One Done Daddy

Believe it or not the 112th Cheyenne Frontier Days is now over.

Congratulations to Steve Woolsey for winning his first CFD title after riding three bulls for 245 points including a 91-point ride in the championship round. Over the years I’ve become friends with the 2000 World Champion Bull Rider, Cody Hancock. Cody proved once again that he is a contender recording an 85- point ride on Sunday and ultimately a second place finish overall.

Cheyenne Frontier Days is undoubtedly the most prestigious rodeo in the world. 2008 marked my seventh year to fight bulls at CFD and each year the western celebration improves. CFD has been named the PRCA’s Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year nine times and what an honor it is to be just a small part of their success.

In the 112th edition of CFD, Jesse Bail made perhaps the best ride I’ve seen him make when he turned in a 91-point ride in the first round to earn $6,300 for eight seconds of work. NFR qualifier J.W. Harris rode a previously unridden Thomas Taylor bucking bull for 86 points. Perhaps the most sentimental moment came when Jay Marrow made a qualified ride on a bull renamed for Cheyenne resident Hunter Jones. Despite the fact Hunter is fighting cerebral palsy he attends CFD every year. But it’s his smile that is contagious and his smile that has made him a big hit among CFD bull riders. After Jay’s successful ride, Hunter autographed Jay’s CFD Day Sheet. Jay might not have won the CFD championship but he will always remember the smile Hunter Jones had when he made a successful ride. Now that is priceless.

I knew Sunday was going to be a busy day for me and my wife, Jamie. We had to hustle from Frontier Park to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium in Denver in order to make the Colorado Rapids game Sunday evening. There weren’t too many minutes to spare but we did end up arriving on time. Jamie had the truck running and I sprinted from the rodeo arena to the pickup as soon as the last bull bucked. I threw my gear bag in the back and made a mad dash for the back seat as Jamie spun out.

Cheyenne’s CBS 5 had previously done an interview with me regarding how busy Sunday was going to be but it wasn’t until the moment we pulled away that I felt the pressure to be on time.



At 7p.m. we got to the stadium with not a minute to spare. We were escorted onto the field where I was to meet with the Rapids team captain, Pablo Mastroeni (No. 25), and then participate in the coin toss.

After my duties as the Honorary Team Captain were complete Jamie and I enjoyed watching the game and learning more about my now favorite MLS Team, the Rapids. I have to say, the Rapids fans take the game seriously and aren’t afraid to let the referees know how they feel when a call doesn’t go their way. MLS is intense and action packed. It’s not just a bunch of people chasing a ball. I’m now an official soccer fan and can’t wait to return for another game.

While sitting on the bench getting ready to meet Pablo I told Jamie I think I could play this game. That’s something you most likely wouldn’t hear from Mastroeni should Pablo come to CFD next year to watch me in action.
Forever West,

Jeremy

Tough Enough To Wear Pink

The odds were stacked against me today as I had to fight bulls in the mud and unusual humidity created by yesterday's rain shower. Add that to the fact I was wearing a new pink jersey in support of Wrangler's Tough Enough To Wear Pink (TETWP)campaign and you have just the right mix for a potential hooking!

2008 marks the fourth year Wrangler has donated money for each contestant wearing pink on such designated TETWP performances. I would guess more than half of the cowboys competing today participated in this great event. I will try to get you the amount raised by CFD cowboys ASAP. I will venture to say that amount will be in the thousands.

Prior to the performance, Cheyenne’s CBS 5 reporter Alex Hannum interviewed me regarding the program. Be sure to check out the full TETWP interview at CBS5.

Speaking of good deeds, Locks of Love an organization which accepts donated hair in order to create wigs for children fighting cancer received a donation today that was certainly unplanned!

CFD Barrelman Cody Soesbee has been growing his hair out for over a year now. His hair had reached the minimum requirement to donate and it was getting hard to recognize him being his typical hairdo is similar to an Airman’s. Well today, front and center at CFD arena I arranged for Cody to get a surprise haircut courtesy of none other than myself! It was certainly entertaining as I tried my best to shave his head. He got away from me before I shaved him completely bald…but not before I could leave him with a nice Mohawk! He’s not ready to enter active duty but he did get a free haircut and Locks of Love will be receiving a donation.

As for the bullriding it wasn’t too bad. 2008 College National Finals qualifier Brent Menz made a good bull ride hanging on for the required eight seconds but it’s current World Champion Wesley Silcox who holds the second round lead with an 88 score.

