Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Wrap Up

Willy

There are a few items of interest we’d like to share in wrapping up our coverage of rodeo’s Superbowl. The Canadian horse Willy carried one steer wrestler, Californian Luke Branquinho, to a world championship at the 50th national finals rodeo. He was also rode by owner Curtis Cassidy and Lance Creek, Wyoming’s Jason Miller – who ended up winning more than $70,000 on Willy in Las Vegas. Here is our look at Willy with Jason Miller outside of the Thomas & Mack Center where Willy is well known, and left alone:



Willy earned more than $45,000 from Miller and Branquinho as they agreed to pay owner Curtis Cassidy a quarter of whatever money they made at the national finals.

Fifty Years of Fame

Since it was a big anniversary for professional rodeo it is fitting to take one last look back. Renowned cowboy singer and poet Red Steagall spoke with us for this next piece after Red’s performance in the arena. He is joined by three-time world champion bronc rider Hawkeye Henson and a Laramie man – Dick Laycock – who we met while walking the halls. One look at Dick made it easy to ask him to provide a Wyoming viewpoint of the national finals. Must have been that distinctive logo on his cap.



War Machine

Lastly, our talented video program manager Mike McCrimmon delved into the national finals day tapes to find all the best action and combined it with music from the new AC/DC – CD “Black Ice.” We used the song War Machine and I think you’ll agree it suits well with what these athletes are put through over ten grueling days.



Our thanks to Winnercomm Productions for their help at the national finals and for allowing us to tap into their taping of the event. All footage of the rodeo and arena entertainment was provided courtesy of ESPN (via Winnercomm) and the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association. Hope you’ll come back and see us next year. Until then, Powder River – Let ‘er Buck.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Championship Round

Weather Agrees with Lady C

Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality took a classy Canadian cowboy for a classic bronc ride on the last night of the 50th NFR and Rod Hay was still smiling an hour later. “She’s honest and definitely has been a great horse all year. She had an outstanding day – strong jumps and kicks. There are just not enough of them like that,” Hay said. He won the 10th round and was glad to hit the trail with a check for more than $16,000 and a go-round buckle. We ran into Miss C’s owner outside of the arena after the rodeo. “She’s awful special. She never lets up and is always there at the end,” smiled Hank Franzen of Powder River Rodeo Co. based near Riverton who said his horse seemed to like the change of weather. Wind picked up during the day, Saturday, in Las Vegas and temperatures cooled quite a bit by evening. “She felt a lot better today than earlier in the week. She’s used to these temperatures,” Franzen added. Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and Rod Hay combined for a score of 89 to win the round and it sure appeared as though the big beauty was raring to go right out of the chutes.



Miller Makes a Run

Lance Creek’s Jason Miller kept the pressure on his pal Luke Branquinho and Luke handled it well to win another world championship in steer wrestling. Miller was 4.1 seconds on his last steer adding $5,700 to his pot that finished the week full of more than $70,500 over the ten nights of work. Miller ended the year third overall climbing several rungs after a slow start to the finals. “I felt like I was behind every night before the sixth round. Then I got in a groove and things came around,” Miller said. He’d dearly love to have repeated his world championship year of 2007 but isn’t too disappointed. “I can’t complain. We’re all friends and we’ll be back slugging it out again next year,” Jason assures. Miller’s 2008 earnings totaled a shade over $160,000.



Team Wyoming Numbers

Wyoming Travel & Tourism sponsored six “Cowboy State” contestants at the 50th national finals. They did us all proud. In the bull riding competition, Bobby Welsh of Gillette finished 2008 third in the world standings and earned $77,000 in Las Vegas. Powell’s Kanin Asay will carry nearly $50,000 back home from the national finals and while Seth Glause of Rock Springs was unable to make the whistle over the ten rounds he gained a world of experience and you can bet he’ll be back.

Steer wrestler Les Shepperson from Midwest netted $20,500 from the NFR and he certainly plans to punch a return ticket.

Gillette saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson would like to have been more successful at the 50th finals but he got on Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality for a great match one round and collected close to $20K during his Vegas stay.

Thanks for visiting us here during the NFR and please come back again in 2009.

Short Pay

Friday’s trips to the pay window for Wyoming contestants in this 50th national finals were few and of the four-figure variety. Kelly Timberman split fifth & sixth in bareback riding to take $3,500 back to his hotel room. Lance Creek’s Jason Miller remained solid in the average with a run of 4.1 seconds winning $2,700. Miller is second in his aggregate total and a good finish tonight assures the family will be able to buy a lot of hay for the winter. Barring bad luck for Luke Branquinho, it is another gold buckle year for Jason’s traveling partner and closest friend.

Bobby Can Win

Gillette, Wyoming bull rider Bobby Welsh stayed on for a low score last night but as we’ve said a few times now, any score is a good one in the current state of national finals bull riding competition. Bulls throw the men off short of eight seconds more times than not. Welsh once again chose not to take a re-ride option and heads into tonight poised for a legitimate shot at a world championship. Chance Smart is up by less than $30K and is well behind Welsh in the average. J.W. Harris also has a chance to beat Chance. Therefore as exhibited in the best, and most exciting, finals it will come down to the last three rides.

Ty Stops By

Twenty years ago I stood on the old, rickety press deck at Cheyenne Frontier Days with a 19-year-old from Stephenville, Texas who had rodeo in his blood and dreamed of one day wearing a world champion’s gold buckle. Ten years later he’d won nine buckles; two in bull riding and a lucky seven All-Around titles. He is justly referred to today as “The King of the Cowboys.” I saw Ty Murray again last night as the Thomas & Mack Center crowd greeted several past All-Around Champions. There stood Dean Oliver, Larry Mahan, Joe Beaver and so many more of the biggest names in rodeo history. And when Ty came out from behind the smoke, the fans erupted. Ty was gracious enough to share some time with us afterward and said he still gauges the sport he loves by how it is perceived by the rest of us. “Rodeo’s making some good strides. I always look at this sport from a fans’ standpoint. We’re still seeing the great cowboys. We’re still seeing the tough competitors. Getting to watch a guy like Trevor Brazile; that’s inspiring. To see a guy that’s not only good but is that dedicated and works that hard at it,” Murray told us. My good friend, camera guru Mike, put together more of our interview with Ty and you can click below to both hear and see it. I have to admit my comfort level with Ty remains fine but his wife, Jewel, standing there next to us did give my normally calm nature some jitters. She is, I think, one of the most gifted singer/songwriters and poets of her – or any – era.

A Salute to LeDoux

The dedications have been many at the 50th annual national finals rodeo. Last night’s big-screen acknowledgment of Chris LeDoux would certainly rank up there for Wyoming folks and really everyone who loves rodeo and how Chris represented the sport and the American West to the world. You can click on the video clip below to absorb some of that special moment.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Eight

Not So Average

Steer wrestlers are dropping like flies, big ones, out of the competition for the big dollars doled out at the end of the national finals Saturday night. The average money is significant - $162,000 total with $43K for 1st, $35K 2nd and $27,500 for third and so on through eighth place. In the Friday night follies five doggers suffered no times in their runs. “Those steers weren’t as bad as we made them look,” said Jason Miller who had another great run and finished with a split of second and third places netting $11,660. The pen of steers used last night, thankfully for the last time here, took many steer wrestlers out of the average or aggregate time competition. Only three men – Miller, his traveling pal and close friend Luke Branquinho and former University of Wyoming rodeo team member Todd Suhn have times on all eight of their steers and are under a total of 40 seconds for all of them. Branquinho has a significant hold on 1st overall and a 1.3 second jump on Miller for the average. No question Luke has the edge in gaining another gold buckle. But in this year of extraordinary weirdness for the wrestlers, we shall see. It will be fun to watch. “We picked all of the steers so there isn’t anybody to blame but ourselves. It’s just so hard to say what they’ll do when they get in that little building,” Miller told me late last night after a rather hearty prime rib dinner. What did you expect he’d be chowing on? And yes, one of those four-legged critters out last night is apparently missing. I’m kidding so no need to call the animal rights hotline.



