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.