National Finals Rodeo veteran Tanner Aus rides Frontier Rodeo’s Bottom Line for 81 points Sunday night to share the bareback riding victory at the Will Rogers Stampede with Jason Wilson and Ty Hawkes, who rode Saturday. It is the third time Aus has won Claremore’s title.
(PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)

 

CLAREMORE, Okla. – There are a lot of reasons why veteran Tanner Aus continues to thrive at the Will Rogers Stampede.

The highest among them is that it’s a place he consistently wins money. Over his 17-year career, Aus has won at least a share of the bareback riding title in Claremore three times. That includes the 80th edition, which wrapped with Sunday’s third performance at RCB Bank Arena.

“I’m happy to be back in Claremore; this is one we rarely miss,” said Aus, 35, of Granite Falls, Minnesota. “It’s the perfect time of year. I’m glad it dried up a bit today.”

Aus matched moves with Frontier Rodeo’s Bottom Line for 81 points on the final chapter of this year’s championship. That matched the scores from Jason Wilson and Ty Hawkes, who rode Saturday night. Each man pocketed $2,397.

“That horse felt better than I thought he was going to,” said Aus, an eight-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “I knew that horse was a good chance to win something, and that’s why I’m here. He just felt a little better, and I was really happy with the way it ended up.”

Every dollar counts, because that’s how points are tabulated in ProRodeo. Only the top 15 on the money list in each event at the end of the regular season advance to the NFR each December. He first qualified in 2015 and only missed it one time through 2023 – an injury kept him away from Las Vegas in 2018, but he still finished among the top 20 in the world standings.

He’s missed the last two NFRs, though; he was 16th in 2024 and 23rd last year, but the economics of rodeo have changed. He won just shy of $100,000 a season ago and was still eight spots out of the top 15.

“I wouldn’t say I’m riding the best I ever have, but I feel good about where I’m at,” he said. “I’ve learned – especially over the last few years – that it takes just a little bit more. I’ve got to change how I approach the sport, my training, how much rest I get, and everything I do. I’ve got to prioritize things differently to get to that peak level of performance, which is what everyone’s striving for.”

That’s where those years of experience come into play. He isn’t the same bareback rider he was in 2012, when he won the intercollegiate bareback riding national championship. He’s also not the same man who first made the NFR 11 seasons ago.

Since then, he’s married his wife, Lonissa, and the two of them are raising three children, Bristol, Rowan and Ember.

“As your career goes on, you’ve just got to get there in different ways, and that’s fine,” Aus said. “We’re just always learning what we can do to have that edge when we show up, and I’m still having fun.

“I’ve got a lot of support behind me yet, and I just love it. I’m just happy to still be showing up and still be trying my butt off.”

Will Rogers Stampede
Claremore, Okla.
May 22-25
All-around cowboy: Jake Clay, $4,389, team roping and steer roping.

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Tanner Aus, on Frontier Rodeo’s Bottom Line, Ty Hawkes, on Frontier Rodeo’s Rocket Line, and Jason Wilson, on Frontier Rodeo’s High Heels, 81 points, $2,397 each; 4. Kooper Heimburg, 79, $1,130; 5. (tie) Kash Martin, Gauge McBride, Lane McGehee and Collin Roland, 78, $488 each.

Steer wrestling: 1. Tayelen Seabrook, 3.5 seconds, $3,356; 2. Trisyn Kalawaia, 4.4, $2,961; 3. (tie) Juan Alcazar Jr and Ben Kilburg, 4.5, $2,369 each; 5. Logan Mullin, 4.6, $1,974; 6. Myles Neighbors, 4.7, $1,777; 7. Chance Howard, 4.8, $1,579; 8. Tucker Ravenscroft, 5.1, $1,382; 9. (tie) Walt Arnold, Colin Fox and Jake Holmes, 5.2, $658 each.

Team roping: 1. Denton Parish/Joseph Harrison, 5.1 seconds, $4,035 each; 2. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 5.4, $3,560; 3. (tie) Jhett Trenary/L.J. Yeahquo and Jaxson Tucker/Cooper Freeman, 5.6, $2,848 each; 5. (tie) Cooper Cowan/Cade Cowan and Kolton Good/Steve Orth, 5.7, $2,017 each; 7. Curry Kirchner/Tanner Braden, 5.8, $1,661; 8. (tie) Jake Clay/Whip Peterson and Wheston Jones/Cordell Collins, 5.9, $1,305 each; 10. Kyler Kreder/Gralyn Elkins, 6.4, $949; 11. Justin Pruitt/Travis Holland, 6.5, $712; 12. Peyton Holliday/Derrick Jantzen, 6.7, $475.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Wyatt Lavergne, on Double J Rodeo Company’s Stacy’s Mom, and Ross Price, on Double J Rodeo Company’s Peak A Boo, 85 points, $2,924 each; 3. Jett Williams, 84.5, $1,876; 4. Carson Bingham, 83, $1,214; 5. Skinny Parsons, 81, $772; 6. Brady Hill, 79.5, $552; 7. Cauy Masters, 79, $441; 8. (tie) Dane McPhail, Blake Steuck and Tom Webster, 78, $110 each.

