LeDoux Bronze is Coming Together

A heroic size bronze monument of Chris LeDoux spurring to a world championship in bareback riding will be dedicated in Kaycee, Wyoming June 19th. Many Wyoming people had a hand in the four-year effort. Here is a video update on the project as it nears completion:

news bronze

Chris LeDoux won the world championship in 1976 and his music career was highlighted by his band’s wildly popular concert performances particularly at venues connected with rodeos across the western U.S. LeDoux died of a rare form of cancer in 2005. He was 56 years old. He has been enshrined in both the Cheyenne Frontier Days and professional rodeo halls of fame. The schedule of events for the Kaycee park and bronze dedication can be found at: www.kayceewyoming.com.

Those who are making plans to overnight in the Kaycee area should contact the Kaycee Chamber of Commerce at the website listed above. There may be some camping spots available but most space it taken. The few motel rooms have been booked so it would be best to check in Buffalo or Casper.

We’ve been chronicling the building stages of the very impressive monument – along with the park’s progress – and will be showing that 15-minute video a number of times in downtown Kaycee, adjacent to the park, leading up to the bronze unveiling.

Cowboy Christmas in Canada

On this the most American of U.S. holiday weekends a growing number of pro rodeo contestants are spending their traditional “Cowboy Christmas” in Canada. It doesn’t hurt that there is a $100,000 pot of gold up for grabs in each of six events that comprise the Calgary Stampede’s championship round.

Gillette saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson is quite fond of competing in Canada. He took home a truckload of Canadian dollars last year. Well, that’s not entirely true. Johnson made so much money up north he opened a bank account there. Chet is in the first pool of bronc riders out in Calgary starting Friday. Kelly Timberman from Mills, and the 2004 world bareback champ, is in the first pool of men in his event.

The Calgary Stampede is by invitation only for contestants and two Wyoming bull riders are very happy to have received the call up to Canada. Bobby Welsh of Gillette and Kanin Asay from Powell are in the same pool of bull riders who will strive for their best outings of the year beginning July 7.

Asay had the chance to join the Calgary pool that opens July 3 but opted to stay in the states to compete in his hometown rodeo – The Cody Stampede. The only Wyoming edition of Xtreme Bulls is July 5th so that provides Asay a good opportunity to shine twice in front of his longtime fans and his family. Rodeo fans traveling to Cody this weekend will also see Meeteetse product Dusty Tuckness handling bull fighting chores. Dusty was proud host, along with his close friend Kanin, of a special bullfighting and bull riding event in Cody, June 14. Here’s a minute of the action as edited by our own Mike McCrimmon who saw his camera gain the affection of more than one horned critter:

Seth Glause of Rock Springs is going to be on top of bulls going for the Cody crown in both the Stampede on the Fourth of July and the Cody-Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls the next day. That event will be taped by our friends from Winnercomm Sports, edited, and aired nationally on ESPN2 at 12:00pm mountain time, July 19. The Cody event will feature five bull riders who own world champion buckles. It is the first Xtreme Bulls ever to have that many champs in one setting. You can still grab a ticket at: www.codystampederodeo.com or by calling 1-800-207-0744. Ticket prices are $25 for general admission.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Round Four

Back To Back Jack

Two Wyoming bull riders, out one right after the other, collected more than $26,000 finishing first and third respectively in the Sunday night session of the NFR broadcast live nationally. “Relieved,” said Kanin Asay afterward. The Powell, Wyoming man felt out of sync in his previous outings. “My Mom says you’ve got to ride for 10 – try, try, and try until you know you’ve made it and so do the judges.” His bull chose not to cooperate and take the expected left turn out of the gate. Instead there was an immediate right away from Asay’s hand. “I felt really good getting around there but he eventually got me tipped into my hand. I didn’t freeze up. I did what I had to do to get back in the middle,” Asay explained. He is speaking and riding with clarity. Excellent sign for Kanin and his fans. Bad sign for the bulls yet to come. The 82.5 score was good for third and $10K. Right before Asay’s ride, the gate swung open for Gillette’s Bobby Welsh and his bull called North Star. “He had an off day. I was just matching him jump for jump and stayed aggressive, “said Welsh. He was top man with an 88-point-ride. Bobby was bucked off early the previous two times but didn’t let it bother him. “I feel like I’m riding great and there’s nothing sore on me. I’m going to finish out the week in glory,” he said with confidence. His $16,767 check for last night’s first-place finish catapults Welsh to the #2 spot in the world standings.

