North Platte, Neb. (June 15, 2023) – Tanner Brunner has overcome the odds this past spring, to continue rodeoing.
The Ramona, Kan. man is leading the second round of the steer wrestling at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo with a time of 3.8 seconds.
Three months ago, things weren’t going well.
His main horse had surgery, and he had a torn groin, which made rodeoing difficult.
Brunner planned surgery for Miss Kitty, his sixteen-year-old sorrel mare, after he competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December. The mare had knee chips in two knees, and rehab required five to six months off.
While he waited on the mare’s recovery, he bounced around, riding borrowed horses, but couldn’t hit his groove with any of them.
Then, while practicing in March, he tore a part of his groin muscle off the femur bone. It required intense rehab, but six weeks later, he was back to steer wrestling.
Last weekend was the first weekend the mare was back to competition, and the lead in North Platte is a good thing.
He’s struggled to be in tune with the mare since she’s back from rehab, even though she’s done well.
“It’s like she never left” competition, he said. “She’s doing her job. I just need to start doing mine.”
Miss Kitty got Brunner to his first Wrangler NFR in 2018. He had spent that year traveling with Nebraska native and veteran steer wrestler Sean Mulligan, who owned the mare. “I rodeoed with those guys (including Mulligan’s traveling partners), and they taught me a lot. They helped me get to the Finals.”
The next year, Brunner bought the mare from Mulligan, and Miss Kitty has carried Brunner to three more Wrangler NFRs (2019-2020, 2022).
Mulligan, a former Wrangler NFR qualifier, mentors steer wrestlers and trains steer wrestling horses. He grew up in Valentine but now lives in Oklahoma. He’s generous with his time and knowledge.
Mulligan “has helped a lot of people out,” Brunner said. “He’s very generous, he loves helping people and loves the sport of rodeo and bulldogging.”
Because of his horse problems and injury this past year, Brunner isn’t ranked in the top fifty in the PRCA world standings, where a cowboy needs to be, as the summer season kicks off.
He has a plan for the summer: rodeo till mid-July and then see where he is in the standings.
The measuring stick? Being in the top thirty in the world by mid-July. “I don’t even think I’m in the top 75 right now. But there’s a lot of money to be won, between now and then. You’ve got to bet on yourself and not count yourself out.”
Other fast times after the day’s slack and the evening’s competition include bareback rider Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn. (81 points); tie-down roper Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. (7.8 seconds); saddle bronc rider Jake Finlay, Goondiwindi, Australia (81.5); breakaway roper Jessica McMaster, Madison, Kan. (2.7 seconds); team ropers JC Yeahquo and LJ Yeahquo, both of Mandaree, N.D. (5.2 seconds); and barrel racer Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla. (17.74 seconds). For the second night in a row, no bull riders made a qualified ride.
The third night of action at the Buffalo Bill rodeo takes place Friday, June 16 starting at 8 pm. The rodeo can be found on the Cowboy Channel app and on local radio station KODY 1240 AM.
Results, 2nd Performance and slack, June 15, 2023
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback riding
- Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn. 81 points on 623 Nutrena’s Pebbles;
- Ty Breuer, Manda, N.D. 73;
No other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling
- Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan. 3.8 seconds;
- (tie) Gage Hesse, Keenesburg, Colo., Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La., and Jeremy Burkhalter, Humble, Texas 4.4 each.
Tie-down roping
- Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. 7.8 seconds;
- Cash Hooper, Carlsbad, N.M. 7.9;
- (tie) Marcos Costa, Iretama, Brazil and Nolan Richie, Bristol, S.D. 8.2 each.
Saddle bronc riding
- Jake Finlay, Goondiwindi, Australia 81.5 on 557 Homecoming;
- Taylor Tupper, St. Onge, S.D. 71;
- Tate Thybo, Belle Fourche, S.D. 67.
No other qualified rides.
Breakaway roping
- Jessica McMaster, Madison, Kan. 2.7 seconds;
- Tanegai Zilverberg, Holabird, S.D. 3.0;
- Shai Shcaefer, Lake Creek, Texas 3.3;
- Jacey Milligan, Torrington, Wyo. 3.4.
Team roping
- JC Yeahquo, Mandaree, N.D./LJ Yeahquo, Mandaree, N.D. 5.2 seconds;
- Kellan Johnson, Casper, Wyo./Carson Johnson, Casper, Wyo. 5.5.
- Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 5.7;
- (tie) Kreece Thompson, Munday, Texas/Landen Glenn, McAlester, Okla. and Jade Schmidt, Rapid City, S.D./Conner Herren, Crooks, S.D. 5.8 each.
Barrel racing
- Ivy Hurst, Springer, Okla. 17.74 seconds;
- Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D. 17.75;
- Peyton Stepanoff, Sarasota, Fla. 17.78;
- Sadie Wolaver, Weatherford, Okla. 17.82.
Bull riding
No qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.
