SUBLETTE COUNTY – Lean, wiry and quiet, Tanner Butner looks like the quintessential cowboy whether on the ground or spurring a snorting bucking horse – and he is exactly that.

Butner became our local hero last winter at the National Finals Rodeo with his first qualified appearance in the saddle-bronc competition with a huge community sendoff. He rose (and rode) to the top again this year, winning and sharing saddle-bronc championships throughout the West.

Looking at his PRCA Facebook page, hundreds of well-wishers cheered him on from the sidelines of Sublette County and as these ranch families are, there were dozens of friends and relatives cheering him on from the stands.

Butner won first place in Round 2, taking him to a very special buckle ceremony with the glamour of Hollywood. He placed four times out of 10 rounds at the 2023 NFR and finished fifth in the average with 844.5 points.

Butner is now ranked ninth in world pro rodeo standings for saddle-bronc riding. As his friends note constantly, “He makes it look easy!”

To see video highlights of his 2023 NFR season, visit his Facebook page, Tanner Butner PRCA Bronc Rider.