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.

Casper Cowboy

“Casper ain’t prettified or gussied up. It’s a working stiff town. Cowboys and oil workers. Beer and guns. But it’s also a tolerant place that welcomes anyone who shares an affinity for open land and a do-as-you-please way of life.”
              - Men’s Journal magazine, April 2010

We’ve come to know a number of folks who live the western life in the Casper vicinity. One of our favorite’s Jhett Johnson. The pro rodeo team roping heeler is back on the family ranch west of Casper after a winter rodeo season that saw him gather up about $11,000 and sustain a position well within striking distance of the coveted Top 15.

We ran into Jhett a couple of weeks ago in Casper where he had to pick up some medicine for a sick calf. He hadn’t heard about the recognition in the current issue of Men’s Journal magazine that if you want to be a cowboy, Casper is the best place in the U.S. to do it. I read Jhett the quote that opens this story and here’s how he reacted:

Jhett 3-31-2010Project 1-MPEG-4

Jhett Johnson on the family ranch and many other rodeo and ranch scenes are compiled in a new Wyoming DVD “Rodeo Road” we have produced for free distribution to those who have interests in such matters. And if you are reading this blog, we take it you do. Just drop a line to: info@visitwyo.gov and put Rodeo Road DVD in the subject line (be sure to include your mailing address) or call us toll-free at: 800.225.5996

Omaha Shakes Out Top 15

The final numbers will take a few weeks to determine officially but as of this writing the money won by Casper’s Jhett Johnson team roping at the River City Roundup in Omaha is enough to fuel Jhett’s trip to the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Johnson and partner Steve Purcella did not make any cash in the final rounds Saturday night but they still left Omaha with nearly $3,800 solidifying the #14 heeling hole for Jhett with only one major stop left in pro rodeo’s regular season.

Bobby Welsh of Gillette didn’t make any cash Saturday night either but he took home nearly $9,700 from the first two rounds in Omaha.

Saturday night’s final rounds were good to Kelly Timberman from Mills, WY. The 2004 world champ won more than $13K on two horses – almost $10,000 in one fantastic eight-second spur to score 89 points on a horse called Wise Guy:



Timberman left Omaha with $16,600 added to his 2009 regular season money bringing him to nearly $90K for the year.

Ryan Gray, who grew up in Cheyenne and Laramie, won the Omaha bareback riding championship and added a hefty $32,000 to his regular season take as a result.

We can’t leave Omaha’s finale of the Wrangler Tour playoffs without showing you the luminous Luke Branquinho. He won the steer wrestling tour title for the second year running with this dazzling 3.4 second toss:



Luke travels with Lance Creek Wyoming’s Jason Miller who did not make enough cash in tour rodeos this year to compete in the playoffs. At this writing it seems clear that Miller has been dropped out of his #15 spot by Blake Knowles who earned more than $13,000 in Omaha.

WYO Might

There was nearly a sigh of relief visible in the manner of Casper’s Jhett Johnson after he and team roping partner Steve Purcella stopped the clock at six seconds flat last night to collect fourth place money of $2,100 and finish tied for fourth/fifth in the average to bring their money total so far in Omaha to nearly $3,800. They secure a spot in the championships tonight where the top eight in each event compete and then the top four have at it to decide the winners at the 2009 River City Roundup. There are just a few rodeos left in the regular season and none (with the possible exception of the Heartland Finals in Waco, TX next month) have near the money available to change the world standings on a significant basis. Jhett had to finish the year in the money on almost every throw of his heeling rope in order to have a chance to make the national finals. And he did. Johnson was more than pleased with the run last night and gave his partner credit for staying focused:



Bobby Welsh of Gillette is Mr. Consistent in his playoff run. He has ridden all six bulls to the whistle thus far between Washington State and Omaha. Last night, his 82-point ride secured him second in the average even though getting started was difficult Friday since the bull didn’t seem to want to participate:



Welsh has won more than $7,000 thus far in Omaha.

There is plenty more of Wyoming to root for in the Omaha finals tonight. Kelly Timberman of Mills, WY made the cut and will seek a repeat bareback riding champ’s buckle here. Ryan Gray who grew up in Cheyenne and Laramie finished in the top spot in the bareback average.

Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality, owned by Hank and Lori Franzen’s Power River Rodeo Co. of Riverton, is due out in the first round tonight. Fans will surely be amazed at her initial high mark out of the chutes. She’ll be topped by Louisiana’s Heith DeMoss. Fasten your seatbelt Heith! The Omaha rodeo will be crystallized in highlight form and shown on ESPN2, Sunday, October 25 at 10 a.m. mountain time.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo-Round Six Recap

Asay Feels Better

Men hate to do it. Usually a woman has to force us, nearly at gunpoint, to go to the doctor but with a world championship in professional bull riding on the line, Kanin Asay is seeing Justin Sports Medicine docs every morning. The Powell, WY resident is wearing a brace on his left arm to help his elbow injury and performed self-massages in his Vegas hotel room earlier in the week. Now he heads to the medicine room at the Thomas & Mack Center where ice and jell is applied. A second treatment before the rodeo and some Tylenol and Asay is much better prepared to perform. “I’m sore and tired but heeling,” he said. One can observe a renewed sense of purpose in the young rider (21 years old) here in Vegas for his first appearance at the WNFR. “I still don’t feel like I’m at the national finals. From the very point in the season where I thought I had a chance to make it I decided to look at it like any other rodeo. It’s just ten days long and you get on the best bulls,” Asay remarked. He sat tall in the sixth round scoring an 84.5 and pocketing third place cash of $9,800. The bull turned back to the right, away from Asay’s hand allowing him to push on his rope which is a lot better than having to lift with that bad elbow.

Photo: Kanin Asay leaves the round with a score of 84.5. Credit: Mike McCrimmon

The numbers at the top of the world standings in bull riding are close. Only $35,000 separates the leading four spots with four rodeos remaining. Asay is in second place, $20,000 behind Wisconsin’s B.J. Schumacher. He was tossed quickly last night by a 1,900 pound bull owned by Burns Rodeo Company of Laramie. “He’s just a four-year-old. He’s athletic and strong with power,” said Hal Burns. The animal comes from the bloodline of a bull called “Best Bet” who was so, shall we say, so difficult that he was eventually banned by both the PRCA and PBR (Pro Bull Riders). This offspring is known as “Bo Alameda” in honor of its previous owner who raises bulls in Wyoming.

Photo: B.J. Schumacher gets tossed in round six. Credit: Mike McCrimmon

UW on Willie

There are now three former University of Wyoming students using the same horse to drop from and wrestle steers at the national finals. Willie is obviously Wyoming’s choice to make a run at the champion’s buckle. Last night, Sean Mulligan came close to a record with his run of 3.2 seconds. Mulligan has a degree in agricultural business from the University of Wyoming. As a side note, Sean won Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2000. Casey McMillen who was born in Laramie and educated at both Casper College and UW is also aboard Willie. And Lance Creek’s Jason Miller is winning on Willie as well. Milller still lives in the “Cowboy State” while his fellow UW alums have moved elsewhere. Jason told me last night he found out from Willie’s owner that the horse carried doggers to $44,000 in winnings in the last two nights. Miller worked to garner fourth last night (4.1 seconds) and won $6,875. He is sticking to his game plan. “You have to get a good start in this short arena. You can’t back off the barrier. I’m going for money in every go-round. That’s the only way I’ll have a chance,” Miller said.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo- Round Five Recap

Good Brandie

It was a $9,800 night for Brandie Halls to end the halfway mark of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. She and trusty steed Slim gracefully maneuvered the barrel racing run in 14.02 seconds, finishing third in the 15-person field. Brandie, her husband and daughter, avoid the lights of Las Vegas. They stay pretty much to themselves here except for dutifully meeting obligations to sponsors. Brandie is shy but not around horses. She is a skillful trainer continually turning out quality animals from the family property east of Cheyenne. The Halls’ lead a faith-based existence and publicly exhibited their Christian beliefs at a horse-trough baptism during Cheyenne Frontier Days. While admittedly wont to avoid public engagements don’t for one minute doubt Brandie’s toughness and determination. She is performing this year with newly-engrained neck problems and came to Vegas in need of rotator cuff surgery. If you’ve felt the shoulder pain that comes with that injury imagine what she is going through in the arena every night.