Fourth Time The Charm

Kelly Timberman won the world championship in bareback riding in 2004. He is from the Casper area and has become a fan, and media, favorite across the world of professional rodeo. The first three rides at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo netted no money for Timberman who is competing at his fifth finals. “There are always ups and downs at this rodeo. I’m an athlete. I’m going to push myself to be the very best and with those struggles come success if you work hard at it, “Timberman reflected. Last night he rode a horse from Beutler & Sons nicknamed South Point – after the casino where go-round buckles are presented every night. A score of 87.5 gave Kelly the win and a trip to South Point along with just under $17,000. “Judges like the horses that stay close and buck in tight circles near the chutes. The difference between those horses and this one is the quality of his bucking. He kicks so hard every jump,” Kelly said. He was a little dejected after the first three nights at the finals but looks to be back on track. “It’s a privilege to be here,” Kelly smiled wearing the bright green selection of his chaps custom-made by former Kaycee bareback rider Larry Sandvick.

On Willy

Yesterday we went out to the area where the contestants keep their trailers to visit with reigning world champion steer wrestler Jason Miller about Willy the Canadian horse. He is carrying three of the 15 steer wrestlers at the 2008 WNFR. When time allows we’ll have a video feature on this amazing 22-year-old that I think you will enjoy. There’s only one Willy and we hope you will come back to this blog to find out more concerning the King of Cool.

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.

Frankly Speaking

My friend Gene Bryan calls him “the gentle giant” and Frank Shepperson carries that title well. He is to me what represents the very best of Wyoming’s ranching roots. His family had to work off the ranch most of their lives in order to keep the place afloat. By the 1970s, Frank had gone down the road throwing steers at pro rodeos long and hard enough to be able to take a run at a world championship at the national finals in Oklahoma City. He won his gold in 1975. The buckle and saddle were nice keepsakes. The money winnings didn’t compare to today - $14,500 a round now; $900 then – but he met the main goal Shepperson was reaching for all along. “We wanted to get together enough to where all we had to do was ranch. And that did it for me. It really worked well. I haven’t been back in the oil field or driving Caterpillar for other people,” says Frank with a smile.

Steer wrestlers often remind me of offensive lineman and linebackers in football. They are big men who do the little things right. They are a brotherhood of quiet, resourceful fellows. Often times you think of rodeo as the epitome of individual human endeavor versus an animal. In bull dogging there is the absolute need for teamwork. The hazer and dogger and their two blazing quick horses have to be in sync. It all happens so fast. Just one small error can throw the run into a wreck. More often than not they manage to make it work. Practice matters. Wyoming’s two steer wrestlers competing at the 2008 national finals worked many steers with friends in Texas and California before making the trip to Vegas.

Jason Miller, the reigning champ, was practicing in Casper within a short time of winning the title last December. Frank Shepperson was there watching. His son had brought in some “sorry and tricky” steers and they were run out of chutes at the small, indoor arena. Frank says Jason dropped on one and took awhile to muck him down. “He came over to me afterward and said ‘Frank, what do you reckon I did wrong?’” Frank gave his opinion but wanted to say: “You go back home and go into the bathroom, look in the mirror and ask that son-of-a-gun,” Frank told me. “I was the same way. It doesn’t sink in immediately that you are the champion, numero uno,” Shepperson recalls. Especially for Wyoming’s ranch cowboys who wrestle rodeo steers. There are cows to doctor and hay to buy, fence and windmills to fix.

