Chapter 9

By Susan Kanode

When we were at the 2008 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), I heard someone talking about imprinting. I wasn’t sure what that meant, so I asked around and the other mares and I came to some conclusions.

A lot of the mares in Las Vegas in December are pregnant, so we get into some pretty heated debates. Imprinting with horses involves taking a newborn foal and exposing it to outside elements to influence the foal’s behavior when it grows up.

So we all got to wondering what kind of imprinting goes on in the bucking horse world. We decided we start imprinting our babies even before they are born. For instance, the first time I bucked in 2008 was at Belle Fourche, S.D., in July. At that time, I was about 10 weeks pregnant.

I went from Belle Fourche to Vernal, Utah; Rock Springs, Wyo.; Caldwell, Idaho; Bremerton, Wash.; Omaha, Neb.; Valley City, N.D.; Dallas, Texas, and Las Vegas. I bucked at all of those places at least once and I took my baby with me jump for jump. So, for me, this imprinting stuff makes sense.

I’m not a philosophical horse. I don’t stand around and wonder why the grass is green, the sky is blue or why there are prairie dogs. My world is pretty cut and dried. I love to get in the air and take a cowboy with me. I like to eat and spend time with the other horses. Most of all I like being a mom and hope that I am raising the next generation of bucking horses. And, if I can imprint a little of my experience on them along the way, it’s just that much better.

After Las Vegas, I went back to the ranch at Riverton, Wyo., and took it easy until my next baby came along. Once again, I gave birth to a filly. This one looks just like last year’s baby, but boy does she have a different personality. Last year’s foal was full of confidence, was inquisitive and wanted to learn. This one has all of that and then some. She has a fire in her eye and is probably the most impatient little one I’ve had yet. She wants to do everything and do it now. You should see her play in the pasture. She’s already learning to get in the air.

My first performance this year was at Belle Fourche on the Fourth of July. Once again, I’m imprinting a baby and have one by my side. It was performance time and we were back in the pens and most of the mares were sorted off. I was in a pen with three babies and trying to explain to them what was going on.

My baby and Rainmaker’s were with me and I thought they were paying attention. But that baby of Rainmaker’s was getting a little anxious and the next thing I know, she had jumped over the fence. That fence is probably five and a half feet tall and that little filly cleared the fence, just nicking it with her back feet. I was amazed and once more I’m thinking this imprinting stuff might really be working.
They got the babies sorted off and settled down and it was time for us mares to go to work. I’m pretty excited about that since this is my first time to buck in 2009. I’ve been telling my baby how much fun it is and that it’s the greatest job in the world so it’s time for me to go put some action behind my words.

The cowboy that has me is Kaden Deal from Dupree, S.D. I know he was just over a 100 miles from home and I hope I made it worth the trip. He seemed calm and collected but I knew he was excited to get on me. I felt a little tug on my mane and saw one of the guys with him pulled out a piece of my mane, coiled it up and put it in his hat. I wonder if that means he wants to ride me, or maybe he just thinks if he has the hair of a champion with him, he’ll ride like a champion. I’ll be watching for him next year.

If you have been keeping up with my stories, you know that last year, Lyle Welling from Crawford, Neb., won the rodeo at Belle Fourche on me. I tried to psyche him out a bit by stalling at the gate. It didn’t work.

This year when Kaden nodded his head I was ready! I exploded out of there, dropped my front end and he was still with me. Another buck, another jump and he’s loosening up a bit. Six seconds into the ride and it was bye bye Kaden.

Then it was back to the pen and story time for the babies after which they proceeded to take their naps. They do have the life. Another exciting thing happened at Belle. My oldest baby who is appropriately named Western Movie had her first rodeo experience. She was in the bareback riding for the Challenge of Champions which puts high school rodeo stars from Wyoming against those from South Dakota.

Well my girl did me proud. She took J.R. Vezain from Wyoming to a win. She still has a lot to learn, but she’s smart and wants to buck so I think she’ll get it figured out. She also went with us to Vernal so she got a little road experience too. She’ll stay at the ranch now until next year and believe me when I tell you I have high hopes for her.

So I’m thinking about Western Movie and am starting to see a trend here. I’m now listening to people talk about movies and thinking about names for my offspring. This year’s baby has now been weaned and is spending pasture time with Khadafy and Frontier and I hope they can teach her some things.

Like I said, she has a fire in her eyes and a mind of her own. If she gets a movie name, I think it should be Bewitched. She has that personality that wants to draw you in and bewitch you, then she’ll do whatever she wants. Of all my foals, I’m probably the most excited to see what she is going to do. It’s either going to be really really good, or really really bad. She has an intensity that if she puts to work for her it will be awesome.