Another tough customer of the strongest order is Powell bull rider Kanin Asay. He is bucking out every night with a left arm wracked in injury based at the elbow. He wraps his left hand on a massive bucking bull each night and did it twice last night – his second re-ride night of the finals. Asay scored a qualified ride (81 points) in that second tilt to finish fourth and win $6875.00. Oh, to be 21 again. Can you say invincible? Kanin is also a member of a deeply Christian family and was home-schooled his last two years of high school.

Turns out you can change horses in the middle of the stream. Casper team roper Jhett Johnson felt he had to make the switch and did so last night. “Sometimes you have to make a little change for the better,” said Johnson who ran a different horse, Pancho, for the first time at the national finals. Prior to that move, Jhett has always run steers in the Thomas & Mack Center arena on his gray horse, Smokie. “He just didn’t feel like he wanted to run in that building. He’s been there for more than twenty runs so he knows it’s fast. Either he can’t or did not want to give me 100 percent,” Johnson assessed. He rode the other horse in a lot of rodeos this year and decided the time was right to salvage the best possible finish. The strategy paid off enough to give Jhett and partner Keven Daniel a fighting chance down the stretch. They made a 5.3 second run and got fifth-place money totaling about $4,200 a piece.

Photos: Brandie Halls, Kanin Asay and Jhett Johnson each qualifying in round five of the finals. Credit: Mike McCrimmon

Burch Buckle
Wyoming won a go-round buckle last night by way of the bucking skill exhibited by Burch Rodeo Company’s (Rozet, WY) Pinball Wizard. The seven-year-old gelding carried bareback rider Will Lowe to a winning ride of 89.5 points. “He’s been a good horse ever since we started him,” said owner Matt Burch of the ranch-raised animal. This is his first national finals. “When you get one out here all you want him to do is have a good day and buck as hard as he can,” Burch notes. Lowe liked the result: “I had never been on that horse. I’d seen him at Caldwell, Idaho and knew he was an outstanding horse. I knew he was going to buck and be something exotic. You don’t know exactly what, but he’s going to do something.”

Adios Doc
A long, illustrious, career in pro rodeo came to a stand-up conclusion last night with the retirement of Dr. J. Pat Evans. He is the man responsible for the Justin Sports Medicine program without which a lot of good cowboys would have been home mending fence long before their careers had the chance to come to fruition. The good doctor told us he knew he could help rodeo when he first started attending events and saw that the contestants were without medical assistance of any kind. “Heck, in Texas even the high school football teams had trainers and these pro athletes had no one,” Dr. Evans said. He revolutionized medical care for rodeo athletes. His name, and contribution to the sport, is of immeasurable value. He gave renewed health and vigor to thousands of contestants over the last 30 years and money was never a part of the equation.

Photo: Wyoming fans demonstrate their support.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo - Round Four Recap

Nasty Bulls

Rank is a complimentary term in rodeo as applied to bulls. It means they are hard to ride. One will hop. Another jumps and spins. All will buck. The “eliminators” came to play at the national finals last night and made short work of all but two riders’ attempts to stay on board for eight seconds. Wyoming bull riders Bobby Welsh and Kanin Asay got thrown early. Asay sustained a hyper-extended elbow at the Xtreme Bulls tour finale in Indianapolis. He healed enough to come back out for the circuit finals in Denver last month and won that event scoring a couple of 90-point rides. The injury seems to have resurfaced here in Vegas. Kanin was well taped along the left arm and wore a brace last night. When I asked him about his bull before the ride, Kanin’s succinct reply was: “Rank.” Asay was sent to the ground quickly and made a beeline for the Justin Medicine room. He came out supporting his left arm with his right and grimaced in what can best be described as excruciating pain. He will undoubtedly want to “buck up” and keep trying to work through this setback. We’ll have to see what difference a day will make.

Photo: Kanin Asay tries to hang in for eight seconds with an injured arm. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Wyoming Collects More Cash

Three “Cowboy State” contestants loaded their pockets with money after the Fourth Go-Round. Barrel racer Brandie Halls of Carpenter rode Slim smoothly around the pattern for a 14.01 second finish and fourth place cash totaling about $6,900. Brandie is tenth in world standings as we near the halfway point here at the finals. Gillette’s Chet Johnson had a horse he saw buck out four times this year but had never ridden. Chet settled a solid seat and spurred clean finishing third with his 82.5 point bronc ride. Johnson is also in tenth position with six more rodeos remaining. He got paid nearly $9,800 last night. And bareback rider Kelly Timberman, of Mills, continued his winning ways notching a split of second and third place, paying him another $11,400. Timberman’s won $28,500 at the national finals – more than any other bareback rider – to put him number one in the average.

