Wyoming Travel & Tourism salutes the 2008 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers. From border to border, they represent the Cowboy State well.
Kanin Asay (Cannon AYE-See) was a national high school rodeo champion bull rider his senior year in Wyoming. He has become one of the top contestants on the pro rodeo circuit. Asay was also a stand-out wrestler in high school and attended college for one year before choosing professional rodeo as his calling. The Christian cowboy from Powell, Wyoming was seriously injured July 2 in Oregon sustaining severe head injuries in several head-to-head collisions with his bull. Kanin was stepped on after finally going to the ground. He underwent surgery to have his spleen removed in addition to other corrective measures. Much of one ear was torn off and an eye socket crushed. Asay was able to get back on a bull by fall including 90-point rides in Montana and in the Xtreme Bulls tour finals in Indianapolis.
Seth Glause went to his first national finals on the heels of a top-ride performance at the Ellensburg, Washington Xtreme Bulls tour event. The lanky Rock Springs, Wyoming resident is also a bronc rider and has proven his skills among the best during his College National Finals Rodeo outings in Casper. Glause is on the Central Wyoming Community College rodeo team in Riverton. The two-event cowboy will compete in bull riding only in Las Vegas.
Chet Johnson had his best mounts this year in Canada. He was featured on national television during the Calgary Stampede where he was recognized as having one of the best smiles in rodeo. Chet first qualified for the national finals in 2005. Johnson attended high school in Lusk, Wyoming where he bucked to a state high school saddle bronc riding title in 1999. Chet now resides in Gillette and holds an associate’s degree in agribusiness from Sheridan College. Johnson won the saddle bronc competition at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2004.
Jason Miller spent a lot of his first year as reigning world champion steer wrestler visiting with media representing his sport and state. His hometown folks put up a billboard in Miller’s honor along the only road running through Lance Creek (population 8). He is known for quiet consistency in the arena and that trait was never more evident than during his stellar ten rounds at the national finals last year averaging just over four seconds each time out. Miller started to shine again this year beginning at the tour rodeo in Caldwell, Idaho and again during the final tour event in Dallas. He was on solid footing to make a run at his second world champion’s gold buckle but came up short. Jason is a true cowboy and when not competing in rodeo he ranches full time on the family operation in Niobrara County – the least populated county in the country. It’s a tight-knit place where everyone knows, and helps, each other. Jason says he spent his 2007 national finals earnings, after expenses, on hay for the ranch.
Les Shepperson is his father’s son. Les learned a lot from father Frank who won the 1975 world championship in steer wrestling. The 30-year-old Les picked up steam with a second-place finish at Cheyenne Frontier Days this year. He was also strong in the television tour rodeos. Shepperson was one of Jason Miller’s traveling partners much of the year. This was Les’ first trip to the national finals.
Bobby Welsh is establishing himself as one of the best bull riders in pro rodeo and at 24-years-old he headed to his fourth WNFR. Bobby and his wife Sunny are raising three children in Gillette, Wyoming. The family traveled the pro rodeo circuit together for the first time this year. Bobby was able to finish in the money many times at Xtreme Bulls events across the country in 2008. At Indianapolis, Bobby made the eight-second struggle on top of “Mo Betta” – a bull that had only been ridden to a score once before. Welsh took up bull riding as a child in Wisconsin following encouragement from his father. Bobby was national high school bull riding champion in 2002.