Brutal Bulls

You probably couldn’t see them on television, but Kanin Asay’s boots didn’t match last night. He wore a bigger one on the left foot and it had a slit down the inside so he could slide in without too much pain. He had that spare footwear from early this summer when he sprained the same ankle that got turned on him a couple of nights ago at the national finals. The boots stayed on and Kanin up to end last night as one of only two riders to get scores. “There wasn’t a bull out there that was easy to ride. Every single one has something about him,” said the Powell, Wyoming man. His had drop. “That straight shot he gave me was really hard to handle. He had more rolls and weird jumps than he normally does,” Asay noted. Kanin collected $13,000 for his work and is most thankful all the bull riders walked away from “eliminator” night relatively unscathed.



Cowboy Christmas

Our crack staff at the Wyoming Travel & Tourism office, board members, families and friends have been helping hand out Wyoming materials and introduce the cowboys we sponsor to visitors inside the huge “Cowboy Christmas” show in the Las Vegas Hilton Convention Center throughout the national finals. There are a number of Wyoming business people with booths there too. We’d like to introduce you to a couple of them in this story. Kathy Flickinger is with Cowboy Free Range Meat from Jackson Hole. Karen Roy and her husband started American Cowboy Coffee and are responsible for a new, and spirited, invigoration in the little town of Hartville, Wyoming.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Seven

Miller’s Crossing

Wyoming’s world champion steer wrestler returned to top form last night to collect $10,000 and pass go in terms of gaining on the pack in the average race. Jason Miller notched a time of 3.6 seconds and third-place honors in the seventh round. He also moved up to third in the average and eclipsed the $100,000 mark in annual earnings. “I just haven’t been able to move out of the box very well until tonight,” Miller said. He feels better now. “I don’t want to get frustrated because there are a lot of chances and money left. It’s not over until Saturday night,” Miller advises. I’d ask for all the people back in Lance Creek to send their positive energy this way but I’m quite sure all eight of them are here. I know I saw five in the Thomas & Mack Center last night. The pen of steers used last night is the cowboy’s favorite group. Tonight’s group is the trickiest.



More Bucks For Bobby

Bobby Welsh of Gillette carried the Wyoming flag in the opening ceremonies of the seventh round and when his time to ride came at the end of the night he was stuck like glue scoring 85 to win second place and another $13,250. “He was really ‘droppie’ and tricky,” Welsh said of his draw. “I was glad he started coming around and getting a little easier.” By that time Bobby was a long way into the arena. He stayed square though and continues to climb the money ladder. Mike Moore won the round with a score just a half-point higher than Welsh. “I thought it would never happen,” said Moore afterward. He has had many injuries over the years and everyone behind the chutes was very happy to see Mike get the win. He came to Wyoming from Illinois to become a cowboy and Moore is a fine one. He also got his degree from the University of Wyoming and could very well choose a teaching profession back in the Chicago area after his rodeo career. You never know about bull riding at the national finals because the odds so favor the bulls. For example, only five riders were scored last night. Right now it is a race between leader Chance Smart, J.W. Harris and Bobby Welsh.



Kanin Carried Off

The Justin Medicine team always gets a lot of business by this time at the finals. The room was full much of the night with ice packing requirements and X-ray reviews. When Powell, WY bull rider Kanin Asay was carried off it looked a lot more serious. His face was twisted in a grimace and he was not walking on his own power. As the minutes went by we stood worried for the young man’s situation especially when considering the serious injuries he’d sustained early this summer. Best friend and alternate finals bullfighter Dusty Tuckness from Meeteetse walked out of the medical treatment facility and told us Kanin was okay and the injury was not that severe. We later spoke with Justin team leader, Dr. Tandy Freeman who said: “Kanin came off his bull and stepped pretty awkwardly on his left leg; felt a pop. He thought maybe he’d hurt his knee. We got him back to the training room where he got to feeling better. His ankle is swollen. It looks like he has a bad ankle sprain.” The doctor is quite sure Kanin can return to action tonight. And if he can, he will.



Wyoming Horse & Rider

Powder River Rodeo Company (Riverton) had a horse called Big Chill out last night marking the second time one of their animals was drawn by bronc rider Chet Johnson of Gillette. Chet won money again splitting third and fourth place and earning $8,500. Chet’s winnings total just under $20,000 at the finals so far. Kelly Timberman from Mills, WY also went to the pay window to collect $5,600 after topping bareback horse Dusty Dan from the Harry Vold Rodeo Co.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Six

Stock Rocks

Wyoming livestock performed at its peak in the bull riding to end the Tuesday night edition of the NFR in Las Vegas. Three different contractors - Burch from Rozet, Burns out of Laramie and Triple V near Casper - had an animal bucking. The world’s best bull riders could not make the eight-second stay. Chance Smart and Wesley Silcox both went down early as did Mike Moore who learned his trade at Casper College and the University of Wyoming. He was aboard “Q” owned by Bill and Dona Vold Larsen. Every bull in pro rodeo has a number and 007 is the one assigned “Q” thus associating him with the gadget man in all of the James Bond movies. One thing’s for sure; once a rider gets through on “Q” he is both shaken and stirred. Powell’s Kanin Asay made a nice move up the ladder last night by staying on for a 75.5 and fourth place. Only four riders made it to the eight-second horn. Asay sprang to fourth in the average and gathered $7,000 for the sixth-round effort which was enough to send his annual earnings into six figures for the year.



Billy Tops 200K

Rodeo’s most recognized face, Billy Etbauer, rode his bronc to first place in last night’s round and surpassed the $200,000 mark in annual earnings by winning the sixth round on a Wyoming-owned mare. The seven-year-old lost her back legs for a moment right out of the chutes but recovered and gave Billy Etbauer a superb trip. “He’s famous for being first or dirt. Billy will do everything he can to get all the buck possible out of a horse, so you always like to have Billy on your horses,” said ‘Fu Man Chu’ owner Hal Burns of Laramie. Etbauer remained focused after that staggered start. “We had to kind of rebuild again,” Etbauer said. Pretty incredible work for a fellow in his mid-40s competing against young bucks half his age. With typical humility after the rodeo Billy told me he is “tickled to death to be here.”



Les Cowboys Up

He could have let a tough night get to him. We all suffer a bad run now and then but it almost always is only recognized by a handful of folks. Monday Les Shepperson chased a steer around a rodeo arena packed with more than 17,000 people and viewed over national television. We’ve talked about the all-important average and Les wanted to get a time after not succeeding in his initial drop on the animal. Our Midwest, Wyoming steer wrestler finally caught the darn cow and toppled him after covering pretty much all the dirt out there. But the time clock had expired. Tuesday was another day and Les came out strong. He wrestled his steer for a time of 4.2 to split fifth and sixth place and got a check for $3,500. Now there’s a Wyoming Cowboy.




Exceptional Rodeo

It is a special day for kids from Las Vegas when they are able to participate in the Exceptional Rodeo. Cameraman extraordinaire Mike McCrimmon and I went to the event this year so that you could get a feel for it. Our on-camera guests include barrel racer Lindsay Sears, Todd Suhn who is a Nebraska steer wrestler and alum of the University of Wyoming and bullfighter Dusty Tuckness from Park County, Wyoming.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Five

Miss C & Mr. Johnson

It was a match made in Wyoming. A great bucking horse and a great bronc rider. Chet Johnson wanted nothing more than to somehow have the luck to draw Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality, the pride of the Powder River Rodeo Company string out of Riverton, at the national finals. And he did. They paired last night for a beautiful, and classic, rock down the Thomas & Mack Center arena in Las Vegas. I saw Chet before the ride and his eyes actually shone. He looked like a little kid who found his first gift left on the pillow by the tooth fairy. He walked at a trot. I am quite sure the ankle pain that had been annoying him disappeared. If you love riding bucking horses you want nothing more than to have a shot at an animal like Miss C. Not that there are many like her. Actually none. No horse her size can get the air under it she does. She is so big in the chutes it can be very difficult for the rider to fit his legs down her flanks. The chute help has to pull in her rather large head at a 90 degree angle and then slowly let her even out before the gate can be opened. We are talking one big girl with an even bigger heart. “People don’t realize how strong she really is because she seems to move in slow motion. She’s a powerful horse and I was really excited to ride her,” said Johnson. “It’s a lot harder than it looks.” Chet handled her last night but it wasn’t easy. “She’s just ripping stuff away from you buck after buck. Judges don’t usually mark her as well as the faster and flashier horses but she is twice as hard to ride,” Johnson said. He rode to a share of third and fourth place, scored 85.5 and took home $8,500. “I won some money so it gets better from here,” bets Chet.