Watching future generations like we do at the Challenge of Champions gives me hope for the rodeo industry. They had bareback riding and saddle bronc riding and both winners went on to win championships at the National High School Finals. JR won the bareback riding for our home state of Wyoming. The two-title winner in saddle bronc riding was Dawson Jandreau, from Kennebec, S.D. Congratulations to both of these young men.

We left Belle Fourche and headed to Vernal, Utah, where I bucked off Mo Forbes. He has a reputation of letting people know exactly what he thinks and I was wondering what he was going to say. I thought I had a pretty outstanding trip and I guess Mo agreed, because I heard him say that he sure would like another shot at me and that I was phenomenal. Thanks Mo, I hope you get me again.

I bucked again at the Big Wind Round Up in Riverton, and this time I one-jumped Tate Owens. I don’t know how high he went in the air, but I know he looked like superman flying through the arena. I’m thinking that 2009 just might be my year. We have a little time to rest and we are off to Caldwell, Idaho and Bremerton, Wash. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

My name is Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a Wyoming bucking horse!

Chapter 8

I’m not going to lie. After the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo(NFR) I wasn’t feeling so congenial.

I was so excited to get there and with the top 15 bronc riders there, I knew it didn’t matter who got on me, I would get a good cowboy. So I waited in my pen and waited in my pen and honestly I was wishing I was back in the pasture in Wyoming.

I’d been there about 10 days and finally they sorted me out. Everything is different in Las Vegas. All the horses are fed and hauled by the same people. We don’t see our regular caretakers until we get to the arena. It’s not bad, but I was missing seeing Hank because he always lets me know what to expect. When I finally get to the arena, there are a bunch of buckers in my pen.

I’m in there with Cool Alley, Big Jet, Painted Valley and Kool Toddy. It’s our first appearance at Thomas and Mack and we’re all ready. I know the NFR is a great place for people to reconnect and visit with friends they only see once a year. It’s like that for us horses as well and I always look forward to seeing the other horses. Most of us are mares, so we have plenty to talk about!

Well, we were all discussing who would get on us. I’m hoping for Billy Etbauer and so are some of the others. Then, I think wouldn’t it be great to get Chet Johnson and we’d have a Wyoming cowboy on a Wyoming bucking horse. I tell the other horses that is what I want to happen and they start wondering what are the odds?

Once again it’s time for a math lesson, there are 15 cowboys there and even I can figure it out. We’re in Las Vegas for crying out loud. There are plenty of odds makers out there and I think anyone should know the odds of me getting Chet would be 1 in 15. And, that’s exactly what happens.

Hank is pretty happy and I’m excited. Chet is down to business but I could tell he’s nervous or excited. Maybe both but I’m not sure. I kept looking over the bucking chute and they would pull my head back around and finally, I feel him put his settle down on my back and slip his feet into the stirrups.

I have my first big leap out of the chute and Chet is right there. I had a little bobble on the next jump but got back in my rhythm. A lot can happen in that eight seconds and if you stub your toe, normally I’d send you to the ground. I’ll admit that I didn’t have my best trip, but it was pretty good. Chet missed a couple of spur licks, but he got me rode. Then, they announce the score, 85.5 points.



I have to tell you that I was disappointed. We tied for third place and missed getting a go-round buckle by 2.5 points. Shaun Stroh won the round on Kool Toddy with an 87.5. I was glad for Shaun because he has all those kids. If you’ve been keeping up, you’ll remember he rode me in Vernal, Utah for 92 points. That was my high-marked ride this year!

I found out later that the judges marked Cool Alley, Spring Blues and I all the same. We could have been 91 points, so once again, I did my job. And, we definitely could have won the round.

Chet was all smiles and I know he was just happy to get me ridden. He did win a check for $8,519 and we can all be happy about that. This is the fourth time that he’s been on me and the third time he’s ridden me.

So I went back to my pen and sulked a little. I don’t sulk very often so I gave myself an hour to get over it. By the time they brought our grain I was back to being myself and gossiping with the other horses. We all talk about who we think will win the world and discuss our trips with each other.

I had a few days off before the 10th round when they brought me back again. I’m wondering who I might get and I’m still hoping for Billy. That guy tries so hard and I’m still a little mad, and I’m saving my energy for the arena. We get there and it’s that Canadian guy that is so consistent, Rod Hay that has his name beside mine. I bucked him off here in 2005, so I’m thinking this time he’ll probably ride me.

As usual, I was right. Roddy rode me and lo and behold, we were 89 points, just one point off of my 90-point goal. Well good news, we won the round. I’m pretty happy about that. Then I find out because it’s the final round, they interview the average winners on tv. They don’t have a buckle ceremony at the South Point and while I’m glad that we were at the top of the leader board, I got my mad on again.



Why don’t they have a buckle presentation on Saturday night? I’m so disappointed that it took all the fun out of winning. I wanted the Franzens to get on stage and talk about me. I’ve spent a lot of time this past year telling my stories and I want them to be able to share it with the fans at the South Point. They don’t have a world champion’s banquet. The rodeo is live so it starts an hour early. I think they still need to have awards for the 10th round.