She’s the Best

A Wyoming-raised mare is the best bronc in pro rodeo this year. And Powder River Rodeo Company’s Miss Congeniality hasn’t even reached her prime. “She’s still a couple of years away from when most horses are at their best, so she’s definitely ahead of the pack,” said owner Hank Franzen. He and his wife saw the nine-year-old come into this world and could not be more pleased with her development. Watching her throw off saddle bronc riders early is now most common. “She’s just so strong that if you’re a hair behind, she’ll just blow you out of there. For a mare to get that high in the air and drop, a lot of cowboys can’t stay with her,” Franzen said. Pros have been able to complete eight-second outings only three times all year. The bloodline is intact. Miss Congeniality has raised three colts already with another on the way. She fits her name off the field. “When not bucking she’s a big doll – good to be around – she doesn’t kick. She’s just gentle and not out to hurt anybody. Once she’s bucked she pulls no tricks. It’s just like here we go,” Franzen noted. This is Miss Congeniality’s second ‘Bronco of the Year’ title. She threw one of the greatest ever earlier at the finals when Billy Etbauer was sent flying. Miss Congeniality will make one last arena appearance this year in Saturday night’s finals.

Photo: Miss Congeniality bucks rider Billy Etbauer. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo - Round Three Recap

Sir Lance Creek A Lot

Jason Miller has rolled up seven slots since his arrival in Las Vegas. He doesn’t strike me as superstitious but coming into the national finals Miller was 13th in steer wrestling’s world standings and must not have cared to stay there. He won the round last night – his first go-round win in pro rodeo’s Superbowl – and has tickled the pay window for more than $36,000 in three days. His 4.0 second run last night bested everybody. “I called a friend of mine that ran that steer earlier in the year and he told me about him. I didn’t feel like I made a real great run but I had a great steer so that paid off,” Miller said. The Lance Creek, Wyoming dogger has his parents with him at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. There is not a prouder couple to be found today. We’ve gotten to know Jason pretty well this past year and there’s no doubt his folks have a lot more to feel good about than how their son has performed in Vegas so far. They’ve raised a fine, grounded, man who is admired greatly by his peers. Miller is now #1 in the average at the national finals. He has risen to sixth in the world standings having thrown three steers here in a total of 11.4 seconds.

Photo: Jason Miller of Lance Creek, Wyoming takes a victory lap. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Jhett & Chet

Casper’s Jhett Johnson broke through after a couple of nights of losing seconds to team roping miscues. He and partner Keven Daniel put together a solid run of 5.3 seconds to finish sixth and catch a check for $2,600 apiece. It is still early in this 10-day affair. Jhett and Keven are sitting seventh in the average (total times so far) while several of the pairs ahead of them in earnings for the year have fallen back dramatically in terms of where they stand average-wise at the finals.

Chet Johnson is pretty much over a bad cold that had him in bed for twelve hours overnight Friday. Last night he spurred Blazing Saddle to notch an 85 score and third place finish. The horse bucked toward a side rail at the end of his turn slowing down the finish, and score slightly. The Gillette, WY saddle bronc rider says the ride felt good and he is feeling much better. A check for $10,000 can’t hurt.

Photo: Chet Johnson rides with an 85 score. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Kelly’s Heroes

“If you’re going to lose to somebody, that’s the way to do it,” exclaimed Mills, WY bareback rider Kelly Timberman after posting a score of 88.5 last night to claim a $13,000 payday. Young Justin McDaniel (or kid as Kelly calls him) climbed aboard a horse he saw Timberman, the 2004 world champ, handle at the Wrangler Tour stop in Omaha and McDaniel proved himself a quick study last night. He flew to a new Wrangler National Finals Rodeo record in his event, scoring a 91.5
One of the great things about pro rodeo is how much contestants help each other. Timberman is looked up to, as well he should be, by McDaniel and Kelly expends a good deal of time and effort offering advice to the next generation of
champions.