Still Standing

Halfway through the national finals all of the bull riders are still standing. So physically abused, it is a wonder to me how they manage to stay in one piece. But the even bigger game is upstairs. “Anybody who knows anything about bull riding knows what a head game it is,” says Hal Burns, stock contractor from Laramie. Burns can’t do anything to get in the head of Wyoming bull rider Seth Glause but if he could, he would. Seth can ride any of the bulls here but so far he’s been unable to get a score. We are all encouraging him every day and night. He will do it. Getting past the first one is the hard part. The lanky Rock Springs bull rider is at the finals for the first time. It can be overwhelming even for us duffers. We are talking about a 19-20 year old person. Come on. How did you handle Vegas at 20? And you didn’t have to get on a large, horned, bred to buck and spin animal. I know you’ll join me in sending good karma this way for Seth Glause.

Wyoming’s other two bull riders encountered interesting nights in Round 5. Kanin Asay had a great ride but a bad “get-off.” He is fine though. Just a horn to the right hip for a stinger. That’ll leave a mark. Kanin got a check for $10,000 scoring 87.5 and took the ending in stride. “I felt like I was moving a little too fast on him. I heard the whistle and I was going to go one way but he came up to me,” he recalls. Happily though the riders all walked out and that’s what counts.




Bobby Welsh made the whistle on a bull that sent him all along the chutes and to the other side from where they started. “He had a bad trip but made me work my tail off,” Welsh said. The score was a 53 with an option for a re-ride that Bobby chose not to take. “I just feel in my spirit I needed the score. It worked out two years ago. I was 62 and everybody but Donnie Gay thought I should have taken the re-ride. I have the same feeling I did then and it all worked out in the end,” Bobby assessed. He is fourth in the average, a slot ahead of the overall leader, Chance Smart. Welsh is now in second place in the world standings just $30,500 out of the top spot. Every scored ride, no matter the score, is of extreme value from now on out. Watch that average, or aggregate points, race. The totals there are very likely to crown the next world champion in bull riding.

Check Please

A couple of other Wyoming contestants were in the money last night. Steer wrestler Jason Miller began to get back on track finishing fifth with a 4.4 second run to win $4,300. And bareback rider Kelly Timberman also garnered a fifth-place check.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Four

Back To Back Jack

Two Wyoming bull riders, out one right after the other, collected more than $26,000 finishing first and third respectively in the Sunday night session of the NFR broadcast live nationally. “Relieved,” said Kanin Asay afterward. The Powell, Wyoming man felt out of sync in his previous outings. “My Mom says you’ve got to ride for 10 – try, try, and try until you know you’ve made it and so do the judges.” His bull chose not to cooperate and take the expected left turn out of the gate. Instead there was an immediate right away from Asay’s hand. “I felt really good getting around there but he eventually got me tipped into my hand. I didn’t freeze up. I did what I had to do to get back in the middle,” Asay explained. He is speaking and riding with clarity. Excellent sign for Kanin and his fans. Bad sign for the bulls yet to come. The 82.5 score was good for third and $10K. Right before Asay’s ride, the gate swung open for Gillette’s Bobby Welsh and his bull called North Star. “He had an off day. I was just matching him jump for jump and stayed aggressive, “said Welsh. He was top man with an 88-point-ride. Bobby was bucked off early the previous two times but didn’t let it bother him. “I feel like I’m riding great and there’s nothing sore on me. I’m going to finish out the week in glory,” he said with confidence. His $16,767 check for last night’s first-place finish catapults Welsh to the #2 spot in the world standings.

Fourth Time The Charm

Kelly Timberman won the world championship in bareback riding in 2004. He is from the Casper area and has become a fan, and media, favorite across the world of professional rodeo. The first three rides at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo netted no money for Timberman who is competing at his fifth finals. “There are always ups and downs at this rodeo. I’m an athlete. I’m going to push myself to be the very best and with those struggles come success if you work hard at it, “Timberman reflected. Last night he rode a horse from Beutler & Sons nicknamed South Point – after the casino where go-round buckles are presented every night. A score of 87.5 gave Kelly the win and a trip to South Point along with just under $17,000. “Judges like the horses that stay close and buck in tight circles near the chutes. The difference between those horses and this one is the quality of his bucking. He kicks so hard every jump,” Kelly said. He was a little dejected after the first three nights at the finals but looks to be back on track. “It’s a privilege to be here,” Kelly smiled wearing the bright green selection of his chaps custom-made by former Kaycee bareback rider Larry Sandvick.

On Willy

Yesterday we went out to the area where the contestants keep their trailers to visit with reigning world champion steer wrestler Jason Miller about Willy the Canadian horse. He is carrying three of the 15 steer wrestlers at the 2008 WNFR. When time allows we’ll have a video feature on this amazing 22-year-old that I think you will enjoy. There’s only one Willy and we hope you will come back to this blog to find out more concerning the King of Cool.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Three

Bullish Bookends

It was “eliminator” night in the bull riding competition Saturday night and only the first and last men out stayed on for eight-second rides. They matched scores as well with a 91.5 leaving the other thirteen out of the money including all three of the Wyoming contestants. One of the nasty bulls came from Wyoming. He goes by the nickname Twisted T in honor of his dad Classical T out of the Burns Rodeo Company stock from Laramie. Hal Burns says the young bull is related to their most famous animal, Mr. T, who bucked off all comers for a long time and was finally topped for a rider score in Cheyenne in 1989 on the same rainy day Lane Frost was killed. Twisted T is a five-year-old who has had some health problems that have necessitated the removal of one horn. Burns says the bull is coming into his prime and has a bright future. He’s only been ridden successfully once. There is a bull riding competition in Laramie, Wyoming named after Mr. T and the young twisted one was scored on there a couple of years back by Seth Glause. He is here at the finals for the first time, like Twisted T, and at age 19 is still giving his all to try and get his first score. Burns likes Glause’s competitive spirit. “He has a lot of ability and unlimited try. Seth does not open his hand. If he hits the ground he got thrown off,” Burns chuckles.



Star Treks

Many celebrities were spotted at the rodeo last night prior to the bulk of them heading to the big boxing match in town. Basketball greats Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, actor William Shatner of “Star Trek” and “Boston Legal” fame, to name a few. We are led to believe that was Captain Kirk’s niece sitting next to him.

The brightest star of all was Reba McEntire who sang the national anthem. Her career was launched by singing our country’s song at the NFR in Oklahoma City in 1974. She was actually first paid to sing in a Cheyenne, Wyoming hotel lobby when Reba was four years old and the family was in town for Frontier Days. She was handed a nickel to belt out “Jesus Loves Me.”

Miss Rodeo America

A few years ago we got to know Stacy Jo Johnson by taping her audition for a national television show. She got the part and switched lives with a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Stacy worked on the sidelines of a Cowboys home game and the cheerleader took on real cowboy life at the Johnson 99 Ranch west of Laramie. Stacy was always smiling and we knew then the University of Wyoming student would go far. She was as close as it comes to being named Miss Rodeo America this week in Las Vegas. Stacy finished the competition as First Runner Up and won three separate categories – Congeniality, Personality and Speech. All of Wyoming should be extremely proud of this young woman’s accomplishments. Hopefully after Stacy finishes school she’ll choose to stay in Wyoming. I can tell you from personal experience that she could contribute mightily to our state’s future.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Two

The 50th national finals rodeo is underway in Las Vegas. The third round will be shown at 7:00 tonight, mountain time, on ESPN Classic. A record number of Wyoming contestants are competing. You can read all about how they are doing and obtain special features throughout the WNFR by checking here every morning through December 14.