I’ve gotten some of those go-round buckles before and it’s cool for the guys that ride me and for my people to get on stage and be recognized. Everyone who makes a living in this business works really hard. A little air time doesn’t hurt anyone.

They did talk about me on tv and mentioned that I have my own my space page. I know because I got a bunch of new my space friends. That’s cool. We’re going to keep working hard at being the best that we can be and telling our stories so hopefully I’ll have more friends and we’ll get more rodeo fans!

We’re back in Wyoming now and I’m enjoying some pasture time. There’s nothing like the NFR and there’s no place like Wyoming. It’s good to be home!

My name is Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a bucking horse!

Chapter 7

The first thing I’m going to tell you is that Blood Brother from Burch Rodeo and Cool Alley from Kesler Championship Rodeo tied for the saddle bronc horse of the year award.

I want to congratulate both of these great horses. Blood Brother is a horse that I’d never want to get on. He’s retiring this year and we will miss his antics in and out of the arena. I haven’t been around Cool Alley as much as I have Blood Brother, but she and I have a lot in common.

We are both big bay mares, we’ve both had some foals and I would imagine that if we were around each other much, we might be friends. Of course that’s the way I’m going to imagine it, because reality probably wouldn’t be that pretty. I think we’d probably be pretty competitive. This is her second saddle bronc riding title. She also won it in 2004 (when I was second place) and was the top bareback horse in 2001.

I finished behind these two great horses and that’s okay for this year. I have two of those championship halters, but I am far from being done. It’s a great accomplishment for a horse to finish in the top three in the voting, but now that I’m representing Wyoming, I really want another halter!

Speaking of Wyoming, we went home after the rodeo in Omaha and got some pasture time in. We probably had one of the prettiest falls ever recorded in Riverton, (Wyo.) so it was really nice to be there.

With plenty of good grass and great weather at the Powder River Rodeo ranch headquarters, you might think that I wouldn’t want to leave. Well I wasn’t born to be a pasture pet, so when I see them coming to gather us, I’m ready.

I know it’s not time for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but when they sorted us, it was like we were going back to Omaha. Well, I heard Hank (Franzen) talking about Dallas and my ears pricked up. I didn’t get to go there last year, so I was really excited about it.

Once again, I was in the semi-finals along with my traveling partner Big Chill. Touch of Silver and Check Out were in the finals. I’m still a little bit upset about not being in the finals, because I want them to win the rodeo on me every time. It didn’t matter as much as at Omaha and when I finish my story I think you’ll understand why.

Big Chill and I were back in the pen together and I was my usual calm self, just wondering who would be the lucky contestant to get on me. Well I knew that Jesse Kruse had been doing really well in Dallas and had made the semi-finals. When I found out that he was getting on me again, I was pretty excited. They were all talking about it, wondering what the odds were and I was like come on guys do the math, it’s one in eight.

They held Jesse and I till last, so I got to see all the other horses go. I’d stick my head out over the chute and watch the action. Big Chill had a pretty nice trip, a solid out and bucked right down the pen. She got Justin Arnold this time and they teamed up for 87 points.

Well I kept sticking my head out watching the rest of the action and anticipating my trip. Honestly I just couldn’t wait to perform in that arena. Jesse settled down on my back and just like in Omaha, I was reminded about how little this guy is. He’s kind of like a fly on my back, but honestly, he’s not that easy to get rid of.

My first jump was typical and just like last time, Jesse was right there with me. I bucked all the way down the pen, just bucking and kicking a little higher with each jump. Jesse stayed with me the whole time and you should have seen that guy’s smile when the pick-up man set him down. They’re leading me out of the pen and the coolest thing happens, Jesse tips his hat to me.

I’m pretty full of myself now, thinking about how much fun that was and then I hear the score – 91 points. Wow. Having the judges recognize that performance with a 91-point score was a great way to cap off eight seconds of fun.

So, Jesse won the round, Justin finished in second and the Powder River horses have done well so far, but it isn’t over yet. Touch of Silver and Check Out are in the finals. You probably remember that Jesse Got on Touch of Silver at Omaha and missed him out. Well this time, Silver got Billy Etbauer. According to Silver he had Billy bucked off three or four times, but somehow Billy made the whistle and they won the rodeo with an 86-point ride.

Jesse finished second with 83 on Belstar from ProRodeo Inc. So here’s another math lesson. Jesse won $22,343 in Dallas and $10,312 in Omaha and I’m proud to be part of that. Before he was in Omaha he was ranked 20th in the world standings. After Dallas and $32,656 from those two rodeos he’s still 20th.

I have managers, people to plan my schedule, get me to the rodeos, make sure I eat right and get me ready for the competition. Jesse Kruse needs a manager. Saddle bronc riders can only count 70 rodeos. Apparently Jesse had already counted those 70 rodeos before Omaha, so the money he got at Omaha and Dallas only counts in his checkbook.