Glad to be Here

This is Christmas and Cowboy time in Las Vegas. All the hotels switch their in-house music systems over to country and the restaurants are full of people in western wear. Usually the brightest smiles, anticipatory glee, and pure joy come through the face of a child. Last night in the rodeo arena the most satisfied customer was a person brought in to see his first national finals. The rodeo announcers recognized him. He stood, tipped his hat, and smiled. That fan was a sprightly 99-years-old.

Wrangler National Finals Rode - Looking Back at Round Two

Four Event Money

Wyoming contestants gathered paychecks in four events at the national finals last night. “I’m starting to make the turn and will get this thing figured out,” said Kelly Timberman of Mills who took fifth place money of $4,200 and is currently fifth in the bareback riding average. Jason Miller placed again dropping his steer in 3.8 seconds to collect close to $7,000 and fourth place honors. “My horse acted up a little in the box and I was just a hair slow getting out of there,” Miller told me. He had mentioned earlier in the day that we could expect a fast pen of steers and that was clearly accurate. A time of 4.1 did not pay in last night’s bulldogging competition. Miller holds the second spot in the average (or aggregate) and there’s where the best total at the end of this thing can serve to catapult a cowboy to the top. Carpenter’s Brandie Halls made a clean barrel racing run and won $4,200. And Bobbie Welsh, of Gillette, tied for fifth in bull riding to take away a $3,400 payday.

Missing Out & Making Do

As predicted by Chet Johnson, yesterday’s broncs were twisters of the highest order. They were downright rude tossing their riders with unkind regularity. But professionals don’t give up easily and eventually scores were obtained. Johnson looked back to see a pretty high mark initially and then noticed a flag that took away the score because he did not get his feet parked above the horse’s shoulders upon landing the first jump out of the chutes. It happens to the best. A violation of the mark-out rule hurts most when you’ve gone on to a classic spur like Johnson managed last night. He is not fretting and won’t look back. That’s an unwritten rule of rodeo. It is always better to smile and focus on the next one. You want that chance more than anything. And when your body is facing ten-to-one odds in terms of the animal’s weight to yours, you are also pretty darn satisfied to walk away healthy. Bronc rider Jeff Willert is the first contestant at this year’s Wrangler’s National Finals Rodeo who did not get up after being stepped on following a very respectable outing. Justin Sports Medicine doctors ordered Willert sent to University Hospital and reported a bone in Willert’s upper leg is very likely broken.

Photo: Chet Johnson in round two. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Team Toast

Mornings can start at noon in Vegas so our office hosted an early breakfast with some trepidation yesterday. But WOW did Wyoming show. Stock contractors, contestants, Wyoming rodeo committee people and oh yes, the Governor and First Lady, all came out to share sustenance and support the pro rodeo athletes who are here representing the “Cowboy State.” One of many just desserts out of the get-together was interaction between rodeo committees. They came away saying it was good to meet, talk, and learn more about one another. Sounds like the start of some good progress on the overall Wyoming rodeo scene. Casper team roper Jhett Johnson represented the athletes at the breakfast and he was very thankful for the support from the Wyoming Travel & Tourism office. “It’s truly an honor to have a whole state behind us. We meet people every day who are pulling for us – whether it went good or bad. Thank you and stay behind us. We’re doing all we can,” Johnson told the crowd.

Photo: Jhett Johnson speaks at Wyoming breakfast with Governor Dave Freudenthal in attendance. Credit: Rick Carpenter

2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo - Round One Recap

Jason Chasin’

Steer wrestler Jason Miller went to elementary school – K through 8 – in a class of six in Lance Creek, Wyoming. He later played high school sports in the nearby town of Lusk. Now, at age 33, Miller is making a name for himself amongst the elite in professional rodeo and on the world’s brightest stage for the sport at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. There are ten rounds of competition and last night’s first outing saw Miller attain the second fastest time – 3.6 seconds. He made nearly $13,000 for that effort climbing from 13th to 9th in the world standings. “That’s a big thing here. If a guy gets started off right, you can go on a roll. I’ve seen it happen before. You go right on through the week and win a lot of money,” Miller said. Most times in this little arena if a bulldogger can drop his prey in the three-second category there is going to be a big payoff. “I didn’t think I was that fast but knew I got a good start. You almost feel like you broke the barrier you just cover them up so quickly,” Miller remarked.