Wyoming Travel & Tourism has partnered with Wrangler to showcase the state and our cowboys at the annual Cowboy Christmas extravaganza in the Las Vegas Convention Center. (Wrangler booth #425) You can meet and get autographs from Jason Miller (11am-1pm); Les Shepperson (12-2pm) and Kanin Asay (1-3pm) today. Folks are also gathering up a packets of Wyoming travel information and shopping in the Wrangler store for tonight's rodeo. There is no admission charge to Cowboy Christmas.

Two a Days

Midwest, WY steer wrestler Les Shepperson wishes he could make two runs a day instead of one at the national finals while a good number of his fellow doggers would like to have skipped last night. There were four who finished with no times and thus went out of whack entirely when considering the all-important average or aggregate total once ten rounds are in the books. A fifth steer wrestler timed out at 14 seconds and when three runs should total about that much time it makes catching up with the pack very difficult. “This pen of steers was a lot trickier than the first night,” said Shepperson who threw his in 4.1 seconds finishing third and winning another $10K to bring his two night total to nearly $16,000. He is meeting the challenge of a first timer at the WNFR head-on and focused. “Most of the other rodeos you’re trying to pump yourself up. Here you’ve got to calm yourself down.”

There are three different sets of 20 steers being used at the finals, from three separate stock contractors. The steer wrestlers made the choices based on which ones they expected would stop the least. Hopes were that most or all would not pull up or otherwise trick the doggers until the animals had been out three or four times. Last night’s steers showed their apprehensiveness of the short arena even though it was their first run. That group will be out two more times. The contestant favorites came into play the opening night of the WNFR and are to return to action in rounds four, seven and ten. Those steers were first in a rodeo at Cheyenne this summer.

Les Shepperson: Round Two

Calling on Kaycee

Bryce Miller earned his bronc riding spurs in Kaycee, Wyoming. He now resides in South Dakota and is off to a start that has to make the Forbes clan proud. The Forbes family has been helping young bronc riders for decades and there isn’t any question they consider Bryce one of their own. He is leading the average after two rounds at the national finals and has earned more than $30,000. Miller is fourth in the world standings and appears capable nightly of making up ground on those ahead of him.

Bulls 3, Cowboys 0

Wyoming’s trio of bull riders left the national finals arena empty handed last night. Seth Glause and Kanin Asay still need to make their first buzzers. Bobby Welsh of Gillette also launched early, way early, and will no doubt find his way back to the pay window soon. He holds on to second place in the average and fourth in the world standings. Glause strained his shoulder during his outing last night but walked by us a few minutes after and said he was alright and ready for another go.

Miss C Monday

Powder River Rodeo Company’s Hank Franzen says he’s been told the amazing bronc Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality will buck out Monday for the first time at this year’s finals. She finished in the top three balloting for bucking horse of the year. Round 5, Monday, is termed the “TV Round” which is designed to give the viewing public the best looking crop of animal talent and there’s no doubt this young lady from Wyoming won’t disappoint. Her first buck out of the chutes is more of a launch and leaves you wondering how a horse that big can jump so high.

Three Wyoming Bull Riders & A First Fighter

You’d have to really scour the record books to find the last time three Wyoming contestants made the finals in bull riding. So far I haven’t been able to see a match for it in the written record. They are fine young men and the one smallest in stature was tall dog at the pay window Thursday. Gillette bull rider Bobby Welsh started his quest for a world champion’s gold buckle by winning the first round of the 50th annual national finals rodeo in Las Vegas last night. Welsh rode a bull he’d never been on before and had fun. “He beat me out just a little bit but I recovered well and just kept going to his front end,” said Welsh. He knew a 90-point score would be possible if he stayed on after waiting a month for last night to arrive. “I’ve never been this excited early at the finals,” Bobby echoed in media interviews for audiences from Canada to Mexico after the night was over and the Welsh family had a little more than $16,000 to put in the bank. They’ve been traveling together all year. Bobby entered 92 rodeos and his wife barrel raced in about half that many. “We were really looking forward to tonight and weren’t disappointed.”

Kanin Asay, of Powell, was not able to make the eight and the aftermath looked a lot worse than the resulting torn shirt and upper arm cut. “I haven’t been on for awhile and didn’t ride like I should have,” said Asay. He was caught underneath the animal for a short time however he escaped mostly unscathed. “I’ll be good to go tomorrow,” he smiled.





Kanin Asay: Round-One

Seth Glause appeared ready to finish his inaugural national finals appearance with a scored ride but lost his grip less than a half-second before the eight-second horn. The 19-year-old Rock Springs cowboy is the pride of Central Wyoming Community College’s rodeo team in Riverton. His coach, Rick Smith, is here in Vegas and is sure to be offering counsel before his young charge gives it a second go. Seth is proud bearer of the number 50 back number at this historic finals now a half-century old. Another Wyoming man was out in the bull riding competition and could not have been more anxious. “It was awesome,” said bullfighter Dusty Tuckness of Meeteetse. He was in the alternate slot and got called to duty because of the broken leg sustained by Darrell Diefenbach two months ago. Darrell asked to stay out for a few more days and until his return Dusty is planning to make the most of his first chance to work in the national finals arena.

Seth Glause: Round One

Les Gets More WYO Dough

Les Shepperson surely honored the path blazed by his Dad. Frank won the world in steer wrestling in 1975. Les, from Midwest, came out strong in his first-ever national finals run dispatching his steer in 4.2 seconds to earn nearly $5,800. Must be that lucky can of Copenhagen in his shirt pocket.

Les Shepperson: Round-One



A couple of other Wyoming contestants took home cash in the first round of the WNFR. Gillette’s Chet Johnson collected $2,700 for sixth in bronc riding and world champion steer wrestler Jason Miller pocketed $1,350 in a sixth-place split. Six Wyoming cowboys hold in high regard a state tourism office sponsorship and four of them won money in Las Vegas last night. If those odds were greeting gamblers out on The Strip the town powers-that-be could never afford to build all those new casinos.

Chet Johnson: Round-One

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Gets Underway

The 50th national finals rodeo is underway in Las Vegas. The first round will be shown at 10:00 tonight, mountain time, on ESPN2. A record number of Wyoming contestants are competing. You can read all about how they are doing and obtain special features throughout the WNFR by checking here every morning through December 14.

Wyoming Travel & Tourism has partnered with Wrangler to showcase the state and our cowboys at the annual Cowboy Christmas extravaganza in the Las Vegas Convention Center. (Wrangler booth #425) You can meet the contestants who will be handing out free autograph sheets every day, gather up a packet of Wyoming travel information and spend time in the Wrangler store picking up everything you need to dress right for tonight's rodeo. There is no admission charge to Cowboy Christmas.

Please check here for a short bio of the Wyoming cowboys who are sponsored by Wyoming Travel & Tourism.

Signing today at Cowboy Christmas are reigning world champion steer wrestler Jason Miller, his traveling partner - and first time WNFR qualifier - Les Shepperson, and bull rider Kanin Asay.

Powder River, Let 'er Buck!!!

Frankly Speaking

My friend Gene Bryan calls him “the gentle giant” and Frank Shepperson carries that title well. He is to me what represents the very best of Wyoming’s ranching roots. His family had to work off the ranch most of their lives in order to keep the place afloat. By the 1970s, Frank had gone down the road throwing steers at pro rodeos long and hard enough to be able to take a run at a world championship at the national finals in Oklahoma City. He won his gold in 1975. The buckle and saddle were nice keepsakes. The money winnings didn’t compare to today - $14,500 a round now; $900 then – but he met the main goal Shepperson was reaching for all along. “We wanted to get together enough to where all we had to do was ranch. And that did it for me. It really worked well. I haven’t been back in the oil field or driving Caterpillar for other people,” says Frank with a smile.