I’m glad that I don’t have to keep track of any of that stuff. It lets me focus on bucking. Jesse’s already focused on riding, he just needs somebody to keep track of his stuff. If he could have counted those two rodeos, he would have moved into fifth place in the world standings and we might have met in Las Vegas. What would be the odds of that? Let’s do the math, 1 in 15.

So even though I didn’t get the chance to have a guy win the rodeo on me in Dallas, I did have the high scoring ride and I’m very pleased with that. And, it was so cool to have Billy win it on Touch of Silver, because even though he doesn’t carry the name and he doesn’t care about it as much as I do, he is a Wyoming bucking horse too.

The weather was so good in Dallas, I kind of was wishing that I could stay there, but when they backed my trailer up to the gate, I was ready to get in. The trip home was uneventful and when we got back to the ranch I couldn’t believe how nice it was.

We’ve had a really mild fall. It makes me wonder what the winter will be like. I’m getting my winter coat and eating plenty so I’ll be ready for some snow when I get home from Las Vegas. If you are at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo be sure to go to the Wyoming Travel and Tourism booth at Cowboy Christmas and pick up one of my autograph cards. Of course I won’t be able to meet you personally, but the people at the booth will let my managers know when people ask about me, and I love having fans!

My name is Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a bucking horse!

Chapter 6

I was out in the pasture just lazily grazing on good green grass when I see cowboys on horseback coming my way and that means one thing – it’s time to head to ranch headquarters.

We get there and they start the sorting process. They loaded us on my truck, we headed south out of Riverton, got on 287 and caught I-80 at Rawlins. It was a straight shot east and when we were going over Sherman Hill and I saw that tree growing out of the rock again. It never ceases to amaze me how that little tree grew and continues to live.

We crossed the Wyoming border and I started seeing the big cornfields in Nebraska. They grow a lot of stuff in that state and when you are in a semi-trailer you can smell all of it, corn, alfalfa, sorghum and grass. It makes every road trip an adventure, trying to figure out what all the smells are. I have a secret for all of the animals out there though, there is nothing like Wyoming grass.

Once again, we were kept in some pens outside of Omaha and I had to wait around for Saturday night. I watched some of my traveling partners go to the rodeo and every time they left I knew that they were saving the best for last. As a bucking horse, I love the format of the Ariat Playoffs. It’s so exciting to know what a difference you can make in a cowboy’s year.

Saturday afternoon comes around and I’m finally one of the lucky animals to get loaded on my truck. Touch of Silver and Big Chill were in the pen in back of the arena with me. Touch of Silver was his usual nervous self. He was blowing and snorting at everyone that got close. I kept telling him that he should calm down and save his energy, but he was having none of my advice. He was in the final four and he couldn’t wait to get out there and show his stuff.

They came and got me and sent me down the alley. I’m ready for this. The guy that got me was Jesse Kruse from Great Falls, Mont. I’d never met Jesse before but found out that he had been traveling with fellow Montana bronc rider Josh Reynolds from Corvallis. Josh has ridden me twice and both times he was 91 points. Knowing how those cowboys trade notes about us horses I was sure that Josh was the first person that Jesse called.

Jesse’s putting his saddle on me and I’m thinking that I’ve got the wrong guy. Even with his boots on, I don’t think he’s 5’6” tall. I’m also not sure he has to shave on a regular basis. It’s pretty unusual for someone else to set a saddle, and I know he was the 2007 Rookie-of-the-Year so he’s not very old. I decide that it must be Jesse.

Age and experience did not hurt this guy one bit. I could tell he was excited to make it to the semi-finals and get on me. He couldn’t stop grinning and let me tell you, he has a great smile. Whether he rides me or not, I’m pretty sure he’s going to have fun and keep smiling.

He took the rein, sat down on me, got his feet set and nodded his head. I took my trademark humongous leap out of there and Jesse held his feet and marked me out. I bucked again, put a little stutter step and swoop in and he was still there. I stayed close to the chutes, kept bucking and kicking and that little guy was with me every step.

After the ride, I was pretty full of myself when they led me out of the arena and I could tell that Jesse was happy too. Then I heard the score – 88 points. Well let me tell you I was disappointed. Those judges must not have seen what I felt. I was thinking about how it must be for Jesse. He’s little, and has a great center of balance. He rode different than Josh did because he doesn’t have as long of legs to get a hold with. But, he gave me enough rein that I could get my head down and really buck and he was outstanding. I don’t like to second guess the judges and I didn’t go look at their sheets, but based on other matchups I’ve had, I thought that Jesse should have been at least 91.

