Veteran bareback bronc rider Lane McGehee chases a second national title | Middle School

Fast forward five years and the two are teammates on the Sam Houston State rodeo team competing for a national bareback championship. After two rounds at CNFR 2022 at Casper’s Ford Wyoming Center, McGehee is fifth overall while Miller is tied for sixth.

“The first time I came here I was a freshman and I was just here having fun under the bright lights of the college NFR,” McGehee said Tuesday after his 77.5 run. points on Jackie from Vold Rodeo. “I had to bring a cane this time. I’m still having fun, but I also ride really hard in the PRCA, so rodeo is more of a job now.

McGehee has suffered numerous injuries, including a broken leg in 2018 and tearing all of his hamstring tendons the following year, since winning the CNFR five years ago. Despite this, he did not lose his passion for the sport.

“I’m truly blessed and lucky enough to be here again and able to do what I love to do,” he said.

And the fact that McGehee can share his knowledge with competitors like Miller and others only adds to the fun.

“Lane has been a huge help to me,” Miller admitted. “I’ve seen him draw some of the biggest, most miserable horses you can imagine, and even ride them when he’s hurt sometimes, and he’s able to shake that off and do what he has to do. .

“He was here his first year and had the pressure on him that I have on me this year, and he helped me overcome that to keep giving my best.”

Miller is often at his best on the big stage. He has won numerous bronc riding and bull riding championships at the World Junior Finals and was the Southern Region all-around and bull riding champion this year.

“Boy, is this kid a cowboy,” McGehee said of Miller.

McGehee and Miller head into the third round, which begins Tuesday night, amid a crowded field of contenders. Defending national champion Cole Franks of Missouri Valley College leads the way with 162 points over two heads, followed by MVC teammate Ty Pope (159), Myles Carlson of Casper College (157.5), Tyler Griffin of Southeast from Oklahoma State (157), McGehee (153) and Miller (152.5).

Even though they’re all competing for the same title, McGehee said they’re all there to support each other.

“We’re all competing against each other, but at the end of the day, we’re just competing against this horse,” he explained. “If we do our job on this horse, we should get paid and everything else should work out.

“Behind the falls is a brotherhood,” he added. “It’s not me against you, it’s me against the horse. That’s how I see it. If no one else helps the kids grow up, what kind of future do we have in rodeo? »

With eight of the top 10 average leaders in position to return to next year’s college finals if they qualify, the future of bareback looks pretty good.

Fort Scott Community College’s Denton Jacobson won the round with an 81 over Vold Rodeo’s Grubby Spoon. Donny Proffit of the University of Wyoming, a Kemmerer native, tied for second with a 79.5. Carlson finished eighth with a 76.

“It gives me a lot of confidence going forward,” Carlson said after his run on Vold Rodeo’s Cajun Chicken.

Carlson was the state high school champion in Evanston before heading to Casper to ride for the Thunderbirds.

“I’ve improved a lot mentally,” Carlson said. “I learned that the most important thing is to just go out there and have fun.”

The first two rounds of bulls were dominated by the bulls. Out of 54 rides, there were only 10 marked rides, with three bull riders responsible for six of them.

Andy Guzman of Mesalands Community College and Luke Parkinson of Western Texas College joined that list on Tuesday. Guzman scored 80 points off Southwick’s Electric Lettuce and Parkinson had 69 off Brooman’s Canadian Bullfrog.

“I just had to try my (butt) because there was nothing easy about this bull,” Guzman said. “He had some scoot with him, so I was just trying to catch up.”

Guzman finished second in the round behind Sul Ross State’s Tristen Hutchings. The defending national champion had an 84.5 on Monday. Guzman moved to the top of the standings in average with 157.5 points; Casey Roberts is second with 157.0 points on two headers.

“Right now I’m having a lot of fun,” Guzman added. “I just have to go out there and do my best and then start again on Friday and Saturday.”

Western Texas College’s Damian Brennan had the highest score of the day with a 78-point run on Brookman’s Flirting With Disaster, followed by Fresno State’s Reed Neely with a 77.

McNeese State’s Ryder Sanford won the round with a 79.5 and teammate Shea Fournier was second with a 79.

Sanford and Fournier are also 1-2 in average, with two-headed totals of 163 and 153.5 points, respectively.