Steer wrestlers often remind me of offensive lineman and linebackers in football. They are big men who do the little things right. They are a brotherhood of quiet, resourceful fellows. Often times you think of rodeo as the epitome of individual human endeavor versus an animal. In bull dogging there is the absolute need for teamwork. The hazer and dogger and their two blazing quick horses have to be in sync. It all happens so fast. Just one small error can throw the run into a wreck. More often than not they manage to make it work. Practice matters. Wyoming’s two steer wrestlers competing at the 2008 national finals worked many steers with friends in Texas and California before making the trip to Vegas.

Jason Miller, the reigning champ, was practicing in Casper within a short time of winning the title last December. Frank Shepperson was there watching. His son had brought in some “sorry and tricky” steers and they were run out of chutes at the small, indoor arena. Frank says Jason dropped on one and took awhile to muck him down. “He came over to me afterward and said ‘Frank, what do you reckon I did wrong?’” Frank gave his opinion but wanted to say: “You go back home and go into the bathroom, look in the mirror and ask that son-of-a-gun,” Frank told me. “I was the same way. It doesn’t sink in immediately that you are the champion, numero uno,” Shepperson recalls. Especially for Wyoming’s ranch cowboys who wrestle rodeo steers. There are cows to doctor and hay to buy, fence and windmills to fix.

This is going to be a very special finals for Frank. His son, Les, qualified for the first time. The 30-year-old has mostly answered to “Frankie” growing up but he is Les today and he can’t wait to display his own steer wrestling prowess. He is doing it for Dad. “He’s helped me a lot. I’ve always looked up to him. It’s a neat deal because I can practice so easy with a world champion right there at home,” Les said.

Home is 80,000 acres of Powder River country ranch where the cattle are rangy and the cowboys stout. Frank Shepperson wrestled rodeo steers to keep, and build upon, the family operation. Now it is Les’ turn. More power to him.

Horses That Buck

Bill Smith competed in his first NFR in 1965 and a few years later after he’d started to make money and get noticed a reporter in Dallas asked Smith what he liked best about rodeo. “Horses that buck,” said Cody Bill – nicknamed for the town in Wyoming he called home. Rodeo announcers followed suit and would introduce Smith by mentioning his favorite part of the sport. Now that phrase has been turned into the title of a book written by Margot Kahn. “Horses That Buck” is in its third printing. Bill traveled to Oklahoma for a book signing session recently and didn’t have to scratch his name once by the second day because all the books had been sold. “I can’t really judge it, but I’ve been told it’s a page-turner,” said Smith. He won three bronc riding world championships and had many stories to tell Kahn. A love story between Bill and his wife Carole is evident from the beginning.

They moved to Thermopolis, Wyoming from Cody and started a quarterhorse ranch in 1981. It’s grown to become one of the most successful operations of its kind. They have two sales per year. Bill credits Carole for making it work. At the center of everything is a love of horses. “Before I could walk, I was riding. I’d ride anything and I always wanted to ride buckin’ horses,” Smith recalls. Carole was a professional barrel racer. They met along the rodeo road in 1973 – the year Bill won his third gold buckle. Thirty-five years later it is clear Carole and Bill’s bond, and nurturing of horses, remains as strong – or stronger - than ever.

Bill came from a poor coal mining clan that survived in Red Lodge, Montana where the two most famous families in the early days of rodeo resided. The Linderman and Greenough names are permanently etched in the Hall of Fame. “I saw the lifestyle they had and I saw my lifestyle. I knew that I liked theirs better,” said Smith. As a boy he became a fanatic about catching range horses, covering them with a borrowed saddle, and trying to ride.

When the mines shut down, the Smith family moved to Cody, Wyoming and Bill developed his skills at the Cody Nite Rodeo. He would grow to become the best bronc rider in the world during the late 1960s and early 1970s. For those of us who came of age during that tumultuous time in our country there is something quite comforting today about listening to Bill’s calm voice as he reflects on the height of his rodeo career: “I couldn’t handle half of the horses I tried to ride and I never saw one horse I didn’t love. ‘Descent’ was the best bucking horse I ever saw. When they retired him at the Denver Stock Show I sat there with tears running down my cheeks,” said Smith with a noticeable sheen on his eyes even now. Smith would mount ‘Descent’ more than anyone and came out five for nine. “He took anybody on and didn’t ask for any favors. I have so much respect for him.”

You quit competing in professional rodeo when you can’t win anymore. Bill Smith went out on top and while he has grave concerns about the current status of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association he harbors nothing but respect for the young people starting their careers in rodeo now. Smith’s brother, Rick, is rodeo coach at Central Wyoming Community College in Riverton. “There isn’t a kid on his team that I wouldn’t love to have in my house and around me all the time. They are so clean cut, well mannered and All-American,” he asserts.

One of those kids is Seth Glause who will compete at his first national finals this year in bull riding. Seth is also a bronc rider and one day wants to make the finals in both events. If he does you can bet a three-time world champ will be sitting in front of his RCA in Thermopolis confidently rooting for young Seth but equally excited about the bucks of his horse.

PHOTO CAPTIONS & CREDITS
*Bill and Carole Smith, 2006. Photo by Holly Clanahan.
Courtesy of America's Horse
*Bill Smith on his father's packhorse, ca. 1945.
Collection of Bill Smith
*Seth Glause of Rock Springs mentally prepares for his ride.

Lucky 13

On March 13, 1949 he won the first rodeo contest he’d ever entered. He wore the back number “13” at the National Finals Rodeo and won the bareback riding competition in 1962. And on August 13, 1987 Ralph Buell shot a hole-in-one playing golf. “Thirteen is not unlucky for me,” says Buell.

Ralph is sitting at his dining room table in Cheyenne, Wyoming where he retired from a house painting business several years ago. Ralph and his wife have a lovely brick home in a section of town called Western Hills. You might know a house painter would have a brick house. Buell has propped on a chair a poster-sized photo of himself. I’d never met Ralph until a couple of weeks ago. I can’t say who Ralph Buell was before. Today he is slender, clear-eyed and gracious toward the strangers gathered around him. The photo depicts a much different person physically. I think it is safe to say Ralph has changed. As a doctor once told me many years back: “You have to modify your lifestyle.” Another medical person later said something to the effect that if I planned to enjoy retirement some alterations were in order. Maybe medical people convinced Ralph too. I’m not sure. Whatever happened; it worked. Good for him.

Buell rode bucking horses for a living from 1952 to 1968. He won twenty big rodeos including San Antonio, Fort Worth, Pendleton, Prescott and Cheyenne. He championed “The Daddy” the same year – 1962 – that he got the gold buckle at the national finals. It was the first year for the NFR in Los Angeles. The previous three were staged in Dallas. During most of the 1950s the biggest rodeo of the year brought cowboys to New York City for a month of competition in Madison Square Garden. Ralph Buell was there for eight years and found the time in New York pretty enjoyable overall. He still chuckles about the fellow and his kids who came up to him before the rodeo one night. “Anybody get hurt last night?” the man inquired. “Were they supposed to?” replied Ralph. The ranch-raised have a gift for quick comebacks.

Ralph had a nemesis horse he could never really master. “Come Apart” did just that to most who mounted for an eight-second try. Buell got past him during the 1962 national finals and that helped secure the champion’s buckle and saddle. The day (or round) money back then was about $400.

As I watched Ralph Buell thumb through his leather-bound book of picture memories it struck me that the most important, and meaningful, act in this person’s life had little to do with his accomplishments in the rodeo arena. Of much more value to Ralph and those around him is proving he was no longer that man pictured at the end of the dining room table.

