wingspan.lccc.wy.edu April 2, 2012 Cheyenne, Wyoming Rodeo supplement<strong>Wingspan</strong>Laramie County Community CollegePosted by The High PlainsKickoffDifferent kindof broncos challengeathlete. <strong>Page</strong>s 2–3.No bullRider seeks to risefrom No. 9 to No. 1rank. <strong>Page</strong> 6.Saddle upNo. 3 bull rider reentersseason, seeks toreclaim No. 1 spot.<strong>Page</strong> 7.The ‘Double-barrel’ racersDespite relentless pursuit, competitors have not beenable to catch up to barrel racers Jesse Pichler andLacey Carroll, who remain No. 2 and No. 4 in the region,respectively. See <strong>Page</strong>s 4–5 for more info mation on these outlaws.Layout by WIll Hebert
2 <strong>Wingspan</strong>RodeoApril 2, 2012wingspan.lccc.wy.eduBronc riderGus Thoreson: No. 3 saddlebronc rider in CRM region.Shawn HavelBuck off:Counterclockwise from above to top right: Gus Thoreson, who is currentlyranked No. 3 in saddle bronc riding in the Central Rocky Mountain Region,practices in the Laramie County Community College arena on March 20 andregains his composure after his ride.By Shawn HavelCo-EditorEveryone faces obstacles in pursuit of what they love; however, it ishow an individual responds to these obstacles that measures hisdesire and ultimately his greatness.For Laramie County Community College saddle bronc rider GusThoreson the biggest obstacle he faced was himself after a successfulrodeo career at an early age and transitioning to a professional career.Raised in Idaho, Thoreson comes from a rodeo family; his father wasa bull rider, his mother a team roper and his brother, Cole, team ropedwith Gus in their youth and is currently a saddle bronc rider for LCCC.Thoreson said his father would enter him in junior rodeos, and ridingbegan to come more easily for him as he aged.Thoreson has since been riding saddle bronc for the past five yearsand made it to the College National Finals Rodeo with NorthwestCollege in 2009 where he placed eighth after two rounds before beingeliminated.Thoreson then tried his hand at the professional level where hiscareer took a turn for the worse.“I bought my card, and it got into my head,” Thoreson said. “Icouldn’t ride a stick horse to water.”Thoreson did not experience the success he had in previous yearscompeting outside the college level, and the ensuing challengesThoreson faced left him demoralized.“Getting your head drove into the ground can take it out of youmentally and physically,” Thoreson said. “I didn’t go to rodeos knowingI could win.”He said he took time off from riding and rodeo for a while to be up inthe mountains because it was something he always wanted to do. Aftersome downtime spent hunting, fishing and trapping, Thoreson said hespent about six months on-and-off in the mountains.In 2011, after being influenced by his brother Cole and LCCC rodeocoach David Browder, Thoreson decided to return to college to competein rodeo.He said Browder helped him compete by providing a positive atmosphereand knowing when to say something or when to leave him alone.He said as long as a person is willing to learn, anyone can improve.Thoreson has since become a leader for LCCC in saddle bronc riding,improving at each rodeo in which he has competed and winning theShawn Dubie Memorial Rodeo hosted by LCCC.Thoreson said he realized that 99 percent of riding is mental. He saidhe believed riders must be confident in their ability to ride while notbecoming too cocky.Though he is studying diesel technology at LCCC, Thoreson saidwants to pursue a professional career in saddle bronc riding because hehas always loved getting on buck horses.“If you count money and count standings, you lose sight of ridingbroncs,” Thoreson said. “You just have to think about one horse at atime and the rest will fall into place.”Will Hebert Will Hebert Shawn Havel
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