Life Coach in Wickenburg, AZ

Associate Editor

In 2022, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) made its first stop through Wickenburg in April with Legends of the West. This year, the event of the same name will return April 1 and 2, and promises to bring just as much excitement to the team roping capital of the world as it did the first time around.

"Wickenburg is a cowboy town, and whenever you can bring a professional rodeo to Wickenburg, Ariz., that's exciting," said stock contractor Jerry Honeycutt, one of the event's producers. "My grandpa and my dad drilled into my head, 'You need to entertain the people. They're the ones who pay for the rodeo.' Putting on a professional rodeo is expensive. It takes sponsors. The people who come to watch the PRCA Rodeo are going to be entertained."

While the lion's share of the entertainment falls at the feet of the competitors and their livestock, professional rodeo announcer Bob Edmonds and his voice will shoulder his own "burden" as well.

"It's the best of the best," said Edmonds. "It's not just about the rodeo but the entire Wickenburg experience. It's an event that is becoming legendary in just this, its second year being sanctioned by the PRCA. It's always a major stop, and it's even more so this year."

With Legends of the West being a sanctioned rodeo, some of its competitors will be going on to the National Finals Rodeo this December in Las Vegas. Edmonds describes this Wickenburg event as "a major stepping stone" if the competitors want to move onto the postseason.

"It's just going to be a great show," said Honeycutt. "You're going to see all the eight major events. From saddle bronc riding to bull riding. You've got a 1,700-1,800-pound bull and a 150-pound cowboy. Rodeo is the most dangerous event. There's going to be a ton of contestants, so it's going to be good watching."

Along with the competitors will be other entertainment, including NFR trick rider Madison MacDonald and barrel man Nate Shotgunn Reed. Also in attendance will be Kennadee Riggs, who, appearing at last year's Legends of the West event as Miss Rodeo Arizona, will grace the second running of as Miss Rodeo America.

The festivities begin Saturday, April 1 at Everett Bowman Arena (935 Constellation Road) with Iron Cowgirl from 9-11:30 a.m. (gates open at 8 a.m.) Saturday's main performance begins later that day at 7 p.m. (gates open at 5 p.m.) Following Saturday's event, the after party will be at The Palomino (107 E. Wickenburg Way). The two-day event continues Sunday, April 2, beginning at 3 p.m. (gates open at 1 p.m.)

Representing the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce, one of the event's big producers, Chamber Director Sheila Goode said, "We have taken both a deep breath and a huge leap of faith to bring what is sure to be a top-notch and action-packed weekend of professional rodeo to Wickenburg."

For tickets, visit wickenburg.bammtickets.com or contact the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce at (928) 684-5479

Desert Caballeros Western

Museum Marketing Director

The Desert Caballeros Western Museum and the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce are proud to host the reigning Miss Rodeo America, Kennadee Riggs, in Wickenburg on April 1 and 2.

Riggs is scheduled to appear at the Museum during Sunday, April 2’s “Cowgirl Up!” Chuckwagon Breakfast and Artists’ Quick Draw event, between 9 a.m. and noon. Reservations for breakfast under the big tent are available at westernmuseum.org or by calling (928) 684-2272. Reservations are $35 per person in advance or $45 per person at the door; kids 12 and under are $15 each with an adult ticket purchase.

The emcee for Sunday’s event will be Bob Boze Bell, the executive editor of “True West Magazine”. Bob will also be the emcee at the “Cowgirl Up!” dinner and live auction on Saturday, April 1. Find about all the “Cowgirl Up!” opening events at westernmuseum.org

In addition to the “Cowgirl Up!” event, Riggs will make an appearance at Legends of the West PRCA Rodeo. The rodeo will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Everett Bowman Rodeo Arena which is less than two miles away from the Museum. For more information about the rodeo contact the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce at (928) 684-5479 or visit www.wickenburgchamber.com.

Riggs was crowned Miss Rodeo America at the Miss Rodeo America 2023 Pageant that was held on Dec. 4, 2022, in Las Vegas. She hails from Queen Creek, Ariz. and previously served as the 2022 Miss Rodeo Arizona. She is only the fifth woman from Arizona to win the title since the inaugural pageant 66 years ago. The Miss Rodeo America pageant is held in December of every year in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The competition takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Reigning state rodeo queens from across America are eligible to compete for the title and are judged on their appearance, horsemanship, and personality. The winner receives over $20,000 in prizes and reigns for one year. She is expected to travel more than 120,000 miles on behalf of the organization during her reign. The Miss Rodeo America title was inaugurated in 1956, and the first winner was Marilyn Scott Freimark originally from Cheyenne, Wyo.

