It’s been quite a while since Chadron State cowboy Parker Johnston and his faithful friend Fury won the steer wrestling, but it happened again this past weekend when they teamed up to capture the event at the Colorado State University rodeo in Fort Collins.
They were first in both go-rounds to leave no doubt who were the winners. Their times were 5.3 and 10.2 seconds. That was 3.9 seconds faster than the runners-up total.
“I drew two good steers and we made two good runs,” said Johnston, a 2020 graduate of Maywood High School. “It was nice to win to finally win again.”
Their last win was Sept. 17-19, 2021 in Chadron. Those times were 5.4 and 4.9 seconds. They also won the steer wrestling in 4.6 seconds at the Sheridan College rodeo in March 2021, when only one go-round took place.
Johnston noted both he and Fury, a black gelding, missed a couple of rodeos last fall because of injuries.
Both Johnston and Fury are 21 years old. Johnston said Fury were born the ranch belonging to his grandparents, Jim and Judy Johnston near Thedford. After being one of his father Chad’s “ranch horses” for several years, Parker’s brother Pake used him while team roping.
When Pake was forced to give up rodeoing because of a health issue, Parker “inherited” Fury and converted him into his steer wrestling partner.
Although 21 is considered elderly for a horse to still be “chasing steers,” Parker said Fury remains capable when he’s is healthy.
Unlike the previous weekend when 11 Chadron State contestants reached the finals at Torrington and most of them earned some prize money, Johnston was the only CSC contestants to have much success last weekend.
Cinch Kiger of Overton, Neb., scored 74 points to place fourth in the first go-round of bareback riding, but his second bronc didn’t have much energy and the 64-point score wasn’t enough to earn a paycheck.
Sierra Lee of Rhame, N.D., had runs of 15.50 and 15.48 seconds to barely miss placing in the barrel race. Payton Gorwill of Arthur, Neb., was third in the first go-round of the barrels in 15.36 seconds, but knocked over a barrel in the finals.
Brooklyn Williams of Buffalo, S.D., caught her first calf in 3.0 seconds to be among the 13 breakaway roping finalists, but she didn’t catch her second calf.
Because of Easter, no rodeo will take place in the region this weekend. The Casper College rodeo is set for April 14-16.