2007 Summer Rodeo Season is Upon Us

The summer rodeo season is here and that makes a lot of us feel like winter blankets can go in the closet. A damp chill filled the air along with steady rain last night in Cody, Wyoming – home to the Cody Nite Rodeo and the Cody Stampede. The latter is one of the stalwarts of “Cowboy Christmas.” That’s the period from the last week of June through the Fourth of July when professional rodeo athletes cover thousands of miles sometimes competing at two different rodeos in a day. Most are in cars, pickups, and vans but those who can afford it jump a flight to make as many of the better paying rodeos as possible. It’s all about the draw in this sport so travel decisions, particularly for rough stock contestants, are based on the animals they’ve been allotted. Some cowboy has ridden almost all of the horses and bulls that will be sent out of the chutes in professional competition. There is constant cell phone chatter and texting amongst the cowboys trying to find out all they can about animals… “he’ll buck out big and go to the right….he hasn’t been spinnin’ like he used to….she’ll stay strong to the whistle.” Try your best to make a “Cowboy Christmas” rodeo. It’s when the most money can be made in the shortest period of time all summer so cowboy try is at a maximum. If you can get an angle to watch the parking lot behind the chutes you’ll also see a lot of dust kicked up by tires carrying cowboys and girls to the next rodeo.

Here in Cody we went to the Dan Miller Cowboy Music Revue last night and it is a really, great show (as Ed Sullivan used to say). Miller tells humorous stories on the history of the songs he and his band perform. Their versions of such gems as “Cowboy Sweetheart” and “Great American Cowboy” are precise, melodically brewed to perfection, and crowd-pleasing delights. Miller will look familiar to rodeo fans. He’s spent twenty years alongside Donnie Gay providing television coverage of rodeos from coast-to-coast. Dan is now back with Donnie doing the Dodge Xtreme Bulls events showing on ESPN. Cody will be hosting one of those events, June 30 – a first for Wyoming. If you get this way this summer be sure to see the Dan Miller show, evenings at 8 p.m. Dan basically rebuilt the interior of the old Cody Enterprise building himself and has the strong support of his wife and family. He handcrafted the stage on which he stands. The least we can do is watch him work on it.

Our Wyoming rodeo athletes sponsored by the state tourism office are hoping to gain some momentum heading into the heart of the season. Team roper Jhett Johnson of Casper feels like he’s found the right partner to carry through the year. Keven Daniel will be doing the heading work with Jhett on the heels. As you hit the road this summer you can’t miss Jhett. His horse trailer puts in 60,000 miles a year wrapped with beautiful Wyoming scenery and a family portrait. Gillette bull rider Bobby Welsh is on the edge of the Top 15, currently #17. Lance Creek’s Jason Miller is at #36 in steer wrestling and barrel racer Brandie Halls, of Carpenter WY, is in the #40 spot.

The 2004 world champion bareback rider, Kelly Timberman of Mills, is off to a big start in 2007. Kelly is in the #2 position and looking to close in on the top spot. Kanin Asay, a bull rider from Powell, holds strong at #7. And Andrea Clark of Lusk has nudged into the Top 15. She is holding that last hole in barrel racing going into June.