Also, join us as a Museum member and attend a special members-only event with a Reverse Painting Workshop taught by Kathy Cano-Murillo, "The Crafty Chica." Mark your calendar for Thursday, April 6 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cultural Crossroads Learning Center. Museum Member pricing is $10 per person. Limited seating. To register or to become a member, call the Museum at 928-684-2272 or visit westernmuseum.org Generously sponsored by The Wellik Foundation.

Sun CorrespondentSeventeen high school teams from around the state will converge in Wickenburg this weekend to compete in the 19th Annual Wrangler Classic girls softball tournament at Sunset Park on the west side of town.Some will be staying at local hotels and others will travel back and forth daily from the Surprise and Phoenix areas.Coming from the southern part of the state includes defending last year’s Gold Bracket champion Sahuarita, Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Empire of Vail, and San Manuel. Coming from the north will be Flagstaff, Page and Monument Valley of Kayenta, with the trio of Lake Havasu, defending Purple Bracket champion River Valley along the Colorado River, and Lee Williams of Kingman traveling here from the west. Round Valley of Eager, which won the 2A Conference state championship last year, is one of two teams (the other being Snowflake) making the long trip from the eastern part of the state.The rest — Liberty of Peoria, Shadow Ridge of Surprise, Thunderbird of Phoenix, Desert Heights of Glendale, and Salome — will likely make the trip from home each day.The enrollment size of the schools also vary greatly, with the teams competing during the regular season in relatively comparable conferences. For instance, the largest schools in the tournament are Liberty and Shadow Ridge in the state’s 6A Conference; Catalina Foothills and Lake Havasu in 5A; Flagstaff, Lee Williams, Sahuarita and Thunderbird in 4A; and Empire, Monument Valley, Page, River Valley, Snowflake and Wickenburg in 3A.The smallest schools in the tournament include Round Valley in 2A and the trio of Desert Heights, Salome, and San Manuel competing in the state’s smallest conference (1A).The 18 teams are divided into three six-team pools to determine which ones will determine the seedings in the two championship brackets. Since this is not a double-elimination tournament, teams losing in bracket play Saturday will head home.The tournament starts at 4 p.m. Thursday with three pool games, which will continue at 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. Friday.Each team will then be placed in the two brackets beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, based on its success in the pool games. The bracket championship games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday.Wickenburg High is one of the six teams starting early on Thursday, with Coach Keith Peterson’s Lady Wranglers facing Thunderbird. They will return Friday to play Flagstaff at 11 a.m. and Snowflake at 3:30 p.m.Admission for fans is $10 per person each day on Friday and Saturday. Cash will not be accepted. Instead, attendees are asked to purchase their tickets in advance through GoFan or scan the digital QR code that will be available at the gate.

Lady Wranglers lose openerIn preparation for the tournament, Wickenburg High’s girls softball team hosted Bagdad last week in its season-opener.However, the visiting Lady Sultans limited the Lady Wranglers to just three hits in their 9-1 victory while scoring all nine of their runs in the final two innings.Bagdad’s junior starting pitcher Nuvia Jauregui struck out 13 Lady Wranglers and walked five, while the Lady Wranglers’ junior starting pitcher Daisy Smith struck out nine and walked three — with most of the Lady Sultans' 10 hits coming in the final two innings after they were shut out through the first five innings.Smith contributed offensively with one of the Lady Wranglers’ three hits, with sophomore catcher Ariel Sprecher and senior third baseman Madalynn Peterson recording the other two hits.The Lady Wranglers traveled to Buckeye to battle Odyssey Institute earlier this week, but those results were not available for this week’s report.

Associate Editor

Saturday's Guys Who Grill brought new meaning to the term "ribbing" amongst the competitors.

Ty Cranmore, pitmaster for Fat Ox BBQ (from Surprise), could only assume the best in beef category was changed to "best brisket" this year because "nobody can touch" Fat Ox. Though having to take a back seat to Slick Rock (Peoria) for top honors in brisket, Cranmore and Fat Ox took home awards in both "best chicken" and "best out of the box." Slick Rock also bested the competition in the "best rib" category. Making their way up from Goodyear, Pork Bombing BBQ and pitmaster Jimmy Goff took home "best in pork" honors.