Special Ks

They stood tall in the middle of a Casper rodeo arena last weekend forming a line of very special “ks” – Kaleb, Kanin and Klayton Asay – each rail thin and over six-feet tall. Their last name is pronounced “A-see.” What we all could see and feel, through a teary haze once the singer began her version of “God Bless America,” was unabashed pride in our flag, our country, and our young people. Brothers Kaleb and Kanin were there to compete in the rodeo. Klayton was standing on turned American soil one more night before readying himself for a second tour of duty in the Middle East. None of the young men has reached twenty-five years on this earth. Klayton can’t talk about his job in the military. Word does spread nonetheless that he is a Special Forces Interrogator. Whatever his task you can be assured Klayton does it with honor. He is strong of mind, body and spirit – clearly a family trait.

Kaleb Asay is fast becoming a cowboy to watch in professional saddle bronc riding competition. He’s off to such a start that he has just been named rookie-of-the-year in his event.

Kanin Asay is one of pro rodeo’s best bull riders. He could have stayed home following a serious injury in early July. Kanin went head-to-head with a big bull several times. He remembers very little. Onlookers say there were probably four head bashings and Kanin was flopped to the side where he was hung-up and thrashed about mercilessly before going to the dirt and suffering further punishment from the bull’s powerful legs. A helicopter rushed Kanin to a Portland, Oregon hospital. A ruptured spleen was removed. There was an ear to reset since it was half torn off. An eye socket was smashed. But Kanin awoke determined to ride again. And by the latter part of September he was back at his chosen profession. Kanin Asay will return to the national finals next month in Las Vegas. He has a very long stretch of stitching from breastbone to navel but confidence is lighting his eyes again. His stride is long and straight. His Christian beliefs light every day.

He now dutifully dons a helmet which has already proved an invaluable addition to his gear. His helmeted hero, brother Klayton, is back in harm’s way. The least Kanin will do is ride his best and pray for Klayton. After all, Kanin can learn about and prepare for each bull. Klayton faces a mysterious enemy in a foreign land where no amount of training or experience insures a safe landing back in this country.

As the Asay men of Powell, Wyoming strained under the spotlight Saturday night and the singer – a veteran paratrooper in Desert Storm – gave her American song life, the brothers’ grandfather let tears stream down his face. He was not alone.

Ruling the Roost

When the boss sidles up to you on shipping day and says “You’re coming to lunch” you are going to be at that ranch table and you are obliged to eat – a lot. This is a truth above all else when it comes to the kitchen, living room, mud porch and every other part of American West rural life: She is The Boss. I speak from experience. The latest was out on Miller Ranch last week. Bev Miller appeared at our side as we chronicled for television the day of cow gathering, sorting and shipping. Then Bev went back to tending a fidgety grandchild. Her son Jason – the current world champion steer wrestler of pro rodeo – rode over our way a little later. “The boss says you’re coming to lunch?” he quizzed. “It would be a sin not to,” I replied. He nodded in the affirmative and went back to chores at hand.

Once a lunch appearance was assured through those discernable only to cowboys signals I can’t really explain, the patriarch of the place, Pat Miller, ambled by and we had a good conversation. He explained the oil-rich history of Lance Creek, Wyoming and how there used to be a school full of kids, several grocery stores and even a landing strip. He spoke not with grim nostalgia but with pride. He has seen a lot of changes and isn’t about to dwell on a one. Much more important now is deciding on pastures for winter grazing.

Watching the Miller family and friends take care of business in the corral made me appreciate all the more a way of life that is, I think, what keeps a lot of us here that could have moved elsewhere. It is a spirit of freedom, clean air and water, and open space. We – Mike the Camera Genius and I – moved around the outer edges of the pens throughout the morning just about clueless as to the progression of events. “What are they doing now?” I ask Pat who is standing next to me. “We want all the calves getting shipped to be of similar size and look,” he says. And so the son-in-law points a finger one way to send the chosen 108 to market and bends a thumb back to indicate those animals that aren’t going away today. I know the steers were punching a trip ticket but how those heifers were deciphered for differences in appearance is way out of my league. They are all black, four legs, and their moms are bawling. It was a great way to spend the morning. We leave the corral realizing there was not one second spent worrying or fretting about personal or job issues. We were transfixed and transported to 1892 and …what is this four-wheeled thing with an engine anyway?

Beef was piled high back in Bev Miller’s kitchen. We all left our footwear outside. Everyone was directed to wash up. The food line moved quickly and the feast was on. I looked over at Jason and thought about what he said as he switched horses that morning: “I don’t know anybody that ranches because it pays so good. You get to live in the country. You’re your own boss. You get to ride horses and work cows every day. You can’t ask for anything better than that, I don’t think.”

Well said, Jason. Just remember who is boss.

MILLER RANCH
Pro rodeo’s champion steer wrestler Jason Miller is a top hand on the family cattle ranch. We travel to shipping day at Miller Ranch with photojournalist Mike McCrimmon and reporter Curtis Scott:

Billy’s Back

The most recognized name and face in professional rodeo arrived in Cheyenne early and his back is hurting. Billy Etbauer rides broncs like no other and he’s aged well by staying in great physical condition. But he finished a ride a few days ago by striking a fence and he’s visibly seized up. Etbauer sought some medical assistance from the Justin Sports Medicine team in Cheyenne yesterday along with a consult with Cheyenne Dr. Skip Ross. Billy will do all he can to have his body ready for his first ride at frontier days tomorrow. If you know anything at all about this man who has graced his mid-forties by leading the world standings again, Billy Etbauer will be spurring with everything he has to try and win what has proved to be the most elusive individual championship for him – The Daddy Of ‘em All. Etbauer traveled for many years with his two brothers, Dan and Robert. Dan is working as a pick-up man at Cheyenne Frontier Days this year. There is no rodeo man on this earth who would be happier than Dan will be if he rides alongside his brother to bring him safely down from a gold buckle ride in Cheyenne.

Pouring Down Scores Up

The skies finally broke over the arena yesterday and it was a good gully washer for much of an hour. Mud made for some splashy rides and runs. It’s always great to see that spray sent forward by the steer wrestlers. There were some high marks in bareback riding once the rain came including the two top rides of the competition so far – a pair of 87-point scampers by Bobby Mote of Oregon and newcomer Tyrel Nelson who lives in Cheyenne.

Hawaiian Exhibition

Cheyenne is recognizing the 100th anniversary of the 1908 Daddy when a trio of steer ropers from Hawaii competed in, and won, frontier days. A few “paniolos” – Hawaiian for cowboys – showed their skills in the Cheyenne arena yesterday. They have a very unique way of roping a steer’s head to a rail. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum has a special exhibit open on the whole history of Hawaiian cowboys in Cheyenne. Give it a look if you get the chance.

Friday Highlights

If you are a Wyoming rodeo fan you’ll want to get up early and cheer on world champion steer wrestler Jason Miller tomorrow. He’ll be out for frontier days slack beginning at 7 a.m. It’s free and the Lance Creek, WY dogger would appreciate the cheers. Jason is attending the free pancake breakfast tomorrow to flip jacks and sign autographs. He should be downtown by 8:30. Several hours before that bullfighter Jeremy Sparks is scheduled to be interviewed by a team from “The CBS Early Show.” Pending a last-minute change of events, Jeremy is supposed to make a 4:50 a.m. curtain call for a nationally-televised appearance from Cheyenne Depot Square.

Welsh & Sparks & Cash

Look at the picture closely. Bobby Welsh rides a bull at Cheyenne Frontier Days yesterday. Jeremy Sparks, the bullfighter, fronts the action drawing the bull’s attention and the bull takes notice. What will happen next? Looks to me like Bobby is going to fall off and Sparks is in for a stomping. Nothing could be further from what takes place. Welsh regains his balance and Jeremy does his job making sure Bobby gets the best possible score out of his eight seconds on top. Bobby‘s ride was scored a 78. Why would young men put themselves in such precarious positions? They can. From a young age a parent, mentor, or rodeo hero they saw on television gave them inspiration. And then adrenaline took over. A rodeo song I have on a compilation CD is probably findable on I-Tunes. If you don’t have the ability or desire to go web-hunting here are a couple of stanzas from “Bull Rider” as recorded by Johnny Cash. The song was written by Rodney Crowell who was married for a time to Johnny’s daughter Roseanne. To me, this holds up pretty well and really captures the intensity, drama, and reckless nature of an event that once the chute gate opens, no one can avert their eyes from watching. Frankly, the man in black was actually way before his time (as usual) and did “Bull Rider” circa 1979 in a mostly spoken rap:

Well first you got to want to get off bad enough to want to get on him in the first place.