This is going to be a very special finals for Frank. His son, Les, qualified for the first time. The 30-year-old has mostly answered to “Frankie” growing up but he is Les today and he can’t wait to display his own steer wrestling prowess. He is doing it for Dad. “He’s helped me a lot. I’ve always looked up to him. It’s a neat deal because I can practice so easy with a world champion right there at home,” Les said.

Home is 80,000 acres of Powder River country ranch where the cattle are rangy and the cowboys stout. Frank Shepperson wrestled rodeo steers to keep, and build upon, the family operation. Now it is Les’ turn. More power to him.

Horses That Buck

Bill Smith competed in his first NFR in 1965 and a few years later after he’d started to make money and get noticed a reporter in Dallas asked Smith what he liked best about rodeo. “Horses that buck,” said Cody Bill – nicknamed for the town in Wyoming he called home. Rodeo announcers followed suit and would introduce Smith by mentioning his favorite part of the sport. Now that phrase has been turned into the title of a book written by Margot Kahn. “Horses That Buck” is in its third printing. Bill traveled to Oklahoma for a book signing session recently and didn’t have to scratch his name once by the second day because all the books had been sold. “I can’t really judge it, but I’ve been told it’s a page-turner,” said Smith. He won three bronc riding world championships and had many stories to tell Kahn. A love story between Bill and his wife Carole is evident from the beginning.

They moved to Thermopolis, Wyoming from Cody and started a quarterhorse ranch in 1981. It’s grown to become one of the most successful operations of its kind. They have two sales per year. Bill credits Carole for making it work. At the center of everything is a love of horses. “Before I could walk, I was riding. I’d ride anything and I always wanted to ride buckin’ horses,” Smith recalls. Carole was a professional barrel racer. They met along the rodeo road in 1973 – the year Bill won his third gold buckle. Thirty-five years later it is clear Carole and Bill’s bond, and nurturing of horses, remains as strong – or stronger - than ever.

Bill came from a poor coal mining clan that survived in Red Lodge, Montana where the two most famous families in the early days of rodeo resided. The Linderman and Greenough names are permanently etched in the Hall of Fame. “I saw the lifestyle they had and I saw my lifestyle. I knew that I liked theirs better,” said Smith. As a boy he became a fanatic about catching range horses, covering them with a borrowed saddle, and trying to ride.

When the mines shut down, the Smith family moved to Cody, Wyoming and Bill developed his skills at the Cody Nite Rodeo. He would grow to become the best bronc rider in the world during the late 1960s and early 1970s. For those of us who came of age during that tumultuous time in our country there is something quite comforting today about listening to Bill’s calm voice as he reflects on the height of his rodeo career: “I couldn’t handle half of the horses I tried to ride and I never saw one horse I didn’t love. ‘Descent’ was the best bucking horse I ever saw. When they retired him at the Denver Stock Show I sat there with tears running down my cheeks,” said Smith with a noticeable sheen on his eyes even now. Smith would mount ‘Descent’ more than anyone and came out five for nine. “He took anybody on and didn’t ask for any favors. I have so much respect for him.”

You quit competing in professional rodeo when you can’t win anymore. Bill Smith went out on top and while he has grave concerns about the current status of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association he harbors nothing but respect for the young people starting their careers in rodeo now. Smith’s brother, Rick, is rodeo coach at Central Wyoming Community College in Riverton. “There isn’t a kid on his team that I wouldn’t love to have in my house and around me all the time. They are so clean cut, well mannered and All-American,” he asserts.

One of those kids is Seth Glause who will compete at his first national finals this year in bull riding. Seth is also a bronc rider and one day wants to make the finals in both events. If he does you can bet a three-time world champ will be sitting in front of his RCA in Thermopolis confidently rooting for young Seth but equally excited about the bucks of his horse.

PHOTO CAPTIONS & CREDITS
*Bill and Carole Smith, 2006. Photo by Holly Clanahan.
Courtesy of America's Horse
*Bill Smith on his father's packhorse, ca. 1945.
Collection of Bill Smith
*Seth Glause of Rock Springs mentally prepares for his ride.

