POWDER RIVER RODEO’S MISS CONGENIALITY, TWO-TIME SADDLE BRONC HORSE OF THE YEAR, PASSES AWAY

Powder River Rodeo’s decorated, award-winning saddle bronc horse Miss Congeniality passed away March 17. She was 26.

Miss C, as she called, was the PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year in 2005, 2007 and was the reserve PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year in 2008. At the National Finals Rodeo, she finished third in the voting for the top saddle bronc horse in her NFR debut in 2002 and was voted in the top three at the 2007 NFR.

“Those horses just don’t come along,” said Lori Franzen of Powder River Rodeo. “Hank (Lori’s husband) and I have been in the business for 40 years and when she was born, she was gorgeous and huge, and she was special from the day she was born. To see an animal that big and so agile was incredible. There are pictures of her when she jumped out of the chutes sometimes, she would be straight up and then come down and just kick over the top of her head. It just wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

Born and raised at the Franzen’s Riverton, Wyo., ranch, Miss C quickly made her mark in ProRodeo. Her dam, a Red Roan Mare by the name of Red Bird, came from Johnny Morris and her Sire was the great Cut The Cards who came from Harry Vold.

“She was so kind and sweet and our second world champion and the first one we raised,” Lori said. “She never bothered anybody, and she knew she was the champ. When you put her in a pen of horses nobody bothered her. She would go off by herself. She was always the queen bee, and they all knew she was the best. She loved to perform. Horses like her don’t come along very often, so when guys had a trip on her they didn’t forget her.”

Miss Congeniality appeared at the NFR from 2002-12 – highlighted by Rod Hay winning on her twice – 2002 Round 10 and 2008 Round 10.

In her NFR debut, she bucked legendary ProRodeo Hall of Famer Billy Etbauer off in Round 3 and sidelined him for the remainder of the NFR.

“Miss Congeniality was one of the greatest,” Etbauer said. “She was awesome. Good in that chute and just really bucked. They don’t make them any better than her.”

Miss Congeniality had a solid NFR resume.

At the 2002 NFR, Hay split first in Round 10 with an 87-point ride on Miss C. In 2005, Chet Johnson split sixth in Round 10 on the horse with an 84.5-point ride. Cody Martin split third in Round 3 on Miss C at the 2006 NFR with an 84-point trip. Anthony Bello split second in Round 10 in 2007 with an 86.5.

In 2008, Johnson split third in Round 5 with an 85.5-point ride and Hay was the Round 10 champion with an 89-point trip. In 2010, Cort Sheer was third in Round 5 on Miss C with an 86-point ride.

“She could have kept going after 2012, but she deserved to retire. After starting at 4 years old and winning every award she needed, she didn’t owe us anything,” Lori said. “In 2012, we just said we are going to let her live out the rest of her life having babies and enjoying it.”

Miss C not only was an incredible athlete herself, but one of the best producers.

Unable to carry foals after her third pregnancy, she spent the rest of her days in Canyon Texas, at Dr. Gregg Veneklasen’s Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital. She was then able to produce embryos, a couple of the most notables is four-time NFR and two-time Wilderness Circuit Horse of the Year Miss Valley. She also is the mother to a stallion by the name of Big Easy (Miss C X Big Medicine). Big Easy is used for breeding purposes only, Big Easy’s first colt crop sired in 2016 has already produced two NFR horses.

“(Miss C) was such a presence,” Lori said. “She was loved by a lot of people and will we never replace her. She was one-of-a-kind.” – ProRodeo.com