Tana Brinkman
From the outdoor rodeo capital of Nebraska, Tana was raised on a hard working rodeo family farm. Growing up in a small community found her involved and competing in almost every club, sport and activity. Her highly accomplished academic and athletic talents have rewarded her with countless honors, full scholarships and starting positions on the college volleyball and basketball teams. In 1979, she won the title of Miss Rodeo Nebraska, winning the horsemanship, appearance and personality categories, in addition to topping the speaking and writing test scores. She married Jim Brinkman and became part of the legendary Pitzer Ranch located in the Sandhills near Ericson. Tana qualified for the AQHA World Show in Team Roping, Working Cowhorse and earned several AQHA High Point honors at the end of the year as well. Having grown up with legendary JJJ Photo PRCA Photographer parents, she is an accomplished photographer. With this competent talent, she produced the photos and data for the Pitzer Ranch Horse and Bull Sale catalogs. Business oriented and highly motivated, Tana handled all Pitzer Ranch marketing and promotional activities, office management, plus cattle and horse paperwork. She helped design the annual HPI Ranch Horse Invitational, held in conjunction with the annual fall production sales, which is one of the largest, highest paying and most competitive ranch horse competitions in the country. Tana and her husband Jim of over 40 years are the parents of two children Sarah and Sam, who with their husbands are also involved in their legendary Quarter Horse and Angus cattle operation. Increasing the diversity of the Pitzer farm, in 2015 Tana created the PRHP Boer Goats. She travels the states competitively, showing and winning honors with her herd of American Boer goats. She enjoys spending any available time sharing her immense talents with their three grandchildren.
Brenda Pickett
Brenda Lee Bonogofsky Pickett was raised on a farm in southwestern North Dakota. Her family raised Simmental cattle and alfalfa hay on the Heart River bottoms. As a child, Brenda was active in 4H and gymnasiums. During her college years, Brenda competed in roping and barrel racing. While in college, she won an NDRA state breakaway roping title. Brenda became the first Miss Rodeo North Dakota to win the coveted Miss Rodeo America crown in 1983, winning the personality division and placing top 10 in horsemanship. Over the years, she has served as a consultant or judge for several state rodeo queen contests. Brenda was inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2017. After earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado, she went on to earn a master’s degree in clinical social work. Brenda maintained a private practice in family therapy for over 20 years. Currently, she and her husband, former World Champion All-Around Cowboy Dee Pickett, own and operate a construction company specializing in tension fabric indoor arenas – Western Specialty Structures. Brenda is also an avid golfer and has a single digit handicap. Along with the club championships, she is also the IGA senior amateur champion. Brenda and Dee have three children and five grandchildren. They split their time between their homes in the mountains of Idaho and Cave Creek Arizona.
Stran Smith
In a 15-year career in Pro Rodeo, 2008 World Champion Tie-Down Roper, Stran Smith has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 10 times. The fans loved Stran, voting him the Coors Fan Favorite at the WNFR twice. Sponsors recognized this and Smith quickly became a national pitchman for Wrangler, Ariat Boots and many other Western brands. Stran and his wife Jennifer, a former Miss Rodeo America, were honored to be inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2021. As Stran’s career has blossomed and evolved, so has his opportunity to be a light for many. Stran was instrumental in hosting Elevation Sunday, an inspirational service during the WNFR, for 15 years. Today, Stran is a nationally inspirational speaker. Due to the response to his monthly article, Down the Line with Stran Smith, Stran began recording weekly “Tack Room Talks” where he aims to use his experience, in and out of the arena, to encourage others. “I never wanted my ability to take me somewhere my character couldn’t hold me.” Stran and his wife, Jennifer, now raise Black Angus cattle at STS Ranch with their three children, Stone, Scout and Selah. Smith’s partner with Carroll Leather in the clothing and handbag company, STS Ranchwear. The Smith family is excited to launch their new brand 1930 Remnant through the first STS Ranchwear Concept store in Childress, Texas. You can follow their journey at 1930Remnant and STSRanch on all social media platforms.
Stan Weaver
The Weaver family has a long history of working the land and raising cattle and horses, beginning when four Weaver brothers came to Montana territory in 1887. The Weaver trademark of A Standing X was registered in 1888, a year before Montana become a state. Stan’s grandchildren are the sixth generation of weavers to ride horses with the family brand. Stan and his wife Nancy began the horse business in earnest when they purchased their first American Quarter Horse mare as a yearling in 1980. This grulla mare, Stormy Dun Dee, would go on to be one of the cornerstones of the entire horse program. . Weaver Quarter Horses had their first production yearling sale in 1996. Weaver Quarter Horses has sold through yearling sales in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Brazil. Horses bred by Weaver have gone on to be AQHA Champions, AQHA High Point Earners, Performance Register of Merit Horse, PRCA Horse of the Year and AQHA World Show and NFR Qualifiers. Stan judged the Miss Rodeo American Pageant in 2016. As the breeding operation grew, Stan became more involved with the American Quarter Horses Association as all horses sold were breeding registered going back to great bloodlines. Stan has served at the state level as president of the Montana Quarter Horse Association and has also been appointed to several national AQHA committees such as Ranching, Public Policy and Hall of Fame. He became a national director for AQHA and was asked to run for the AQHA Executive Committee, a five-member committee that governs AQHA’s decisions. Members are each appointed for five years and in their fifth year serve as AQHA President, a position that Stan held in 2019-2020. While AQHA President, Stan worked with AQHA to continue and strengthen the agreement with the PRCA to continue the AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year. Weaver Ranch has won many awards including the 2020 AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder of the Year and most recently the 2021 Great Montana Ranches: A Ranching Family Made its Mark on Montana Rodeo and Western Heritage by the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame . Currently, Weaver Ranch is home to 400 cows, six stallions and 90 calves. Stan Weaver and his family continue to be involved in all aspects of promoting the western lifestyle, rodeo and the versatility of the American Quarter Horse.
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