Lucky 13

On March 13, 1949 he won the first rodeo contest he’d ever entered. He wore the back number “13” at the National Finals Rodeo and won the bareback riding competition in 1962. And on August 13, 1987 Ralph Buell shot a hole-in-one playing golf. “Thirteen is not unlucky for me,” says Buell.

Ralph is sitting at his dining room table in Cheyenne, Wyoming where he retired from a house painting business several years ago. Ralph and his wife have a lovely brick home in a section of town called Western Hills. You might know a house painter would have a brick house. Buell has propped on a chair a poster-sized photo of himself. I’d never met Ralph until a couple of weeks ago. I can’t say who Ralph Buell was before. Today he is slender, clear-eyed and gracious toward the strangers gathered around him. The photo depicts a much different person physically. I think it is safe to say Ralph has changed. As a doctor once told me many years back: “You have to modify your lifestyle.” Another medical person later said something to the effect that if I planned to enjoy retirement some alterations were in order. Maybe medical people convinced Ralph too. I’m not sure. Whatever happened; it worked. Good for him.

Buell rode bucking horses for a living from 1952 to 1968. He won twenty big rodeos including San Antonio, Fort Worth, Pendleton, Prescott and Cheyenne. He championed “The Daddy” the same year – 1962 – that he got the gold buckle at the national finals. It was the first year for the NFR in Los Angeles. The previous three were staged in Dallas. During most of the 1950s the biggest rodeo of the year brought cowboys to New York City for a month of competition in Madison Square Garden. Ralph Buell was there for eight years and found the time in New York pretty enjoyable overall. He still chuckles about the fellow and his kids who came up to him before the rodeo one night. “Anybody get hurt last night?” the man inquired. “Were they supposed to?” replied Ralph. The ranch-raised have a gift for quick comebacks.

Ralph had a nemesis horse he could never really master. “Come Apart” did just that to most who mounted for an eight-second try. Buell got past him during the 1962 national finals and that helped secure the champion’s buckle and saddle. The day (or round) money back then was about $400.

As I watched Ralph Buell thumb through his leather-bound book of picture memories it struck me that the most important, and meaningful, act in this person’s life had little to do with his accomplishments in the rodeo arena. Of much more value to Ralph and those around him is proving he was no longer that man pictured at the end of the dining room table.

Weathering the Storm

Done a Dirty

Bobby Welsh has the perfect build for a bull rider. He’s compact, close to the ground, and body balanced – above and below the beltline. This season most bulls are having trouble getting Bobby down early. The pride of Gillette holds a spot in the Top Five of all pro rodeo bull riders and has sights firmly set on another visit to the national finals in December. One of the David Bailey string called Gentle Ben was not so much gentle as downright nasty in the frontier days rodeo arena yesterday making a nifty move to toss Welsh a bit before the eight-second buzzer. “He did me a dirty right at the end there,” Welsh said. He’ll be back out today at Cheyenne trying for go-round money (#2) on Mr. Wilson.

Nose Job

Matt Bright went dark for a split second following his 79-point bareback ride yesterday at Cheyenne. A pickup man’s horse kicked Bright in the side of the nose popping it off center like a Mike Tyson roundhouse would have done in that boxer’s heyday. Bright, though battle-scarred, spent the rest of the rodeo displaying his hoof altered and cotton stuffed proboscis. “Cheap plastic surgery,” he remarked.

Asay Update

A Top Ten bull rider who is just coming into his own as one of the world’s best suffered serious injuries in Oregon early this month and initially Kanin Asay said he wanted to get back in the arena by the tour rodeo in Idaho come mid-August. Kanin’s brother Kaleb, who scored nicely in the saddle bronc competition at Cheyenne yesterday, now says Kanin plans to be ready to go by the famed Pendleton, Oregon tilt which starts September 10. I find that decision a wise one considering the extent of Kanin’s injuries and the need for a proper convalescence.

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.

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.