Saddle bronc rider Reed Neely stepped out of the rodeo arena recently and competed as a contestant on “Ellen’s Game of Games” on NBC.
Neely’s appearance on the game show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres aired Jan. 25. The Sanger, Calif., cowboy was eliminated in the second round.
“I was the second one eliminated in the second round because I didn’t know what a Brazilian blowout was,” said Neely, 22. “I thought it was a butt surgery, but apparently it’s a hairstyle.”
When Neely missed the “Know or Go” question he was dropped in the hole.
“You stand on this little circle platform and you fall into this foam pit,” Neely said. “I tried to be funny and be myself. I put my cowboy hat on my heart and said I was going to go out like a patriot, and she dropped me, and I said, ‘Yee-haw!’”
Neely said he was contacted by officials from the show after they saw him on the Zero Gravity George YouTube channel. George Veater is a PRCA saddle bronc rider.
“They wanted a real cowboy on the show,” Neely said. “I met with one of their casting directors, did an interview and got on the show.”
“Game of Games” is filmed at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, Calif. In the first round, Neely won the Taj Mah Wall.
“They stick you through a wall if you don’t memorize this cartoon,” Neely said. “I was really good at that game. Then, Know or Go was the next one, and if I would have won that I would have gone on to Hot Hands with a chance to win $100,000.”
Neely is on his PRCA permit. He is scheduled to graduate from Fresno (Calif.) State University in the fall with a degree in agricultural communications. He competes on the Bulldogs rodeo team.
“Riding broncs is probably more exhilarating than being on a game show, but the Ellen show was a fun, funny experience,” Neely said.
Courtesy of PRCA