A couple of out-of-town newcomers to this year's competition were Phoenix's Bench Press BBQ, specializing in pulled pork, and Peoria's Diamond D BBQ. Diamond D pitmaster Art Davis, inspired by his late mother, has a special eye for the needs of all his customers no matter where they lie on the age spectrum.

"I wanted to create something that’s soft that older folks can eat where they don’t have to worry about dentures and stuff like that," said Davis. "My mom was older and she passed, so I started wanting to make food that everybody can eat that’s not hard. A lot of barbecue is hard and chewy. Chicken is very versatile. I wanted it to be juicy, tender, flavorful, hot, and sweet."

Davis's chicken wasn't the only display of versatility during the competition, as the 15 grillers presented a blend of specialty recipes, including local competitor Lefty's BBQ's smoked meat loaf in bacon jam, Family Traditions' (Peoria) barbecue sundaes, and local Charley Peterson's "moink," a bacon-wrapped chorizo cooked with jalapenos and cheddar and dipped in barbecue sauce featured at the "Mayonators" tent. Also representing the Mayonators, Mayor Rui Pereira said, "The competition is great. It’s great to see all these folks come from all over the state to compete here. It’s a lot of fun. People love the food, atmosphere, and the location."

A couple of familiar faces returning to this year's competition after a one-year hiatus were Joe Jones with Arizona Appetite and Larry Hershkowitz with Haulin' Ash, who, though he appreciates bragging rights, understands why everyone competes at Guys Who Grill.

"We’re here for the kids," Hershkowitz said. "It’s a great cause and we love it."

The cause being Camp Imagination, which begins in early June, a total of $7,014 was raised from the People's Choice category, which will be donated to the summer program. Wild Beaver BBQ (Surprise), which not only received $3,100 in their vote jar to take home People's Choice honors donated the category's winnings of $250 back to "the kids." Also donating their haul (tips) from the day were performers Dillon and the High Desert Band.

As a person who works primarily with kids, Vulture Peak Middle School principal Anne Marie Davee, participating in The Place Church's tent and their token grilled pork chops, said, "We have more professional catering booths than normal, which is nice. The best part of it is hanging out, going around and talking with people, and sharing. It’s such a great cause. I like that they have the outsiders, but the fact that they have some many people involved at a community event, it means a lot."

Staff Writer

Thanks to a grant from the Arizona State Questers, a nonprofit 501C3 organization that “promotes preservation, restoration, and education projects,” the Henry Wickenburg Pioneer Cemetery is going to get a touch up.

Contractor Polo Bencomo, who was trained and educated in restoring monuments and setting back headstones with the Pioneer Cemetery in Phoenix, was commissioned to refurbish Wickenburg’s historic cemetery’s tombstones.

“We are so happy to have somebody who’s actual worked on historical cemeteries before and who knows their stuff,” said Beverly Bishop, president of the Wickenburg Pioneer Chapter of Questers. “The Henry Wickenburg Home and Cemetery have been projects of our local chapter for 10 years now. We started providing material support to the Wickenburg House in the form of antique furnishings, and we contributed towards the wagon that’s sitting out in front of it. Now, we’ve written the current grant to restore the cemetery as much as we can.”

Recognizing a noticeably different climate, at times, from that of Phoenix, Bencomo is also wary of the difference in time periods from when the cemetery was created.

“Sometimes it’s trial and error,” said Bencomo. “It’s hard to do what they did back in the 1900’s. Materials are almost the same but not the same. You just try to manipulate it. We’re using a material you put in the cracks, so it doesn’t expand again. Here, it’s freezing sometimes, and the water goes in and freezes and that’s why you get cracks. We’re trying to match whatever they had here as close as we can. The material we’re using is similar to the old one. It’s going to look newer.”

Another part of the current restoration touches on the hillside atop which the cemetery resides.

“In addition to the work on the tombs, we will be putting in railroad ties and moving some dirt around to try and terrace that back edge to keep the integrity of the hill there,” said Bishop. “That’s all part of this particular grant.”

Looking on at the first restored tomb with a smile, Cindy Thrasher, president of the Wickenburg Historical Preservation Society, said, “It’s been long needed, and it’s hard to find somebody proficient enough to do it. I think most people were afraid to do it. We had seven other entities or people I contacted; different people in and outside of town. It’s not a big job, and most people don’t want to do this small of a job, plus it’s scary. There’s really no right answer or right way to do this because it’s so old, and you don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m thrilled beyond words.”