Photo: Jason Miller moves into 9th place with a time of 3.6 sec in round one. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Pride of Wyoming

Pretty tough sledding for the Wyoming men riding bulls at the national finals last night. No scores for Kanin Asay and Bobby Welsh. They were not alone. It is a fact that a lot of nights see fewer than half the field stay on for the full eight seconds. One of the better animals out spinning in round one is called Ambush. He’s a product of the Burns Rodeo Company in Laramie. In the rough stock category of rodeo each ride is scored half for the animal and half for the rider. There are two judges and the best possible score is 100. A critter that is consistent, like Ambush, is going to be scored 22 or 23 points by each judge, nearly every time out. “He’s just a really good bull to draw. When they ride him the cowboys win a lot of money,” said Hal Burns. “He’s the cowboy’s pick. You ask them what they want in a herd, Ambush is right at the top,” Burns continued. Last night, Ambush lived up to his name and forced rider Clint Craig to touch with his free hand to end the night with no score. Burns and his brother, Pete, have been at it for more than twenty years. They raised the bull “Mr. T” who will long remain a rodeo legend for consistently tossing riders before the eight-second whistle for many years. Hal is just as excited this year about the human element competing at the national finals because of the number from Wyoming. “Not to downplay the Texans - there’s 33 of them - out of how many millions of people? What are we 450,000 in Wyoming now? And we’ve got seven kids in. Per capita, we blow away everybody in the rodeo business,” Burns beamed.

Photo: Clint Craig tries to hold on to Ambush before touching the bull with his free hand. Credit: Rick Carpenter

Friday Night Flights

Gillette, Wyoming saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson went to bed early to sleep off a cold and be in the best possible shape to face “Eliminator” night tonight in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo arena. The rough stock animals that are chosen to buck out tonight, and next Friday night, all have a trick to them. Johnson says he and his fellow riders are a bit more nervous when they are matched with eliminators. “You’ll usually get a bunch of ducks and dives. They are really strong,” he said. Chet feels fortunate in that his horse is one he’s ridden before. In fact, Johnson won the first round at Pendleton this year on the Ike Sankey Rodeo Co. steed, scoring an 86. That’s the thing about “Eliminator” night – staying on. It’s never easy but tonight fans are sure going to enjoy the wild rides even though the riders would probably just as soon be in the stands.

Christmas Money Comes Early

Fourth of July rodeos are the craziest travel time for contestants on the pro rodeo circuit. If you live in the West you saw horse trailers rolling the highways somewhere in the last few days. Two of them carrying Wyoming athletes pulled into Greeley, CO yesterday for the finals at the Stampede – the largest of the “Cowboy Christmas” purses. Both left with pockets full of cash.

Brandie Halls and her trusty steed Slim won the barrel racing average in Greeley with a total time of 52.33 seconds in three runs. The Carpenter, WY resident, and Torrington area native, ran at speeds good enough for money in each round and total winnings of over $8,400. Just to give you a thumbnail of how the travel miles accumulate during the first week of July, Brandie headed to Steamboat Springs, CO for a rodeo last night. She took her inexperienced horse, Lizzy, out for that run that really was difficult because of the fireworks and crowd noise. On top of those impediments, the wind kicked up and blew the timing eye down during the run. Back to the travel: Brandie’s been to Red Lodge, Montana and Cody, Wyoming in addition to Greeley over the last few days. She’s headed to Utah today and will return to Steamboat this weekend.

Casper team roper Jhett Johnson heeled his way to the Greeley pay window to pick up nearly $5,800 along with heading pard Keven Daniel. They took the average title with a total time of 17.4 on three head. Jhett has now moved up to 26th in the world standings and hopes to close in on the coveted top 15 within a few weeks. He has the honor of hauling a horse trailer widely, and colorfully, adorned with Wyoming scenery and a big picture of the Johnson family. They live west of Casper on a ranch that dates to the late 1800s.

Another member of the Wyoming rodeo athlete sponsorship program supported by the state tourism office is Jason Miller – a steer wrestler from Lance Creek. His year is getting better quickly after Greeley. He left the Stampede with a cool $6,000 and a startling vault in the standings, now in the 26th spot.