Christmas Goodies

The long and hard Fourth of July run of rodeos across the western U.S. saw some outstanding performances from Wyoming’s pro rodeo cowboys who wear the colors of Team Wyoming under a sponsorship contract with the state’s tourism office. It is the only signed agreement in the U.S. between a state agency and professional rodeo athletes.

The 2004 world champ in bareback riding is co-champion of the 2010 Prescott, Arizona rodeo which is touted as the oldest event of its kind in the country. Kelly Timberman of Mills, Wyoming scored an 86 in Prescott to strike the pay window for $4,800. Kelly won the Williams Lake, British Columbia rodeo that paid $3,200 and was in fine spirits after his July 3 outing for 84 points at the Cody Stampede netting another $1,400:

Kelly_cody
Timberman bounced up to #10 in the world standings following his “Cowboy Christmas” performances collecting nearly $16,000.

Midwest, Wyoming steer wrestler Les Shepperson showed his mettle by winning the Greeley (Colorado) Stampede over the Fourth and doing so with a strained MCL in his right knee. Les is now 31st in the world standings.

Gillette’s Chet Johnson is working with a similar injury situation only his MCL issue is with the left knee. Nonetheless, Johnson won the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche spurring to score 87 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Sundown to snare $3,700. He gathered another $ 1,100 at St. Paul, OR and is currently 34th in the bronc riding world standings.

Kanin Asay of Powell won the championship round of the Cody-Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls event in Cody, July 5. Asay pocketed a total of $7,700 toward his attempt to make the national finals in Vegas come December. We anxiously await the July 25 broadcast on ESPN2 of the Cody event.

Gillette bull rider Bobby Welsh has jumped to 20th in the world standings following a Cowboy Christmas dash that included a third-place finish at St. Paul, Oregon where Welsh scored an 88-point ride. The three other Team Wyoming bull riders – Clayton Savage of Casper, Asay, and Seth Glause of Rock Springs – are each within striking distance of the Top 15 holding down positions 25, 30 and 37 respectively.

Glause is a two-event cowboy and left the Cody Stampede pleased with his 86-point bronc ride that provided a paycheck of $5,000:

Seth_cody
Casper’s Jhett Johnson (heeler) has joined forces with the man who leads all headers thus far in 2010. Turtle Powell of Texas and Johnson will be throwing with gusto to get a national finals team roping bid. Johnson is currently in the #25 spot. The pair won third and more than $60,000 at the recent Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic in Reno. Unfortunately that cash doesn’t count in the world standings race.