Despite the odds being stacked against me with the mud and my new TWTWP jersey I managed to walk away in one piece.

It’s hard to think that we are on the downhill side of the 2008 Cheyenne Frontier Days but a lot of action will take place in these last few days so make sure you keep checking in with the Blogging Bullfighter for a first hand look at CFD.


Forever West,

Jeremy

Wild, Wet & Western

CFD wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t get to play in the mud at least once. In the middle of the fifth performance we had our chance to get wet and wild. We were in the second of three sections of bulls when the bottom fell out. Believe it or not I don’t mind fighting bulls while it’s raining. It’s the next day when it’s muddy that I have to work a little harder to get my job done.

I have been busy this week with parades, news interviews, promo appearances and a host of other CFD events and I hope that you have been able to keep up through it all.

I sported my Rapids jersey on Monday and guess what? I took a hooking. Bullfighters typically wear the same outfit as it always seems that when we put on a new article of clothing we get hooked. I’m not totally superstitious but I will say 60% of the time a hooking happens. Nevertheless, it made a great picture and you can see it online at the Rapids official website. In addition, the Rapids had this to say...

Let the Sparks Fly: In a sport where only the strong survive, Jeremy Sparks has excelled. Jeremy is an eight-year veteran bullfighter in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as well as the Professional Bull Riders. He is the only professional bullfighter in the United States Air Force, serving as the Commandant of Cadets at the University of Wyoming. In true Rapids supporter fashion, he's been wearing a Rapids jersey all week as he has competed at Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s largest rodeo and western celebration. He also wears shin guards and soccer cleats when he competes. Fans will get the chance to see Jeremy in person this weekend, as he will be the Honorary Captain at the Rapids game this Sunday.

Jamie and I are excited for Sunday when I make my appearance as the Rapids “Honorary Captain” when they face off with Columbus at 7:30pm at Dick Sporting Goods stadium. It is really nice to have my family supporting my career choice and attending so many events with me. I know it’s going to be blast.

As for rodeo action, my good friend, and Wyoming Secretary of State Max Maxfield, came out to support our Wyoming cowboys and they didn’t disappoint! Bobby Welsh was successful turning in a 78-point ride. He has certainly been on fire this year and you can bet he will represent Wyoming at the 2008 National Finals Rodeo.

Relatively unknown Cheyenne cowboy, Tyrel Nelson is tied for the lead in the bareback riding with two-time world champion Bobby Mote. I hope Tyrel carries his momentum into round two and earns a spot in the championship round on Sunday. How exciting would it be for this young man to win his hometown rodeo?

Despite the hurricane in Texas, it looks as if CBS News will make the trip to Cheyenne and report live from the pancake breakfast on Friday. Tune into “The Early Show” and watch my live interview tomorrow.

Well I have to wash muddy clothes but thanks for stopping by.

It is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” day and I have a special jersey just for that. I hope I don’t get hooked for wearing a new jersey but if I do it will be for a good cause. We hope to raise both money and awareness for the Susan G. Koman and TETWP Foundations. If you’re a cancer survivor, my hat’s off to you for fighting the good fight…and WINNING!

Forever West,

Jeremy

Always Moving!!

Cheyenne Frontier Days is officially underway. It has been a whirlwind ride so far and we have only just begun.

The interviews I previously blogged about went really well. I’d like to thank Denver 7 and Fox 31 for their generosity and sharing my story. It was an early morning but well worth it.

I woke up at 5am and was on the road by 6am. I was scheduled for Fox 31 “Good Day Colorado” show at 8am so I needed to hit the ground running in order to beat the morning traffic. I fueled up in Cheyenne before heading south. To my dismay ten miles into the trip I realized I had forgotten the video footage they had requested so I had to return home in order to pick it up. Good news is I made it.

There was a break between the morning news interview and my taping for Denver 7. I crashed at a friends’ house just outside Denver. It’s always better to visit and laugh with good friends than it is to walk the mall.

At 1:30pm I headed back into Denver to start the taping. It was a fun interview and allowed me the opportunity to promote Wyoming and explain the role of a bullfighter. Perhaps you were able to catch it both Friday and Saturday on the 10 o’clock news.

Big thanks go out to Steve Kelley and his Fox 31 team as well as the entire Denver 7 Sports crew. Also, congratulations to my good friend Anne Trujillo of Denver 7 for earning the Emmy for Denver’s Best News Anchor!

Be sure to check back as we work to upload interviews.