Jesse was in the lead with one more to go. That was Justin Arnold and he also got an 88 tying them for first in the semi-finals. While I was disappointed for Jesse that he didn’t win it outright, when they were put in position for the finals, Jesse would get to ride Touch of Silver. I’m thinking he’s going to win the whole shebang.

I was right about one thing. He should have won the whole shebang, because he rode Touch of Silver and that gray gelding is hard to ride. He’s got a lot of tricks and you never know for sure what he’s going to do. He’s not an honest bucker like me and he sends a lot of guys to the dirt. So I hear the whistle and I know that Jesse made it. I’m waiting in the back to hear the score and I hear the announcer say that he missed the horse out. Another disappointment and welcome to the wonderful world of rodeo. Here’s the cool thing though. Jesse Kruse was still grinning. I’m going to predict that he will go far with his rodeo career.

We left Omaha and headed north for the Marvin Garrett Match of Champions. I love going to these events. This one was Friday and Saturday night in Valley City, N.D. I was out on Saturday night and it was Jake Costello from Newell, S.D., that rode me.

These events are so much fun, just a lot of bucking horses and great riders. Jake has never been to the National Finals Rodeo, but he rides well enough that he definitely could be there if he stayed on the road. I understand when someone has a family and doesn’t want to make that sacrifice.

Jake is down to business. He placed in the first round on Friday night and was ready for me. That arena at Valley City was a little small and that suited me just fine. I left like a rocket and Jake stayed with me. He was 89-points and I heard one of the radio guys say that if we were at a PRCA rodeo, we would have been at least 92.

That’s my goal every time, a 90-point plus ride, so I was pretty happy. And, Jake won the event and that made me happy as well. I’m home now anxiously waiting to see who gets the championship halter.

I know whoever gets it will be able to take a lot of pride in the award. And with fuel prices on the rise, their owners will be able to make good use out of the bonus money from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. I’m not going to lie, I sure would like to have another championship halter. If it doesn’t happen this year, I’ll be trying to get those cowboys a first-place check and hoping they’ll vote for me next year.

My name is Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a bucking horse!

Chapter 5

Wow! That’s about all that I can say about this summer. I finished up with trips at Caldwell, Idaho and Bremerton, Wash.

This is the fourth time that I’ve been to Caldwell and each time I go there, I’m amazed by the fans. The first time I went was in 2005 and after sending a cowboy to the dirt, I couldn’t believe the noise in the arena.

Randy Corley is one of the announcers and the Caldwell Night Rodeo committee gives him credit for getting a rivalry started between the west and east sides of the grandstands. Apparently Randy started calling the fans in the east side the rowdies because of their enthusiastic behavior. Soon after that, the west side who were slightly more civilized became the civies.
Randy now shares the announcing duties there with his father-in-law, Hadley Barrett. It’s always been a great place to be in the back pens and listen to what’s going on in the arena. The addition of Hadley to the commentating team has made it even better. The rowdies seem to respond to Randy while Hadley is taking up for the civies.

Of all the arenas that I buck in, Caldwell has to be one of my favorites. The fans are right next to the arena and it’s nearly always packed. I know the fans like it because they are so close to the action. We bucking horses like it because we are so close to the fans and the more they yell and cheer, the more motivated we are to kick harder and buck higher.

Another reason I like it so much there, I have sent every cowboy that’s tried to ride me to the dirt. This year was no exception, but it didn’t happen the way I like it to.

They keep us horses at some pens outside of town. I got to laze around in the sunshine for a few days before I got on the trailer and came to town. Well, one look at the grandstands and just listening to Randy and Hadley and I knew it was Saturday night.

The rodeo starts at 8 p.m., which would be late a lot of places, but let me tell you something about Caldwell. It’s hot there during the day and just barely starting to cool off at 8. So, I’m in the pen with a couple of my girlfriends and we are not wanting to be very active. Thank goodness we weren’t in the bareback riding.

It started cooling off a little and here came Hank. He opened the gate and I was ready to be the first one out. Well instead of letting me go down the alley, they penned me by myself. I was trying to figure out what was going on and started looking around the pens. Then, I remembered that this was the first stop on the Ariat Playoffs so they were bucking eight horses in the semi-finals then four in the finals. Since I didn’t get sorted off, that meant they were saving me for the final round. Oh Boy.

I started really listening to the announcers and thinking about which cowboy I wanted to draw. They started out with Jesse Bail and Scott Keogh. World champs Billy Etbauer and J.J. Elshere qualified and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) average winner J.J. Elshere was on the list. Bobby Griswold who has been to the NFR as well had been back by my pen earlier. Before the semi-finals he had written my number on his hand, just planning on doing well enough to get to the finals and having his name beside mine on the judge’s sheet.

I thought that was pretty cool, but it didn’t work for Bobby this time. They drew positions for the horses before the rodeo and my name was at the top of the list. That meant whoever got me was in the number one position. They worked to get there and they were going to earn the right to get on me.

