All-around rodeo tough guy

Early in Charlie Barker’s rodeo career, he received some advice from an old bulldogger — advice he has lived by ever since.

“Sam Willis always told me if you go to a rodeo, enter as many events as you can,” Barker, 33, says about the words of wisdom the longtime Central Oregon rodeo man shared with the young cowboy. “It just gives you that many more chances to win. He pounded that into my head and that’s how I look at it.”

Barker, a Powell Butte rancher, is second in the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association all-around standings with just four weeks left in the regular season. An eight-time NPRA runner-up in the all-around — “I’m tired of being in the stink hole,” he says — Barker has gotten himself in the hunt for a championship saddle the hard way.

In today’s rodeo, almost every all-around title is won by ropers. For the most part, roughstock events are just too tough on cowboys’ bodies to allow them to compete in more than one at the same rodeo. But Barker is challenging to win the 2014 NPRA all-around title as a steer wrestler and saddle bronc rider.

“Well, it’s a lot better than riding bulls,” Barker jokes. In 2005 he won his only seasonlong NPRA all-around title by bulldogging and riding broncs and bulls. He also claimed the NPRA Finals all-around championship in 2008.

“I just love rodeoing, I guess,” Barker says. “All I know is, if I’ve got a chance to win, sure, I’ll enter.”

Barker, who appeared on the reality TV show “Toughest Cowboy” in 2009, has dominated the bulldogging this year, earning $5,896.96 in winnings, almost $1,500 more than current runner-up Garret Robinson of Heppner. He is third in the saddle bronc standings with $5,526.86, about $3,700 back of current leader Cooper DeWitt of Rio Rico, Arizona.

“I like bronc riding, but it isn’t something that’s come easy,” says Barker, who will compete in both events at the NPRA Finals in Prineville on Sept. 19 and 20. “That’s what’s kept me hooked on it.”

Barker has six rodeos left in the regular season and the finals in Prineville to catch Terrebonne’s Shane Erickson in the all-around standings. Erickson, 34, leads the tie-down roping standings with $11,593.93 — almost double the next-best calf roper. He is third in wild cow milking ($885.60), and second in team roping header earnings ($6,870.96).

“I don’t worry too much where Shane’s at,” Barker adds. “I’ve just got to win for myself.”

—Reporter: 541-383-0305; beastes@bendbulletin.com.