Well I arrived back into Cheyenne just in time to make a promo appearance at the Wyoming Tourism booth located near the CFD Ticket Office. Don’t miss your chance to stop by and learn more about Wyoming and get your free Chris LeDoux Tribute DVD.

From there I met up with Jamie it was on to a CFD reception. It’s always a treat to visit with the many people who play a large part in making CFD the greatest outdoor rodeo. Among those in attendance were legendary stock contractor Harry Vold and his wife Karen.

There is no rest for the weary and that is certainly the case for me right now. Jamie and I walked through the night show just long enough for me to get a headache. That was the end of the night for me. We returned home and doctored my headache so I could be better for the first of nine PRCA rodeo performances.

The next morning (19 July) it was off to the CFD Parade at 9:30am. If you want to see a parade, the CFD Parade is a must. There are horses, wagons, Indians, queens, antique vehicles, bands, military troops and so much more. Good news is, there are three more parades (22, 24, 26 July) so you can be sure to get in on the action.

From the parade we headed to Frontier Park to get ready for the rodeo. Fighting bulls with me this year are NFR bullfighter Darrel Diefenbach and world champion Mike Matt. It’s always good to get the first performance under your belt. The first one went well and I hope for eight more just like that! Congrats to Wyoming native Clayton Savage for turning in the high marked ride of the day scoring 87 points.

P.s. - Happy Birthday Jamie!

Forever West,
Jeremy

CFD or Bust!

It’s getting to be that time of year again…time for Cheyenne Frontier Days. CFD is more than just the largest rodeo in the world; it is truly a “western celebration.”

Since I’m still recovering from my recent incident, I was in town this weekend to help kick off the 112th annual festivities.

My first appearance was 12 July when Jamie and I attended the 2008 CFD Queen Coronation Ball. Each year I get to promote CFD with two talented young ladies and this year is no exception. Miss Frontier Kari Ward and her Lady-In-Waiting Kim Kuhn were the featured guests of the first 2008 CFD event. It’s always exciting to see the queens receive their well earned trophy saddle, buckle and keys to a brand new Dodge Truck among other gifts. This year, my good friend Chris Brown from the Cheyenne Outback Restaurant catered the event. In the seven years I have attended the coronation I do believe this was the largest. Kudos to Col. Pond and the CFD Military Committee volunteers for putting on a first-class event. I would estimate 500+ were in attendance.

Jamie and I had plans to ride in the CFD Cattle Drive the following morning. Due to other commitments it did not work out. Nonetheless, the cattle drive is a great experience and always exciting. Over 700 cattle were driven down Hynds Boulevard some 10 miles before reaching the CFD arena. Spectators traveling Interstate 25 could see firsthand as real cowboys wrangled the cattle through Cheyenne

The public relations events that I do during CFD are numerous. It is not uncommon for me to appear at over 100 PR events in the ten days of action. It’s always a real treat to promote CFD and on Monday 14 July I had the opportunity to speak to 130 kids at Lebhart Elementary School. In Wyoming, everyone has a little cowboy spirit and it’s exciting to see the smile on young faces and excitement in their eyes when talking about watching the rodeo. Miss Frontier and her Lady-in-Waiting along with myself read a cute little cowboy story to the youngsters. Hopefully we appeared to be smarter than a fifth grader!

Every year during CFD it seems as if I am afforded the opportunity to participate in unique PR events. Last year, a couple of unique events were appearing on the nationally televised cooking show “Pressure Cook” with Ralph Pagano and being a contestant on the “Power of 10” with Drew Carey.

This year, I have already been invited to do a very unique PR event that I can’t stop thinking about. I am excited beyond words to tell you I will be the “Honorary Team Captain” for the Colorado Rapids major league soccer game on 27July! Visit www.coloradorapids.com to purchase your ticket for the 27July game when they battle Columbus at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Come out and watch with me and help rally the Rapids to victory.

To help promote frontier days and talk about bullfighting, I will be appearing on Denver’s News 7 with sports anchor Lionel Bienvenu 17July on the four o’clock news. On 18 July wake up a little early and catch me on Denver’s Fox 31 with “Good Day Colorado” host Steve Kelley as we create early morning buzz at 8am.

I will do my best to keep you up-to-date during Cheyenne Frontier Days. It’s going to be a busy ten days but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Be sure to stop by the Wyoming Tourism tent near the CFD Ticket Gate as I will be there signing pictures and handing out the ever popular Chris LeDoux Tribute DVDs.


Forever West,
Jeremy

A Cody Fourth

The 2008 Cody Stampede and Xtreme Bull events are now in the books.

