Audie Reagan

Audie comes from a family of rough stock riders. His dad, brother, cousins, and uncle were all riders. Audie has ridden for 25 years and has a tack room full of saddles and buckles he has won over the years.

He was a member of the CRA and stayed a member even after it became the UPRA until 2006. He has traveled all over the the United States riding in PRCA, IPRA, CRRA, and UPRA rodeos. He was blessed to be able to rodeo full time over the years.

Audie’s favorite bareback horse was AL’s Last Chance. He said, “I wouldn’t mind having one more turn on him!” His favorite saddle bronc horse was 500 Red River. He won first on him 4 or 5 times.

He is married to Amanda, they have children: Samantha, Garrett, Cooper, and Paisley, they reside in Benton, Louisiana where Audie runs a horse dentistry business with his oldest son, Garrett.

He says, “Rodeo is a wonderful way of life, and I enjoyed traveling and meeting great people. If it hadn’t been for the Good Lord he wouldn’t have rodeoed and thanks the Lord for his awesome family.”

L.W. Van Huss

L.W. was born in 1933 in Lone Oak, Texas and is 87 years young. He was a trim carpenter. Doing the inside of houses and stairways. His son does it now.

His rodeo story started at the age of five when he was outside riding in a little car with spool wheels when he heard a cow bawl. He saw three cowboys driving cattle. They had hats on and he said that’s what he wanted to be.

There was a roping arena close by where they charged twenty-five cents per head or five for a dollar. He would go there to rope. They called him Van because there were too many Wayne’s.

When his dad passed away they moved into town and every time he saw them moving cattle, he would ask if he could help. They finally gave him a mule to ride and later he got a horse.

L.W. married Peggy in 1952, they went and got his horse and went to a roping. She was always by his side along with the kids for sixty years. Peggy won a ribbon roping in Whitesboro in 1999, L.W. roped for her. She also pulled ribbons for others at Four States.

He won 10 saddles and over 60 buckles that he passed on to the kids, Sonia Kay, Roy Wayne, Branda Lee, and Wanda Darlene. He has fifteen grandchildren and great grandchildren. L.W. lost his sweet wife of 66 years in 2018 on the Fourth of July.

He feels it has been a good ride and that he has met a lot of good people over the years.

Wayne Carter

Wayne made his first CRA Finals in 1977, in the team roping. His dad, Ralph Carter, and Charles Poe were his partners. Wayne won the team roping event in 1993, ‘95, and ‘96. His fastest time was a 3.7. In 2007 he was runner-up in this event.

Wayne has won over 500 buckles or more, 70 saddles and a couple of horse trailers over his years of competing. He loved to win and was on the rodeo road every weekend.

One of his favorite memories is when Morris McWhorter would laugh at him when he got in at 4 am and started hooking up the irrigation system, as Wayne said, “the grass has to be watered.”

His favorite rodeos were Bogata, Wills Point, Bonham, Durant, and Mexia just to name a few.

Wayne has a son, Layne, who is a team roper and a daughter, Zayne, who competes in breakaway, goat tying, barrels, and poles. His dad still ropes at the age of 85, as does his sister and all of her family. Rodeo and work is all Wayne has known his whole life. He liked all the good people he met over the years, from secretaries, stock contractors, and making new friends like Doug Williams, Will Cook, Jerald Smith, Betty Woodle, Karen Autry, and Beckie Frazier.

He said, “I wouldn’t have ever met them all if I hadn’t been on the rodeo road.”

Roland Nicholson

Roland Nicholson grew up near Mt. Pleasant, Texas and caught the rodeo bug early. He started riding bulls in junior high school, but soon found his true love was steer wrestling. As a young man he spent countless hours in the arena learning from some of the best cowboys in the business. He credits mentors like the legendary T.O. Pines, Bruce Emory, and Gene Smith with helping him achieve success in the steer wrestling world.

Throughout his long career, Roland hauled several top horses that were voted Horse of the Year multiple times. His string of outstanding horses and his hazing skills helped take many cowboys to the pay window.

He was a member of the Dallas Desperados Rodeo Team for several years. Roland held cards in CRA, CRRA, IPRA, UPRA, TRA, PRCA, and other local associations, and qualified for finals more than 20 times. He is a past CRA Steer Wrestling Champion and was an average winner numerous times.

Roland and his wife Rhonda have two children, Barry Nicholson and Keri Pasley. Barry passed away too soon in 2007 at the age of 36. Keri carried on her dad’s rodeo legacy with a successful career in breakaway roping. She rodeoed in high school, college, and went on to enjoy considerable success on the amateur circuit. One of Roland’s favorite titles is being “Papa” to his grandchildren Bailie Nicholson, Ike Nicholson, and Lattie Pasley.