Breakaway roping: 1. Lari Dee Guy, 2.2 seconds, $4,615; 2. Lauren Hopkins, 2.5, $3,692; 3. (tie) Camden Crain, Mable McAbee and Abbie Williams, 2.6, $2,385 each; 6. Hannah Giger, 2.7, $1,385; 7. Kelsey Hallin, 2.9, $1,154; 8. (tie) Sydney Herrin and Marlee Quarles, 3.0, $981 each; 10. (tie) Hannah Hughes and Brandi McDowell, 3.1, $750 each; 12. Madalyn Richards, 3.2, $577; 13. Maelee Wade, 3.4, $462; 14. Kate Brisbane, 3.5, $346; 15. (tie) Baylee Lester and Josey Murphy, 3.7, $115 each.

Tie-down roping: 1. Pax Vogel, 9.7 seconds, $3,596; 2. Hunter Herrin, 10.7, $3,173; 3. Paul David Tierney, 10.8, $2,750; 4. Wade Perry, 10.9, $2,327; 5. Haze Wright, 11.5, $2,115; 6. Jarvis Demery, 11.9, $1,904; 7. Chizm KuyKendall, 12.0, $1,692; 8. Zane Rampey, 12.2, $1,481; 9. Mason Stueve, 12.7, $1,269; 10. Bodee Boggs, 13.1, $846.

Barrel racing: 1. Emily Beisel, 17.35 seconds, $3,956; 2. Emily Griffin, 17.75, $3,164; 3. Alona James, 17.82, $2,571; 4. Chelsea Moore, 17.85, $1,978; 5. Jody McKay, 18.06, $1,582; 6. Randi Holliday, 18.16, $1,187; 7. Ashley Sanders, 18.25, $989; 8. Prairie Robbins, 18.32, $890; 9. Andee Haden, 18.33, $791; 10. Tiffany Teehee, 18.35, $692; 11. Ashley Parks, 18.45, $593; 12. Kim Squires, 18.51, $494; 13. Suzanne Van Ness, 18.53, $396; 14. Josey Murphy, 18.54, $297; 15. Emily Stiles, 18.61, $198.

Steer roping: First round: 1. Dalton Walker, 9.8 seconds, $1,773; 2. Dustin Bassett, 10.0, $1,542; 3. Colt Williams, 10.7, $1,310; 4. Frank Pohlmann, 11.0, $1,079; 5. Rocky Patterson, 11.1, $848; 6. Mike Chase, 11.2, $617; 7. Scott Snedecor, 12.1, $385; 8. Blake Deckard, 12.2, $154. Second round: 1. Thomas Smith, 8.3 seconds, $1,773; 2. Jake Clay, 9.0, $1,542; 3. (tie) Mike Chase and Riley O’Rourke, 9.6, $1,195 each; 5. Cole Patterson, 9.8, $848; 6. Dalton Walker, 10.0, $617; 7. Will Eddleman, 10.3, $385; 8. Scott Snedecor, 10.4, $154. Third round: 1. Laramie Allen, 10.0 seconds, $1,773; 2. Jake Clay, 10.5, $1,542; 3. (tie) Kelton McMillen, Cole Patterson, Tanner Stec and Ryan Willberg, 10.6, $964 each; 7. Riley O’Rourke, 10.7, $385; 8. Kyle Cauthorn, 10.8, $154. Average: 1. Dalton Walker, 30.7 seconds on three head, $2,659; 2. Cole Patterson, 32.7, $2,312; 3. Mike Chase, 35.2, $1,966; 4. Scott Snedecor, 35.4, $1,619; 5. Kelton McMillen, 35.5, $1,272; 6. Laramie Allen, 36.0, $925; 7. (tie) Blake Deckard and Frank Pohlmann, 36.4, $405 each.

Bull riding: 1. Ethan Winckler, 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Revved Up, $4,126; 2. John Crimber, 87, $3,199; 3. Harrison Kalinka, 82, $2,405; 4. Jackson Ward, 80, $1,611; 5. Afonso Quintino, 76, $1,081; 6. Noah Lee, 71, $816; no other qualified rides.