Coffeyville, Kan. (July 29, 2019) – A new face will be seen at this year’s Inter-State Rodeo in Coffeyville.
Wade Kunze, Okmulgee, Okla., will be one of the two bullfighters during the rodeo August 15-16.
Kunze began his bullfighting career when he was eighteen years old. Growing up in Iowa, he competed in high school rodeo as a steer wrestler, then collegiately, first at Iowa Central Community College in Ft. Dodge, then at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva.
After graduation in 2008 with an ag business degree, he rodeoed full time, doing both the bullfighting as contract labor, and the steer wrestling, as a contestant.
Kunze was selected to be one of the bullfighters at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2004 and 2006 and has worked for Jimmy Crowther and New Frontier Rodeo, the stock contractor providing the rodeo’s bucking horses and bulls, since 2003. He enjoys working for Crowther and his wife Darla. “He sure can raise good bucking bulls,” Kunze said of Crowther.
It’s not common for a bullfighter to also be a contestant, but Kunze makes it work. He’ll compete in Coffeyville in the steer wrestling, and even though bullfighting might be considered to be more dangerous than steer wrestling, his worst injury was in the steer wrestling, when he broke his leg during high school competition.
In his spare time, Kunze enjoys hunting, fishing, and playing with his sons, ages eight and two.
Evan Allard, Vinita, Okla., will serve as the other bullfighter during this year’s rodeo.
The Inter-State Rodeo takes place August 15-16 at 7:30 pm each night. It is part of the five-day Inter-State Fair, which includes three more days of grandstand entertainment, in addition to the rodeo: the Outlaw Tractor Pull on August 13; the LJ Jenkins Bull Riding on August 14, and the Demo Derby on August 17.
Tickets for all five nights of grandstand entertainment are available online, as well as a complete fair schedule, at www.FairandRodeo.com. For more information, visit the website or call the Coffeyville Chamber of Commerce at 620.251.2550.