They announced the finals and it didn’t matter who got on me, I was ready for the challenge. Jesse Bail won the semi-finals so that meant that he and I were going to have our third meeting.

The first time Jesse got on me I bucked him off. The second time we were 93. I was ready and we were going to have some fun. It’d cooled off a bit, I’m loaded in the chute and Jesse puts his saddle on. He’s petting me on the neck and talking to me and I’m ready. We are the last saddle bronc duo to go and the championship is on the line.

I take my first big leap out of the chutes and Jesse is right with me. I feel his spurs going from my shoulder back to the cantle of the saddle in perfect timing with every jump. I’m having so much fun and every time I buck, I’m trying to jump higher and higher. I think the horn is about to blow and we could set a new arena record and then I feel Jesse blow a stirrup.

That’s all it took. He hit the dirt at 7.56 seconds. I know Jesse was disappointed, but frankly so was I. I’m pretty sure we would have been at least 91 or 92 points. That guy was riding so good. After I made my little lap around the arena and listened to those fans a little longer I headed back to the pens. That’s when I found out that Jesse was riding with separated ribs. He has a reputation for being a real tough cowboy. I’d say that reputation is well deserved. No wonder he was holding his side when he got off.

I started feeling bad for him, but I do know one thing about Jesse - he wants everything to be honest. And, if I’d have known about the ribs before the ride, I might have felt sorry for him and thought about changing it up a little, but that’s not the cowboy way and it certainly isn’t the bucking horse way. Jesse would have been very disappointed in me and I know if you asked him about our trip at Caldwell, he’d smile and say that I really bucked.

After Caldwell, we headed over to Bremerton, Wash., for the Kitsap County Fair Rodeo. That’s a trip for this High Plains girl. It’s across the Puget Sound from Seattle and you can take the ferry to get there or drive around through Tacoma. Since I am a dry-land horse, I much prefer the drive around. You still go over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and see more water than I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s a good thing that I have confidence in the guy that drives my truck. I know that he is going to do everything he can to get us there safely, if we take the ferry or the bridge.

So I’m there for a couple of days before I make my trip down the alley to get in the chute. This time, I’ve drawn Max Filippini from Battle Mountain, Nev. I know that northern Nevada area has grown some good cowboys and believe me, they have grown Max. He’s one of the tallest guys that ever got on me and he is strong.

I tried my best, but I had a hard time adjusting to Max’s riding style. He made it to the whistle and got an 81-point score. It got Max some money, but I’m thinking he might like another shot at me. The judges marked me high enough that we could have been at least 88 points. I hope if he does get me again he gives me a little more of a chance, because I think he rides well enough that we could get him a first-place check.
I’m back at the ranch now, enjoying lush green grass, warm days and cool nights and just thinking about my next trip. I’ll be leaving Riverton and heading east for Omaha, Neb., and another one of the Ariat Playoffs. Did you know there is a tree growing out of a rock on Interstate 80 east of Laramie? That’s always been a pretty good reminder for me. That tree is little, but it is alive and if a tree can grow in a rock, just imagine what we can do if we put our mind to it! I’d encourage you to stop and see it some time.

My name is Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a bucking horse!

Caldwell Rodeo Video

Chapter Four

I had so much fun on the Fourth of July at Belle Fourche, S.D., that when we got on the trucks to drive across Wyoming and go to Vernal, Utah, I was still excited.

In case you didn’t read my last chapter, Lyle Welling, from Crawford, Neb., won the rodeo on me. It was especially great because my foal, little Miss Sassy Pants was with me. All the other mares had their babies with them as well and it was a good learning experience for them.

We left Belle Fourche on July 6th and headed to Vernal. It’s not a bad trip, just 600 miles of Wyoming scenery. When we got to Vernal we had a couple of days to settle in before going to work. The rodeo was July 9-12 and I was in the first and last performances.

The night of July 9th, they sorted me out of the pen. I ran down the alley and headed to work. I was wondering who was going to ride me and heard it was going to be Shaun Stroh. Well I know this guy is tough. I was at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the first time in 2004 when he got bucked off in the second round, fractured his back and continued to ride.

I know this guy rides really well and we’re going to have some fun. I’m in the chute being my usual congenial self. Shaun takes care of his end, quietly and quickly putting the saddle on me. He measures his bronc rein, steps over the chute, settles down on my back and nods his head. They opened the gate and I stalled a little. I tried that in Belle Fourche, thinking it would rattle Lyle’s cage, but it really didn’t work. That time, they shut the gate, Lyle regrouped and it was on. This time, I could tell it wasn’t going to get to Shaun at all, so I just took one humongous leap out of there.

When I landed, Shaun was right with me and we started the party. He matched me jump for jump and when the judges added up the scores, we had a 90-point ride. I was happy. I think Shaun was happy too.