And you better trust in your Lady Luck and pray to God that she don’t give up on you right now.

Live fast. Die young. Bull Rider.

One hand hold is all you got. It’s you and the bull against the clock and of course the crowd.

And once upon a spinnin’ ton, nothin’ else you ever done can pull this way.

You’re just outside the buckin’ chute, lose a spur you lose a seat and you lose yourself.

By now he’s buckin’ mean and dirty, slingin’ mud and cowboy boots and kickin’ clowns.

No fools. No fun. Bull Rider.

Weathering the Storm

Done a Dirty

Bobby Welsh has the perfect build for a bull rider. He’s compact, close to the ground, and body balanced – above and below the beltline. This season most bulls are having trouble getting Bobby down early. The pride of Gillette holds a spot in the Top Five of all pro rodeo bull riders and has sights firmly set on another visit to the national finals in December. One of the David Bailey string called Gentle Ben was not so much gentle as downright nasty in the frontier days rodeo arena yesterday making a nifty move to toss Welsh a bit before the eight-second buzzer. “He did me a dirty right at the end there,” Welsh said. He’ll be back out today at Cheyenne trying for go-round money (#2) on Mr. Wilson.

Nose Job

Matt Bright went dark for a split second following his 79-point bareback ride yesterday at Cheyenne. A pickup man’s horse kicked Bright in the side of the nose popping it off center like a Mike Tyson roundhouse would have done in that boxer’s heyday. Bright, though battle-scarred, spent the rest of the rodeo displaying his hoof altered and cotton stuffed proboscis. “Cheap plastic surgery,” he remarked.

Asay Update

A Top Ten bull rider who is just coming into his own as one of the world’s best suffered serious injuries in Oregon early this month and initially Kanin Asay said he wanted to get back in the arena by the tour rodeo in Idaho come mid-August. Kanin’s brother Kaleb, who scored nicely in the saddle bronc competition at Cheyenne yesterday, now says Kanin plans to be ready to go by the famed Pendleton, Oregon tilt which starts September 10. I find that decision a wise one considering the extent of Kanin’s injuries and the need for a proper convalescence.

First Weekend Impressions

My first Cheyenne Frontier Days view was from the airport tarmac arriving for a job beginning the day after the 1982 Daddy ended. Talk about your Monday morning “coming down.” A group of people who worked at the radio station that hired me showed up but they weren’t really there. I asked the one who could stand up, although with a definite lean, why everyone looked so tired. “We just had our annual rodeo. It’s quite a party.”

Indeed. The years have led me past the partying aspect that is without question still a major part of the frontier days ambience – mostly for the younger set. I think those of us who’ve stayed a part of the event find a niche and follow it. My job affords me the good fortune to both work and help out at the rodeo without having to take vacation time like so many must, and do, every year. Because helping the media on behalf of Wyoming is one of my chief duties, connecting journalists with cowboys falls within the job description.

We usually find a way to crank out a television feature or two as well. This year it is most likely to focus on bullfighter Jeremy Sparks. We may also acquaint viewers with the bull riding Welsh boys out of Gillette. Tune in for more later in the week.

The “ready” area for rough stock cowboys is where I hang my hat during the rodeo performances. If a press person needs to talk to someone it’s my job to find them. Not always easy since there are only a few “stars” and physical characteristics of this particular brand of cowboy athlete are very similar. But we usually get the job done and the cowboys are almost always happy to chat. One was a little reticent Sunday.

The other rodeo work he and his traveling pards had to do this past weekend made it necessary for Jesse Bail to put two go-rounds into one day yesterday at Cheyenne. He’s in good shape in saddle-bronc riding. He also rode two bulls to scores. However, the tally on the last ride was low (54) and Bail wanted to make the Sunday finals with a good chance to win so he took a re-ride. He was tossed early. His hip is hurting. Whose wouldn’t be? And he is peeved, mostly at himself, because of the number of chute seats he took. All that aside, what I saw was a young man with a truck full of grit. He was actually ready to get back out there and take on that last bull again. “I didn’t know him. I know him now and I want to ride him....right now.” Five rides, two horses and three bulls, in one day at the Daddy and Bail was ready to go again. There’s a cowboy who ought to change his last name.

Back in the Saddle

My humblest of apologies for not being regular in these remarks on rodeo in Wyoming, the western life and a road trip suggestion or two. Rather than offer any excuses let us more forward. I assure you there will be updates to this column every month with the addition of video in some cases. We are sure to have something for you in the video vein over the next couple of weeks as we partake in Cheyenne Frontier Days. Beginning July 19 you can find me in the rough stock riders “ready” area where it’s my honor to connect the cowboys with journalists.

Our office sponsors professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls based primarily on their appearances at the national finals. One exception is Jeremy Sparks – a bullfighter who has been a fixture at frontier days for several years. Jeremy is a captain in the U.S. Air Force having decided to join after 9/11. He is the only full-time military person who is also a card-carrying member of the PRCA. I’ve gotten to know him well and appreciate his bravery in the arena. Jeremy’s had some health issues in recent months. Kidney stone complications put him in the hospital in Cheyenne. He lost weight his frame really could not afford to be without. Every time I see him now I first ask if I can buy him a double cheeseburger and fries.

Jeremy married his college sweetheart last month in Yellowstone National Park and the first week of July saw a dream come true as Sparks joined Sparks fighting bulls at the Cody Stampede. Jeremy decided to become a bullfighter because of the legendary Donny Sparks who has been one of the best at his trade for nearly twenty years. Their work together in Cody was abruptly cut short when Jeremy got stepped on by a bull. The resulting head injury put Jeremy in the Cody hospital overnight. He sustained a concussion and contusions but plans on being ready to go in Cheyenne, Saturday. I still think his relentless gym workouts should be capped off with candy, ice cream and mashed potatoes. But he won’t listen to me.

Jeremy will be joining us at the Wyoming booth this weekend. We’ll be out Friday-Sunday along the rodeo arena fence leading to the main entrance of Frontier Park. Look for the black tent that proclaims: Wyoming, Forever West. We’ve some good freebies including an updated Chris LeDoux Tribute DVD that concludes with the nice ride his son Beau performed at last year’s Daddy. And there is also footage of Beau, following his 81-point ride, dispensing a portion of his Dad’s ashes in the arena Chris once said he felt was his birthplace. We will have a drawing each day for a very special piece of framed art. It is a series of still photos (by our talented pal Rick Carpenter) of Beau LeDoux’s 2007 Cheyenne Frontier Days ride and its aftermath. Please stop by, say howdy, and register to win.

Calgary was good to our Wyoming hands. Chet Johnson of Gillette is trading in $27,000 from Canadian to American currency. The huge saddle bronc horse he drew for the showdown round put up one heck of a fight trying to unseat Chet. Johnson stuck with it to place third in that round after winning Round 10. And world champ steer wrestler Jason Miller of Lance Creek collected some $12K at the Stampede. Chet will ride in the regular afternoon performances of Cheyenne Frontier Days – July 25th & 26th. Those same mornings, Miller seeks to repeat a Cheyenne championship by bulldogging in the slack competition for which there is no charge to watch.

Our team roper, heeler Jhett Johnson from Casper, is now working with Charlie Crawford of Oklahoma on the head. Jhett says they’ve pocketed about ten thousand dollars over past couple of weeks as Johnson makes another run at the national finals. Jhett and Charlie will work this week in Cheyenne – Wednesday and Thursday in the slack competition.

