Discover Navajo County Fair and rodeo

 Loop Rawlins is one of the most versatile Western performers in the world today. His unique act of trick roping, whip cracking and fancy gun spinning has thrilled thousands of audiences. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, As a kid Loop loved adventure movies and always had a knack for entertaining.  So, when he saw trick roping for the first time he was inspired to learn the technique.

          Recently, Loop Rawlins appeared on the summer hit television show, 'America's Got Talent', on NBC making it to the Quarterfinals.  Loop continues to keep the spirit of the West alive through his performances around the world.

          His parents thought that "playing cowboy" was just another hobby that would pass - until, at age 16, Loop competed and won five International Wild West Arts awards in Las Vegas.  Continuing to grow in his craft Loop was spotted by Cirque Du Soleil and cast Loop to be a specialty act in the show 'Viva Elvis' features in Las Vegas.  After a three year run with Cirque Loop continued performing at several high end events including opening for country music stars and performing for celebrities. He also produced and starred in an award winning western short film entitled 'The Adventures of Loop & Rhett'. 

My name is Allan Dessel.  I grew up in rural Cherokee County in Iowa.  I started helping the Barnes family at their rough stock schools when I was about 13.  The Barnes Ranch was actually the first place I ever fought a bull.  

            Ever since I can remember, all I wanted to do in life was fight bulls.  My dad was a professional bullfighter for ten years before I was born.  I grew up listening to his stories and looking at pictures of him.  I was hooked.  He told me about fighting bulls.  He taught me the do’s and dont’s.  I started fighting bulls as a sophomore in high school at the age of 15.  That spring I got my first job at a high school rodeo in Estherville, Iowa from the Barnes family.  From there I continued to make connections and worked on my bullfighting.  I was accepted into the PRCA the summer after I graduated from high school.  I was 18 at the time, which is the youngest age eligible for acceptance into the PRCA.  I fought my first PRCA rodeo for the Barnes family one day after my 19th birthday in my hometown of Cherokee, Iowa.  In 2003 and 2004, I worked over 40 performances per year with the Barnes PRCA Rodeo Family in 9 states, from Nebraska to New Jersey.  I ended my rookie year in the PRCA by working the Benny Binion Bucking Bull Sale at the NFR in Las Vegas, Nevada.   Since 2003, I have been given the opportunity to work the Great Lakes Circuit Finals in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2004, 2006, and 2008. 

During the fall of 2006 I was urged to become a clown/barrelman by some of my fellow rodeo peers as well as a bullfighter.  So I began putting some ideas and acts together.  I traveled to Soper, OK during Christmas break from college in December 2006 and learned a lot about what it takes to be a good barrelman from PRCA barrelman and specialty act, John Harrison.  He taught me about timing, acts, and how to work with the announcer.  In January 2007 I worked my first rodeo as a barrelman.  Since I had already made many connections fighting bulls, it was easier to work my way up to being a barrelman.  I spent the rest of 2007 and 2008 fighting bulls and working as a barrelman.  In the fall of 2008 I was approved for my PRCA clown/barrelman and specialty act card.  In 2010 I was chosen to work the Prairie Circuit Finals as a barrelman and in January of 2014 I was chosen to perform at the First Frontier Circuit Finals.      

There have been many jobs and achievements outside of the rodeo arena as well.  In May 2007, I graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa with a Physics major and a minor in Math and Education.  After graduation I rodeoed full time, before accepting a job teaching high school math and physics in Soper, OK.  I taught school for eight years.  After resigning from my teaching position, I began employment as a tax consultant at G & G Tax Service in Antlers, OK.  In May of 2017 my family and I moved to an acreage south of Paullina, IA.  There, my wife, Mandy, and I plan to raise our four children, Gracie, Stran, Trig, and Charlie, as well as building our cow herd and performance horse breeding program.  In January of 2018 I opened my own income tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll business in Cherokee, IA.