While I was waiting in the chutes, I heard him talking to the other guys about his family. They were all giving him a bad time about being the lucky guy to draw the big bay mare -- that would be me -- and I heard him say he’s got five kids. Well me being a mom, that set me to thinking about a cowboy’s life and I was honestly hoping that he would ride me and we’d get him to the pay window. I was thinking he could use the money.

He’s got four boys and one girl, the good news for him is he doesn’t have four girls and one boy. I know all about how high maintenance daughters can be. But my heart goes out to his wife. He’s out here trying to ride me and she’s home with five kids. She’s got to be tough.

I had two nights off before my next trip. And, I put the time to good use trying to instill those patience lessons on Miss Sassy Pants. She wants to know everything and do it now. I got back to the pen after Shaun rode me and she was saying that she thought I should have kicked harder and if it was her, she would have thrown him out of the arena.

I told her she’d get her turn and if she does what I tell her, listens to Khadafy, world champion bareback horse and mentor to all of Powder River Rodeo’s bucking horses, and follows her instincts she will get her chance.

After two days off, I was ready again. I waited patiently in the pens until sorting time. I was so excited, it didn’t even bother me that Miss Sassy Pants kept telling me what I should do when I got in the arena. This time it was Kaleb Asay that drew me. I’m thinking this is a Wyoming cowboy and wouldn’t it be cool to have a Wyoming cowboy and Wyoming bucking horse win the rodeo in Utah.

I knew I was going to have to turn it up a notch if we were going to beat the 90-point ride that Shaun had Wednesday night. But, it is Saturday night and these fans are wild. I was so pumped up I had to really work to stay quiet in the box and give Kaleb a fair shot. I heard Roger Mooney talking about me and how Shaun is leading the rodeo on me. Kaleb was calm and talking to me and I think this is just another day at the office. Finally, it’s our turn and I explode out of the chute again. I guess I exploded a little too much, because Kaleb didn’t hold his feet, missed me out and got a no score.

I’m not sure who was more disappointed. That guy rode me really well and we could have really put some big numbers on the scoreboard. That makes me happy. If I buck a guy off honestly, that’s okay, but that mark-out rule doesn’t really help my record. I’d much rather have a new arena record.

So, I give myself five minutes to get over it and head back to the pens and I now have a whole new story and explanation for Miss Sassy Pants and all of the babies. They were glad to have us moms back and all in all behaved pretty well.

The next morning they back my truck up to the loading chute and I’m ready to get in it. They headed north and when we went through Rock Springs, I knew we were headed home. I have mixed emotions about going home because I know that it’s time for Miss Sassy Pants to stay there and let me focus on my job. Her lessons with me have come to a close for a while and as independent as she is, I know she will do just fine.

We weren’t home very long so I didn’t get to dwell on what was going on in my personal life. It was time to load up and head for Rock Springs. We went over there for the Red Desert Roundup, July 24-25. Because there’s a little rodeo down the road in Cheyenne known as the “Daddy of ‘em All”, we always get good contestants at Rock Springs. I was excited to go and was hoping I’d draw Rusty Allen, or Chad Ferley. Or, maybe even Chet Johnson who has yet to be successful on me. I’m sure he’d like another opportunity and he is one of my friends on MySpace.

Boy was I surprised when I found out who would ride me. He’s from my hometown of Riverton, but I had never heard of him. I’m thinking about what I’m going to do with this rookie Justin Mills. I could tell he was excited and maybe a little nervous about getting on me. It was business as usual until they opened the gate.

I took my usual big jump out of the gate and he stayed with me. Another jump and he was still there. Well, I thought about those babies that want to grow up to be like me and I let this guy have it. I bucked higher and harder than I had all year and he got loose. My front feet hit the ground and he came out of the saddle. I kept bucking, he came over my neck and it was over.

So far I’ve been to three rodeos and they’ve won two of them on me. I’m still inspired to keep the legend of the Wyoming bucking horse alive and spread the word about our great state. So I’m really excited to tell that we’ve added that to my name. I will now be known as Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and the first place I’ll be bucking with that title will be at Caldwell, Idaho, for the Ariat Playoffs. I’m sure I’ll have more great stories to share!

My name is Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a bucking horse!

p.s. Check out this cool video my friends at Wyoming Travel & Tourism made for me:

Miss C Hits the Road

When I saw cowboys on horseback riding into the pasture, I knew it was time for me to go rodeoing again. They gathered us up and took us to ranch headquarters where my truck was waiting.

I say it’s my truck and while I’ll ride in any trailer that will get me to a rodeo, this is the one I like best. Powder River Rodeo has one truck with my name on it and I love riding in a trailer behind it. So my traveling partners and all of our babies load on the truck and head east.

