Messages from February 2008
posted 2.29.08
One day left for on-time entries. For those of you who don't have envelopes in my box yet, I hope you got them in the mail today. However, late entries will be accepted until Tuesday with the applicable late fines (per envelope.)
Hope you all enjoyed your extra day this year. I would just as soon have more Leap Days if the weather would always be this nice.
Tomorrow is the 1st of March which means the late fines for ads and grades go up another $25.
If you won't be competing at Amarillo but plan to come to Hereford, please give me a call so I can plan for you when I am setting up the rotations. It will just make things a little easier down the road.
Have a great weekend. Don't forget about the jackpots at Paige Arena on Sunday. Link to information is in the post below.
posted 2.26.08
Two days worth of entries and I already see a trend in rotation requests. Hopefully they will even out on their own during the next few days so their won't be too many disappointed with not getting their request.
Here's a history lesson: In the fall of 2006, the Board of Directors chose to go with an all day rodeo format instead of splitting into two performances. For example, this would allow all of the barrels to be run together and all of the calf roping to be run together and all of the bull riding to be run together. This idea got shot down pretty quickly once it was advertised to the membership and we reverted back to the two performance format before the first rodeo of the semester.
The Board thought they were making things easier for the contestants but when it came down to it, the pros were far outweighed by the cons. You have to take into consideration the ground conditions when you run 20 barrel racers at a time compared to running 45 at a time. If all of the events requiring stock were run at the same time, the stock contractors would have to bring twice as much stock to accommodate them; greatly increasing their expenses, and in turn, increasing the clubs' expenses. And for the multi-event contestants, they may have to be at the rodeo the entire day waiting for their final event compared to just a few hours with the two performance set up.
So what I am getting at is that it would be so nice (and easy) to put everyone in the rotation of their choice but it just doesn't work that way when the majority are asking for the same one. Just a little warning.
For the calf ropers - boys and girls - that want a warm-up before going to the Amarillo rodeo, here is some information on some jackpots at the Paige Arena this coming Sunday (March 2nd.)
posted 2.25.08
The entries for our first spring rodeo open today. Make sure you get them turned in before this Saturday to avoid late fines.
There is only one high school rodeo on March 8th and it is followed by one Wrangler Division rodeo. There are no rodeos on Sunday. Even though I sent you extra envelopes, you should only be entering ONE rodeo. Keep the extras for the Hereford rodeo.
There are still members looking for partners for high school team roping and Wrangler team roping and ribbon roping. If you are available, call the office so I can add you to my list and try to get everyone paired up.
posted 2.20.08
There are only 3 days left to get your eligibility requirements or new memberships in to be ready for the rodeo on March 8th. Team ropers: take a look at the ineligible list and make sure your partner's name is not listed. If it is, you might want to give him a call and see if he needs a little help meeting the deadline.
For those of you who turned in ad money with no artwork, you are about to run out of time. I have had a list of members who promised artwork was coming separately at the bottom of the Ineligible List for almost two months. Your money will become simply a donation if your artwork is not received by March 1st. I can't wait for it any longer.
Entries for the Canyon / Amarillo rodeo on March 8th open on MONDAY ~ not a few days before Monday. If you can hold on to your entries and mail them this Saturday, then they will get here in plenty of time.
posted 2.17.08
I need to clarify the wording in my letter that went out with entry envelopes. I sent enough envelopes for the Canyon/Amarillo rodeo and the Hereford rodeo but you DO NOT enter them at the same time. We have 3 weeks between the two rodeos so you will not be able to enter Hereford while you are at Amarillo. You will need to MAIL in your Hereford entries when the books open on March 24th.
Along that same note: entry openings and closings are not something that previous Tri-State board members came up with. You will find this at every level of rodeo, from junior level to high school, college, amateur and professional. You will still have rules to follow, dress code requirements and deadlines regardless of where you decide to compete. I can guarantee you that if you call ProCom (PRCA central entry) before the books open for a rodeo, they will not take your entry. And there aren't late fines if you call too late. You just don't get to enter that rodeo.
What I would like for you to do is to consider Tri-State as preparation for your next level of competition. Pay attention to your deadlines. Don't send your entries in a week early. Know that it is okay to ask questions if you don't understand something. And have fun.
I can't wait to see you guys again,
Prayer Request
posted 2.16.08
GOOD NEWS! Jenny went home on Friday. Please keep her in your prayers as she continues to recover.
posted 2.11.08
Please keep praying for Jenny. She was making improvement but had complications over the weekend and is back in ICU and on a ventilator.
posted 1.31.08
Jenny has been diagnosed with myastenia gravis. Her doctors are giving her medicine to treat this and think she is getting better. You can do an internet search to learn about this disease. I found information at http://www.4woman.org/faq/mgravis.htm.
posted 1.24.08
Jenny Gillispie is in the ICU at Northwest Texas Hospital. She is in critical condition. She is suffering from a thyroid condition known as "thyroid storm". For more information on thyroid storm, check webmd on the internet.
Please keep Jenny, her family and friends in your prayers. We will keep you updated when we find out any new information.
If you would like to send cards or letters, Jenny's address is
7720 Bent Tree
Amarillo, Texas 79121
posted 2.13.08
I mailed entry envelopes yesterday. Some of you may have already received yours by now but if you don't have them by this weekend, give me a call.
Keep in mind that you get a new rotation this semester - it does not continue with how you ended the fall semester. When you enter for the Canyon / Amarillo rodeo, you will need to mark your preference on your envelope. The spring semester has a ton of activities to plan around so if you end up not getting your rotation request, remember that you are allowed to change a rotation if a school activity is in conflict. Look at page 21 in the rulebook for how to do this. School activities include sporting events, UIL contests, ACT or SAT testing, and prom to name a few.
posted 2.11.08
I would like to apologize to those of you who tried to reach me while I was out of town. I understand that not everyone checks the website regularly and therefore could not see the message that I was going to be gone and would not have access to phone or e-mail for several days. I am sorry for your frustration that I did not return your calls as quickly as you would have liked but I have bills to pay just like you do. I can't just work on high school rodeos 24/7 and expect to get by in the months we don't have rodeos, so I work other rodeo events throughout the year. When it is feasible, I will forward the office phone to my cell phone to catch your calls but please understand that I can't always do that. When I am out of town I work long days and may not be able to call you back at a reasonable hour. I will always let you know when I will be out of town so I would appreciate your patience and understanding during these times.
I have apologized to the ones who left messages. To those of you too frustrated to leave messages, I apologize to you, as well.