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Area cowboy takes crown

By Alicia Johnson ajohnson@poststar.com | Posted: Sunday, November 8, 2009 12:50 am | (0) Comments

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T.J. HOOKER T.J. Hooker - thooker@poststar.com Franky Gugliotti rides a bull named Gear Jammer during the 19th annual Adirondack Stampede Charity Rodeo held at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday, November 07, 2009.

GLENS FALLS -- With a lift of his cowboy hat, Darren Morgan thanked the crowd of 3,4,96 who gathered in the Glens Falls Civic Center Saturday night.

The Fort Edward resident just treated his hometown crowd to a first-place 9.3-second performance in the tie-down roping event at the Adirondack Stampede Charity Rodeo event.

Moments before competing, the soft-spoken Morgan talked about getting into the sport at the age of 13 when his father, Randy Morgan, introduced him to riding.

Morgan, who placed sixth in the team roping event with Casey Cox, took to the tie-down roping event because it combined his love of horses with competing with horses.

"It takes a lot of time and practice to be successful," said Morgan, who's experienced quite a bit of success this season. "A lot of people don't want to put in the time that it takes to be successful. I think the biggest thing is the dedication to practicing."

The first time Josh Beadnell competed in a steer wrestling competition four years ago, he won. The Warrensburg native, who has been involved in rodeo for most of his life, was looking for a new outlet.

"It was the only thing I could get close enough to beating up something," said Beadnell, who wrestled for the Burghers in the late 90s.

Since his first outing, Beadnell has been the one getting beat up. His love of steer wrestling has led to broken fingers, broken elbows and even getting run over by his hazing horse this summer.

"Bull riders say we're crazy, we say they're crazy," Beadnell said. "It just depends. They have to stay on a bull for eight seconds and we have to fall off a running horse."

In the bareback riding competition, Lake Luzerne resident Terry Lee Owens Jr. bested his score with a 75 to take the championship title.

As man after man fell from their respective bulls, it became clear that the one rider who could hold on would walk away with the big bull riding pot. That man was Scott Sellers from Pequea, PA. on Double Deuce from the Painted Pony.

"Sometimes it's not about making the points, it's about making the horn," Sellers said.

2009 Adirondack Stampede

Charity Rodeo

Bareback Riding

(Only rider to record a score)

Name Hometown Pts.

1. Terry Lee Owens Jr. Lake Luzerne 75

Team Roping

Name Hometown Time

1. Morgan Jones/Cole Bigbee

Leighton/Tuscunbia, AL. 5.8

2. Bobby Boyd/Tim Aboot