Jamie and I had a great time in Cody despite my injuries taking me out of competition for the remainder of the week. As reported, I did have to make a trip to the West Park Hospital in Cody. I was admitted and ended up staying overnight for evaluation but was discharged just in time to watch the rodeo on Thursday. I can’t compliment the West Park staff enough for taking great care of Jamie and me.

I know they think I’m crazy because the entire time I was trying to talk the doctors into letting me to fight bulls upon my release. Well that didn’t happen but I am only out for ten days and will be good to go in time for Cheyenne Frontier Days. So, I’m excited about that.

We really want to thank everyone that came by and called to check on my status. The Cody Stampede committee went out of their way to ensure our needs were met. In rodeo, it’s not about the money or fame. The people make it worthwhile.

At our hotel a young lady introduced herself and thanked me for saving her brother. Turns out he was the rider trying to make his escape when I moved in to take the bull away. Helping your buddies is truly what cowboy protection/bullfighting is. Truth be told, she didn’t have to thank me. Like Donny Sparks said: “I was simply doing my job.” But it is nice when people recognize your sacrifice.

Due to the turn of events, Jamie and I weren’t able to make it back to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. However, I can promise you the BBHC is worth the price of admission.

I was able to ride in the July 4th parade despite my injuries. Literally thousands of spectators turned out to see the parade and later returned to watch the spectacular fireworks display put on by the City of Cody.

We certainly enjoyed watching it with friends from the newly built hotel, The Cody. Without a doubt, The Cody is the finest lodging in town. The wood used for the interior was salvaged from the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone.

Congratulations to Wesley Silcox the 2008 Cody Stampede Rodeo Champion Bullrider as well as Zeb Lenham for capturing his first Xtreme Bulls win.

It was an honor to fight bulls with my lifetime hero, Donny Sparks. When he came to see me in the ER, I told him he was the reason for all of this. I don’t think he wanted to take credit for me being in the ER but he certainly knows he is the reason I dreamed of becoming a professional bullfighter.

Buffalo Bill & a Bull’s leg to the Head

I told you I would get to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and I have kept my word. I can honestly say, the BBHC is the largest museum I have ever been in. It is a must see! The center is so large that your ticket is redeemable over two consecutive days.

A bronze sculpture of Buffalo Bill Cody greets you at the front door. Upon entering the BBHC visitors get a sense of the larger than life atmosphere the staff has created. The center features five separate museums under one roof. The museums include: Plains Indian, Cody Firearms, Buffalo Bill, Natural History and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art as well as over 20 bronze sculptures situated around the center.

Jamie and I were in awe of the Plain Indian displays. The bald eagle is my favorite bird and to see the craftsmanship of Native American head-dresses, war bonnets and other authentic creations incorporating the bald eagle was a real treat for me. I could literally spend an entire day in the Plains Indian area alone and not see everything.

Check out the website for the BBHC and learn more about the 2500+ gun collection that makes up the Cody Firearms Museum. All firearms are beautifully displayed in rooms, wings, and hanging from the ceiling. It is a must see for all gun enthusiasts. I promise you that if it was made, it is on display. Guns dating back over 300 years grace the walls and visitors can read information about each individual item.

The Cody Firearms Museum was so large that my brain could no longer process the information I was taking in. I would venture to say it could easily take a week to get an adequate feel for all the guns on display.

The last area within the center we walked through was the Buffalo Bill Museum. Buffalo Bill, a “true friend to the Indians,” was an accomplished military scout who later set his sights on creating the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. His creation of such show made the cowboy a true American hero while also employing numerous Native Americans in re-creations of various Indian wars. Thousands of memorabilia items from the show are now on display for visitors to enjoy. Among them are several silver show saddles weighing in at over 75 pounds.

Before I close, I do want to send out a report regarding a little injury I received last night while performing at the Cody Stampede in Cody, WY.

While protecting a fallen rider, I was hooked by a bull and forced to the ground. While still on the ground the bull’s hind leg caught me in the head and briefly knocked me out. I was able to stagger out of the arena with assistance. After being checked out by the Justin Sports Medicine a CT Scan was performed at the Cody Hospital.

Results show a concussion and a contusion. I did spend the night in the hospital last night but hope to be released today. I am currently awaiting the results of a second CT Scan.

Good news is I will be able to fight bulls at Cheyenne Frontier Days later this month.

Please pray for Jamie, our families, and me. I’ve been here before but I do know the toll it takes on family and loved ones.

Take Care,
Jeremy