Bull rider Bobby Welsh of Gillette is coming off a big Fourth of July in Cody finishing with the reserve championship in the X-treme Bulls competition. Bobby won the WYO Rodeo in Sheridan last weekend and will ride in Cheyenne July 21st & 22nd.

The barrel racer we have a sponsoring interest and friendship with is Brandie Halls from Carpenter, WY. She is excused from Cheyenne with a vet’s release. We’ll be in touch with Brandie soon to let you know the latest.

Finally, and with no small amount of pleasure, I am happy to report Powell bull rider Kanin Asay is alive and on the road to recovery. The same night Jeremy Sparks was hurt (July 2) in Cody, Kanin was in a big wreck at the Saint Paul, Oregon rodeo. According to eyewitness reports given to Asay (he remembers nothing) Kanin was strung out and then brought down for a head-to-head smash. That sequence was repeated before sending the unconscious rider into a hung-up position alongside the animal. Kanin went to the ground after five or six seconds whereupon the bull stepped on Asay’s stomach. He was flown by helicopter from the arena to a hospital in Portland. Surgeons removed Kanin’s spleen. He sustained fractures to an eye socket and rib. The stomach surgery left a rather lengthy gash from Asay’s sternum to below the belly button. But he is back home and plans to ride again by the tour rodeo in Caldwell, Idaho the latter part of August.

I learned about Kanin from Jeremy Sparks who called me groggily from his hospital bed in Cody. These rodeo folks. Some times you have to wonder where they get their juice. One thing for sure. That fountain of adrenaline, focus, and pure cowboy try only flows one way – up.

Hey Brother Can You Spare $250??

First off, Happy Birthday Wyoming!! The “Equality State” to some will always be “Cowboy State” to me. It’s a place where the ranch folk are talking about the weather at the corner café and you are only a stranger as long as you act like one. In Wyoming, humor is most appreciated in a one-word shrug rather than a page of lofty societal observations.

One fall day a few years back we were shooting video and collecting interviews with a television production crew working near Pavillion on Wyoming Horses Ranch. Character actor Wilford Brimley (now a Wyoming resident) was guest starring. I’ve always enjoyed his work in films. He’d agreed to spend a little time talking on camera to us. I fired out several rather lame questions and ended the queries with a smile asking: “What’s next?” Mr. Brimley wasted not a second in his reply, “Supper.” Now that’s a westerner’s way. The moment brought to mind a “Brimleyism” I overheard many years ago as he was being interviewed upon arrival at the Cheyenne airport for the frontier days rodeo. Brimley had most recently been seen on television as a main character of the show “Our House.” The reporter asked Wilford his opinion of that program. And he was quick to finish the discussion thusly: “Canceled.”

But I digress. What I wanted to talk about is the price of fuel. We’ve been to rodeos in Casper, Greeley and Cody so far this summer season. The overriding concern of contestants is how best to “buddy up” so that more people are paying at the pump. As if there aren’t enough issues affecting our sport of rodeo – animal rightists, PRCA inner turmoil, lagging talent pools (except for the bulls) – now it’s next to impossible for the “average” Joe or Mary to get down the road, let alone cover the entry fees. My guess is fewer will be able to make a run at their dreams because they just can’t afford it. I’ve spent some time with team ropers and steer wrestlers the last couple of weeks and to a person they “hate” the diesel pump price but find adding more men to the mix a necessary move to make due. Splitting a thousand dollars a month four ways is both palatable and prudent – even if the chorus of snoring adds another tenor or bass to the midnight choir.

I am not pessimistic about the future. While it is probably true that the majority of rodeo cowboys don’t like change much, they are uncannily able to adjust their ways – and travel schedules – when it’s a matter of survival. Rodeo will survive. What comes out at the other end may not be a system that gives just about anyone, from anywhere, a chance at a gold buckle. But we’ll still see amazing feats performed by athletes and animals locked in a very real struggle to maintain a way of life.

Rodeo isn’t for everyone. I know that. To those who would deny its place in the world of competitive sports I would invite you to watch Jason Miller throw down a steer in the mud at Cheyenne. Take the time to admire the athleticism of Kelly Timberman on a good bareback horse. Follow the loop of team roper Jhett Johnson picking up a steer’s back legs. Gasp at the angles and air underneath the buck of Miss Congeniality. Or perhaps it would behoove us to root on the young ones make a run at riding sheep in Lusk or Dubois, or brave a barrel race pattern in Pine Bluffs. Those are the times when you smile and say to yourself, or someone within earshot, “We ain’t dead yet.” But take care Wilford isn’t next to you to close with: “Life-support.”

The Terra of Niobrara

We’ve been fortunate to spend a little more time with the new world champion steer wrestler since the national finals and it’s my pleasure to report you can peel away the nice and calm and quiet and respectful layers of Jason Miller to discover only more of all of those qualities. He carries himself, and Wyoming, with pride but he is not prideful.

Jason is traveling again for the warm weather state rodeos coming up in Texas and Arizona. He did not finish in the money at the stock show in Denver but he sure represented his sport well during a live television segment on Channel 9 News (KUSA) there. When we walked into the newsroom early in the morning – around 6 a.m. – Miller looked over the setting and said, “Boy, this is a lot bigger than Casper.” And indeed it was yet Jason sat there and did a fine job talking to an automated camera, lights gleaming at him, and a reporter’s questions filling his ear.

View the 9News Video: http://www.9news.com/article.aspx?storyid=84936
The dogger is not living high off the hog after netting winnings of close to $117,000 at the NFR alone. He stays in what Jason calls a “camphouse” near a shop he has with his brother on the outskirts of Lance Creek. When at his parent’s ranch the pride of Niobrara County is working cattle, fixing fence, or doing some other chore that needs done bouncing around in a beater Toyota pick-up. When home, Jason reads. He does not have a television. The engraved world champion’s gold buckle arrived at the house a week or so ago and is now with Jason as he begins the new season. I spoke with the champ yesterday as he neared a Texas rodeo after many hours of driving. “Even now looking at this buckle while I’m doing my least favorite part of rodeo (driving) it just goes hand-in-hand. If you want a chance at this buckle you’ve got to take the bad with the good,” he said. “It’s amazing to see my name on there. You look in the mirror and a little smile comes on your face.”

Niorbrara County is the least populated county in Wyoming - the country’s least populated state. There are fewer than ten residents that actually live in the town of Lance Creek. The county seat is Lusk, where there is one stoplight. Only about 23 hundred people inhabit the entire county.

Miller enjoys working on the family ranch where they run about 500 head of cattle. “Taking care of cows is peaceful, rewarding, and quiet work. I don’t ever plan on leaving here,” he said. It is a remote life where the few people there are all know each other. “It’s sort of ‘Nowhere, Wyoming’ but there’s a lot of big, open country and everybody’s good, common ranch people,” Miller said. “We look after one other.”

Jason was a rough stock rider in high school (bucking broncs) but grew too big for that rodeo event and soon turned his sights on steer wrestling. He competed in the College National Finals four years running while a student-athlete at Central Wyoming College in Riverton and the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Since winning his first world champion’s title Miller has heard from hundreds of people across the country offering their congratulations and well wishes. One 70-year-old Lance Creek, Wyoming native now living in California wrote a letter to say how proud he was of Miller. “To receive that note from someone I don’t even know was pretty neat,” Jason said.

Earlier this month there was a welcome home and congratulations party for Jason in Casper. Close to 300 people showed up to shake his hand and pat Miller on the back. He knew a lot of those folks but many were strangers who just wanted to share a glorious moment in Wyoming rodeo history. He is the first Wyoming native to ever win the steer wrestling average at the national finals. A former national bulldogging champion – Frank Shepperson from Midwest, WY – was there to congratulate Jason. We spent a little time with Frank, away from the crowd, and will report on that chat in a future column.

There was an opening salvo to the evening that captured the mood perfectly. Arlene Rapp of Lusk stood clutching the microphone. “You know there’s an old saying about ‘Where the Hell is Niobrara County?’” “Well,” she continued, “they dang sure know where it is now.”

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