Roland served on the Board of Directors for several years and still loves to be involved with this wonderful sport. He is retired from rodeo, but he still enjoys roping and training horses.

Wayne Mataska

When Wayne was 7 years old, he helped break horses for Pitch Fork Ranch. He figured if he could ride a horse that wasn’t broke, that he might like riding saddle bronc horses. His uncle loaned him a turtle saddle so he could ride. He also liked to rope a few calves.

Wayne started with the CRA in 1974. In 1975, he was injured and crushed his leg. At the time he was leading in the saddle bronc event. In 1976, ‘77, and ‘78 he won saddle bronc. He won ten saddles while he was a member of the CRA.

Wayne’s first bull to ride was in 1965, the bull was one of Adrian Parker’s. Saddle broncs and bulls wasn’t all Wayne rode. He also was a jockey from 1963-1965 until he got too heavy to ride. He has been a 3 time bull riding champion. Wayne liked both saddle bronc and bull riding events the same.

When Wayne left the rodeo circuit he started to train race horses. He won on of the largest Parimutuels in the country at Graham, Texas.

Wayne and his wife Lillie live in Brady, Texas and have been married for 50 years. Lillie rode bareback, bulls, barrel raced, and trained horses. They have a daughter, Mickie, a grandson, a granddaughter, two great granddaughters, and one great grandson.

Wayne’s favorite part of rodeo was traveling and riding different stock.

Ray Mataska

Rodeo has brought a lot of couples together and this is how Ray and Becky met. They have been married for 51 years, they have two boys, Jody and Himey, four grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. The boys traveled with them when they were on the rodeo road. Ray rodeoed full time for a living early on. They would leave on a Wednesday or Thursday and be home Sunday. Even after taking on a full time job, Ray still rodeoed every weekend.

His truck would be ready to go and the boat hooked on most of the time or just rods and reels would be loaded. He liked getting a little fishing in on his down time when he could. He liked the east Texas rodeos, because there are a lot of good lakes for fishing in the area.

Ray was a bull rider and his sons rode bulls as well. Ray rode bulls for about twenty years. He won the CRA bull riding in 1975 & ‘76, the Northside Cowtown Rodeo Belt Buckle Series in 1976 & ‘78, Billy Bob’s Buckle Series in 1982, and won numerous buckles and a couple of saddles during his twenty year career in bull riding.

After retiring from riding, Ray started raising bucking bulls. The bulls would sell even before they hit the ground. In 2008, he has six bulls at the PBR finals, and one of them won round seven.

He has his own roofing company that is family owned and locally operated, located between Henrietta and Red River.

Brad and Stephanie Riney

Brad and Stephanie met in Montgomery, Alabama and have been married for 23 years.

Stephanie taught high school for 11 years, she was a special education teacher and also taught in grades K-8. Brad’s company, Circle R Construction, builds equine facilities such as, horse barns, covered arenas, and vet clinics. Stephanie is totally involved as the office manager. They reside in Pilot Point, Texas.

Their 19 year old son Tyce attends college at NTCT. He competes in bass fishing tournaments, and won the regional tournament.

Brad was a calf roper. When CRA and TPRA became the UPRA he was approached to be the calf roping director. He accepted and was the director for 9 years. He is proud of the UPRA and its growth.

Stephanie was a barrel racer and was the director for 12 years. Stephanie was the 1998 Reserve Champion Barrel Racer and in 2001 won the title of Barrel Racing Champion.

Both Brad and Stephanie made the finals 11 years. Their biggest attraction to rodeo was family, love of horses, and the competition. They enjoy going to World Team Roping Competitions and US Tean Roping Competitions.

Brad heads and heels, Stephanie heads. She says, “It’s awesome to get the party started and let someone else shut it down!”

D.W. Hardin

Don started calf roping at 12 years old. He is a Gold Card Holder and was one of the first to join the CRA. He won the calf roping title in 1966 and 1976.

During his career as a calf roper he won 19 saddles and one horse trailer. In 1975 his 7.02 seconds were winning times at 5 rodeos Don won the calf roping in Mansfield at the Cowbell Arena and in Mesquite in 1982. He qualified for upwards of 11 years. Don was also a Calf Roping Director. He holds a Gold Card not only for the CRA but also for the PRCA. He is on the list for the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.

During his time of competing he traveled with Travis Harmon, Steve Hammergran, Gary Tuberville and Lack Henley over the years. Don also had a business in Quitman, Texas and a showroom at the Dallas Apparel Mart, as well as sold horse tack all over the country.

Don and his wife Jerrie have been married for 47 years and have 3 children. Don stopped roping on a few short years ago at the age of 76.