Daddy Dearest

Working in the “ready area” where rough stock cowboys prep, wait, and recount their rides at Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) has its privileges. Here are a few nuggets I didn’t get a chance to share the past ten days while writing the highlights for The Rodeo Hand:

• The bareback riders organized a fundraiser/auction at Frontier Park last Friday night. Recently, fellow rider Tom McFarland was pushed against a chute by his horse with such force McFarland’s arm was broken in 22 places. With a wife and three kids – and no way to earn money – McFarland is in physical pain and financially very strained. His friends just would not let this situation go unaddressed. Will Lowe invited me to the event noting dozens of cowboys, outfitters, companies and individuals had donated items. Will, who would go on to win Cheyenne, gave a go-round buckle won at the national finals. There were hunting trips galore, Lowe said, and a lot of rodeo memorabilia. I couldn’t make the auction called by Royce Ford but on Saturday Royce said he was pleased with the take. The McFarland family will be receiving $30,000. The auctioneer may have been wearing olive drab britches he spirited from the Salvation Army for five bucks but his voice brought a five-figure night for a family in need.

• Clint Cannon leads the world standings in bareback riding and the Texas cowboy will soon be the lead actor in a movie scripted, produced and directed by a Frenchman. The crew spent a few days in Cheyenne and the rodeo family story is being based on true-life circumstances mostly surrounding the relationship between Clint and his dad, Jay, who competed professionally for 20 years. We chatted with director Frederic Laffont while seated for a break in the rough stock riders ready area.



The film should be ready for the big screen in Europe next year. We’ll keep you posted as to its availability in the U.S.

• Seth Glause, the Rock Springs, WY bronc and bull rider and newest member of Team Wyoming, is out for the season with a knee injury. Seth, upset enough about his own inability to compete, saw two close friends and traveling partners suffer head injuries at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Bull riders Tyler Willis from Wheatland and Patrick Geipel of Elbert, Colorado were both knocked out in the arena. Willis’ injuries require surgery and clicking below will show you why he may consider buying a helmet.



Geipel was rendered unconscious but his helmet protected him from more serious injuries and facial surgery.

Xtreme Crowds

A family of five from New York told us they enjoyed their first rodeo so much at the July 4th Cody Stampede they stayed overnight and came back for the Xtreme Bulls event the next night. An extended family of seven from Mexico spoke little English but made it known they wanted to meet some pro rodeo cowboys and anxiously stopped by our booth area three or four times during the Cody-Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls hoping to get an autograph. They returned after the riding was completed and waited in line an hour before getting to meet bullfighter Dusty Tuckness of Meeteetse, WY and Wyoming bull riders Kanin Asay from Powell and Seth Glause from Rock Springs. Pictures were taken, hats and autograph sheets signed, questions answered.

‘Did you win?” more than one kid queried.
“No, but I tried,” said Glause.

One woman whispered to a friend. “My daughter likes country music so I want to get his autograph. I know he’s one of those singers,” she assured her pal. I passed this information on to Seth and he said, “Yeah, like I can sing.” He got a good chuckle out of the whole thing.

We only had two chairs therefore Kanin Asay was low on a stool during most of the fan gathering. That’s okay. He’s young. He also stood and signed and posed and laughed and answered questions for more than an hour. Then Kanin and his traveling partners headed up the road to the Calgary Stampede. They departed the Cody arena around 10pm.

A lot of new rodeo fans were made Sunday night in Cody. There was the group of thirteen from the UK and Australia attending their first rodeo. “How do you speak cowboy?” they asked our video man, Mike. Being a Casper, Wyoming native this was not a hard question to answer. “I don’t really know,” said Mike. “Just start every sentence with ‘Y’all’ and be sure to remove your hat when you first meet a lady. Also, don’t leave your hat on the bed. It’s bad luck.” .

You had to feel good watching all those folks waiting to meet our cowboys. And if you get the chance this year I hope you do the same. Rodeo people aren’t perfect but they sure are good. Manners matter to them. A handshake is a contract. And when they get bucked early, or miss a loop, they smile and say, “I tried.” And then they’ll try again.

Seth Glause and Kanin Asay may not have scored inside the Xtreme Bulls arena in Cody but they sure made some points with fans afterward. Our talented video person, Mike McCrimmon, has some highlights for you and they’ll come at you as follows:

1. Seth Glause in the Fourth of July Cody Stampede rodeo. He lands an 83-point ride and finishes in the money.
2. Kanin Asay staying on for 7.76 of the required eight seconds, July 4.
3. A batch of work from bullfighter Dusty Tuckness on July 4-5.
4. Kanin Asay and Xtreme Bulls ESPN television announcer Dan Miller (a Cody resident) before the competition on July 5.
5. Money-winning performances by Wheatland’s Tyler Willis and Casper’s Clayton Savage in the Cody-Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls championship round, July 5.
6. The fan gathering at and near our Wyoming Travel & Tourism booth after the Xtreme Bulls

event in Cody.

Cowboy Christmas in Canada

On this the most American of U.S. holiday weekends a growing number of pro rodeo contestants are spending their traditional “Cowboy Christmas” in Canada. It doesn’t hurt that there is a $100,000 pot of gold up for grabs in each of six events that comprise the Calgary Stampede’s championship round.

Gillette saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson is quite fond of competing in Canada. He took home a truckload of Canadian dollars last year. Well, that’s not entirely true. Johnson made so much money up north he opened a bank account there. Chet is in the first pool of bronc riders out in Calgary starting Friday. Kelly Timberman from Mills, and the 2004 world bareback champ, is in the first pool of men in his event.

The Calgary Stampede is by invitation only for contestants and two Wyoming bull riders are very happy to have received the call up to Canada. Bobby Welsh of Gillette and Kanin Asay from Powell are in the same pool of bull riders who will strive for their best outings of the year beginning July 7.

Asay had the chance to join the Calgary pool that opens July 3 but opted to stay in the states to compete in his hometown rodeo – The Cody Stampede. The only Wyoming edition of Xtreme Bulls is July 5th so that provides Asay a good opportunity to shine twice in front of his longtime fans and his family. Rodeo fans traveling to Cody this weekend will also see Meeteetse product Dusty Tuckness handling bull fighting chores. Dusty was proud host, along with his close friend Kanin, of a special bullfighting and bull riding event in Cody, June 14. Here’s a minute of the action as edited by our own Mike McCrimmon who saw his camera gain the affection of more than one horned critter:

Seth Glause of Rock Springs is going to be on top of bulls going for the Cody crown in both the Stampede on the Fourth of July and the Cody-Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls the next day. That event will be taped by our friends from Winnercomm Sports, edited, and aired nationally on ESPN2 at 12:00pm mountain time, July 19. The Cody event will feature five bull riders who own world champion buckles. It is the first Xtreme Bulls ever to have that many champs in one setting. You can still grab a ticket at: www.codystampederodeo.com or by calling 1-800-207-0744. Ticket prices are $25 for general admission.