I’m pretty sure that we are on our way to Belle Fourche, SD. That’s usually where we are on the Fourth of July, and the Black Hills Round-Up is the second place I ever had a cowboy on my back. It has a real special place in my heart, especially now since it is the first trip my babies make with me. I think it’s real important for all of them to get on the trailer and have a rodeo experience when they are little. It prepares them for their future and gives them a taste of life as a bucking horse.

I kept an eye on the highway and watched the scenery along the road. There sure was lots of green grass traveling across Wyoming. The more we drove, the more convinced I became that we were on our way to Belle Fourche and I started getting excited.

My baby was being her usual self and wanted to know why we left the ranch and where we were going. I know she hasn’t got a professional name yet, but I call her Miss Sassy Pants. She is so sassy and sometimes she gets a little too big for her britches.

So I tell her that the one thing I haven’t really talked to her about is patience and that’s something she needs to learn if she is going to grow up to be a bucking horse. We had plenty of time to talk about that and I think she started to

We got to Belle Fourche a few days before the rodeo started. It gave us time to rest and more time to explain to our babies what was going on. The first day of the rodeo came around and I’m waiting to be sorted out of my pen. I watched and waited and I was a little disappointed when they left me in my pen.

The next day started early. We got fed and there was a lot of commotion at the grounds because of the parade. I’m watching horses coming and going and floats go by, so I know that today is the big day at the Black Hills Round-Up. It’s the Fourth of July and we’re going to have an afternoon performance. Sure enough, I get sorted out of my pen, along with Sundowner and Tangle Ridge and our babies. We’re in a pen in back of the bucking chutes and I’m pacing back and forth by the gate. I can’t wait to go kick up my heels in front of the crowd.

Miss Sassy Pants kept asking me what was happening. I told her I was going to be away from her for a few minutes that she needed to stay calm and pay attention. I finally had to push her away from me and explained I needed some time to get my game face on.

They opened the gate and I ran down the alley to the bucking chute. My heart is racing and I can’t wait to see who the lucky cowboy is that gets to try to ride me. They told me that Lyle Welling from Crawford, NE would get on me.

I’m thinking ‘who in the world is this guy?’ I’ve been to a lot of rodeos and never heard of him and I don’t expect much from him. So I’m in the chute and this tall lanky guy brings my Miss Congeniality halter and slips it over my head. He’s so calm and quiet I’m wondering if he knows who I am.

He puts his saddle on, measures the bronc rein and takes care of business like he knows what he is doing. I’m pretty calm in the chute, just waiting for the gate to open so I can plant this guy in the dirt. Well he pats my neck several times and I figure out that he knows who I am and I might have my work cut out for me.

They saved me for the last bronc ride of the day, so I got to watch my friends. Then the announcer, Chad Nicholson, starts talking about me and I know we’re getting close. Lyle settles down on my back and the guy is still calm as a cucumber.

He nods his head. They open the gate and I decide I need to rattle his cage a little bit so I just stood there. They closed the gate again and I expect him to get off and regroup. He just stayed right there, got settled again and nodded his head and it was game on.

I came out of the chute with my usual first big jump and surprise surprise, Lyle was still with me. I bucked, twisted my back end and he matched me jump for jump. Wow, this guy can ride. The buzzer went off and the pick-up men moved in.

I got to take a little lap around the arena. My mane was flying and I held my head up because even though Lyle rode me he did a great job. As soon as they got his saddle off, I headed back to the pen and Miss Sassy Pants.

She was glad to see me and full of questions again. She couldn’t see the arena, so I explained everything that happened. My lecture on patience must have worked because she listened to everything that I told her. We hung out in Belle Fourche another day before getting on the truck to go to Vernal, UT for the Dinosaur Roundup.

We headed west and when we got to Gillette, it reminded me I was near Wright, WY, where I was born. Then I saw a sign for Casper and it reminded me of the time I bucked at the College National Finals Rodeo there.

The road is full of memories and stories and I’m going to make more this year. We drove through Rock Springs, WY. I will be bucking there sometime during the Red Desert Roundup, July 24-26. I love that rodeo too. We always get good contestants because there is a little rodeo down the road in Cheyenne known as the “Daddy of ‘em All” and a lot of the guys try to work both.

I’m getting back into shape and ready for the rest of the year. Miss Sassy Pants is getting bigger and it’s time for her to let her independent nature shine. I think she’ll be leader of the foal pack and spend the rest of the summer growing at the ranch in Riverton. She’s learned a lot going to Belle Fourche and Vernal with me, and if she uses those lessons, she will also have a great life as a bucking horse.

My name is Miss Congeniality and I’m proud to be a Wyoming bucking horse.

Image Captions:

Little Miss Sassy Pants sneaking a peak underneath Miss Congeniality’s neck.

Lyle Welling and Miss Congeniality waiting for their turn at the Black Hills Round-Up Rodeo in Belle Fourche, S.D., on July 4th.

Pick up man Jeff Rector leads Miss Congeniality out of the arena after a successful performance at the Black Hills Round-Up.