act up. Something I remember oh so well at church with my little now 20-year-old son.

As her father took her outside the sanctuary to attend to her, I couldn’t help but notice this child’s extremely unfair situation. She had a disability at a year or so old, that none of us could ever imagine. It broke my heart.

This poor child and her family no doubt have a long road ahead of them. As we lit our candles later in the service, I caught the wonder in her eyes, and it couldn’t help but melt my cold heart at the time.

She was perfect and I found myself saying a prayer for this little blonde girl with curly locks and her family.

Her situation also reminded me that I should be thankful for what I have and not what I don’t this Christmas. This is my Christmas wish for you North Dakota, that you will realize the same thing.

Be thankful for who you have around the tree today, not what’s under it.

Merry Christmas to all my listeners and readers. I hope at least a few of you get to read this and it will touch you the same way this little girl touched me on Christmas Eve.