Cowboys Meet Lawmakers

There were a lot of “Sirs” and “Mams” floating around the Little America Resort in Cheyenne this week. Five professional rodeo cowboys took time away from their pursuits in the warmth of Texas and Arizona to meet Wyoming legislators and people in the tourism industry here who have supported the only state program in the nation that sponsors contestants that have risen to the level of competing at the national finals. Those who came to sign autographs, meet & greet, and otherwise mingle included bull riders Kanin Asay and Bobby Welsh, bronc and bull rider Seth Glause, bronc rider Chet Johnson and bullfighter Dusty Tuckness. Coming off his first national finals, Tuckness is going to spend the first three weeks of March dashing and darting about RodeoHouston.



The winter rodeo season is in full swing and already there are injuries being nursed by Kanin Asay and Chet Johnson. Kanin, of Powell, WY, won the bull riding at the NFR in Las Vegas last December. He told us his last three bull rides this year have ended with hang ups. Muscles are strained and bruised as a result. “I just have to stop ridin’ like a sissy,” Asay said. Johnson is from Gillette. The reigning Canadian Champion bronc rider was stepped on after a dismount in Rapid City, SD earlier this month. Chet suffered a concussion and had to have stitches near his right eye. He feels better but is clearly not at a hundred percent.

The just-completed San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo was good to a few of Team Wyoming’s pokes. Clayton Savage of Casper made the finals in bull riding but did not score there. He came in with about $2,500 in winnings though and picked up another $4K in the San Antonio Xtreme Bulls event. Savage is sitting at #28 of the world standings. Jhett Johnson from Casper was also in the San Antonio finals with team roping pard Steve Purcella. They were just out of the money with a 5.4 second run but added over $3,000 to their earnings total thus far in 2010. Jhett is now just out of the Top 15 for heelers.

Kelly Timberman from Mills, WY is off to a nice start this year now married to his sweetheart Charidie. Timberman is holding down the #9 position in the bareback riding world standings and won about $1,500 in San Antonio. He’ll be among a large contingent of the Wyoming team members competing in Tucson this weekend.

Jason Miller of Lance Creek who is bull dogging with authority in 20-10 finds himself in the average lead heading into the finals weekend at Tucson. Miller has grappled two head in 13 flat. He is in the lucky #13 spot in the pro steer wrestling world standings.