(light music) - What do we got here?

Any place on here?

- Yeah, right there.

- Were you guys at the NFR?

- No, our parents were though.

- No, just our mom and dad.

- Oh, you were down there?

- Yeah.

- We watched it, though.

- Nice.

Was it a good trip?

- Oh, yeah.

- Good.

Do you want me to sign on the top or underneath or what?

- No, right there, that's fine.

- Underneath, okay.

Good thing you said that.

- [Child] Thank you.

- [Tanner] You're welcome.

- [Fan] Thanks, Tanner.

- [Tanner] Any time.

- Good luck.

- Thank you, appreciate it.

- Yeah.

- Thanks.

(participants chatting) - [Producer] What'd you end up doing in your free time today?

- We went to Cabela's, and we went to Scheels's.

Got my little bit of Christmas shopping done.

Embarrassed to say, I got that wrapped up.

I mean it's good I got it done.

Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so, but I got it done.

(people chatter) - [Photographer] Good to go guys, thank you.

(people chattering) (feet scuffling) - This is always you, Tanner.

You get saucy in front of a camera.

♪ Murderer ♪ ♪ I'm a lyrical gangster ♪ ♪ Murderer ♪ ♪ Excuse me, Mister Officer ♪ ♪ Murderer ♪ ♪ Na na na na na, na na na ♪ ♪ Na na na na na na na... ♪ (people chatting) (upbeat music) ♪ I've been forced to ♪ chew through all my ♪ ♪ Smoking in the boys ♪ room, I tell you, ♪ ♪ I'm smoking in the boys room ♪ ♪ Watch me, watch me ♪ ♪ I'll turn your ♪ world upside down ♪ ♪ Watch me ♪ - [Announcer] We're startin' off tonight.

How 'bout an 83?

♪ I'll burn it all ♪ to the ground ♪ (Tanner clapping) ♪ Oh oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ Watch me, watch me, ♪ you're never gonna stop me ♪ (slow country music) ♪ All day I face a barren waste ♪ without the taste of water ♪ ♪ Cool water, water ♪ ♪ Old Dan and I with ♪ throats burned dry ♪ ♪ And souls that cry for water ♪ - [Tanner's Mom] Hey Tanner.

- [Tanner] Hey, Mom.

- How you doin'?

Good to see ya.

(hand pats) - [Tanner] I grew up in a rodeo family.

My mom and dad both rodeoed.

My dad rode bareback horses professionally and he retired in '98 and that was the summer I turned old enough to start going to youth rodeos.

(gentle country music) - [John] We put him on a horse when he was nine years old, which, looking back, that was maybe a little early.

(chuckles) We probably should have waited a year or two.

(crowd shouting) We put him on one and he got ejected off.

He went about nine feet in the air and then popped down on his feet and got up with a smile on his face.

- [Announcer] Give that guy a hand, old Tanner, nine years old.

- [Braelee] We laugh so hard when people say he's famous 'cause we're just like that's, it's funny.

- Yeah, I mean... - It's just funny.

- We don't see him as famous, but I don't think he sees himself as famous either.

- [Braelee] I mean, he's cool.

We think he's cool too, but.

- [Dani] Yeah.

- [Braelee] He's just always been our brother.

(girl laughs) - I have a complex about riding horses because my sisters always make fun of me about it.

- [Dani] Oh, I'm sorry about that.

- [Producer] Are you not good at it?

- I mean, um, I ride fine, but... - [Producer] Well, what part do they make fun of?

- His chicken wings.

(women laughing) - It's true.

- [Announcer] Tanner.

(women whooping) Looking pretty good right there.

(crowd cheering) Whoa, Tanner?

We need to work on the get-off, buddy.

(woman whooping) (guitar strumming) - [Dani] Now our kids are... maybe gonna mutton bust tonight.

- [Tanner's Mom] Yeah, we'll see.

- [Tanner] Yeah, Rowan was pretty excited about it.

- [Braelee] And now he's being... - Well, yesterday I was like, "Buddy, we're here to ride a sheep tomorrow."

- Yeah.

- "Are you excited?"

He is like, "Yeah, when I'm big, tomorrow, (woman laughing) when I'm big like you, tomorrow, I'm gonna ride a sheep."

And then today Loni asked him and he's like, "Tomorrow," - Yeah.

- I'm gonna ride a sheep tomorrow."

- [Lonissa] And tonight will be Rowan's first night doing the mutton busting, which is the sheep riding, and so, are you excited about that?

You get to ride a sheep tonight?

- Yeah.

- What are you gonna do?

- Hold on tight.

- You're gonna hold on tight, yep.

Got a trophy on the line.

- [Announcer] Nice ride, Rowan.

Tanner Aus, all these people out here for Rowan tonight, That's his... (Announcer fades out) - This time, I'm gonna do what Daddy does to ride on a horse like this.

You can do this and then shake my head.

- [Lonissa] Yep, and now let's get to spurrin'.

There you go, wow.

- That's how you do it.

- Should we put Ember on there?

- Uh, sure.

- Okay.

- She can go in the middle.

- Oh, you wanna ride with her?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Look at you, Embie.

(Ember vocalizes) You're so big!

- Look, look.

(Lonissa laughs) (guitar strums gently) (water running) (razor scratching) - [Tanner] We're here at my home in New London.

This is where I practice, train, think about riding bucking horses even though I'm kind of far from probably the closest one.

(guitar strums gently) (boots scuff) (bag thumps) (engine revs) That was actually another thing I spent some dumb money on after I... 'cause they gave me that Ranger, but, like, it didn't have a cab or a winch or bumpers or nothing on it.

And it felt like I was gonna be rich forever and I just got this wheeler, so I went in the dealership and I was like, "Need one of them, need one of them, need one of them."

This is my Link Weaver Juice Hawg.

It's a bucking machine specifically designed for horse riders, saddle bronc riders, bareback riders, they love 'em.

There's five speeds.

It's an electric motor.

Great tool for practice.

And we're about to drag it out right now.

- [Producer] What's on top of it?

- That is a infant car seat on top of it.

- [Videographer] For beginner riders.

- Yeah, for the, that's very bottom level.

First year, car seat, (Producer laughs) whoever wants to try it.

(wheels rumble) I usually start off in three and then graduate to four.

And if you guys bring somebody here that can ride it in five, I'll give you a hundred bucks.

(Videographer laughs) (engine whirs) - It's just a little bit unrealistic.

There's definitely horses that are that strong and there's horses that are really rapid as they buck, like the ones I was talking about that maybe take 16 jumps in eight seconds.

Whack, whack, whack, whack.

But there's no horse in the world that's that strong and that fast.

It defies gravity the way it, wa-wump, wa-wump.

(Juice Hawg clanking) (engine whirs) (Tanner kicking) (gentle piano music) I am lucky Loni kind of lets me decorate the house with a lot of my things that aren't really, you know, conventional decorations.

But this is a picture of me on a horse called Dirty Rags.

So that was in the Short Round of Cheyenne the year I won it, 2015.

And then this is a picture of my dad in Cheyenne from 1988.

And this hung in our house, growing up, forever.

But once I got this, I got gifted this, so I keep 'em together.

Me as a Dad.

Dad as a Dad.

- [John] Tanner won the high school rodeo three times in the bareback riding.

He went to the college finals four years in a row and was a national champion there.

(chokes up) Cut.

I don't know why I do this every time I talk about my son.

(suspenseful music) (energetic rock music) - [Lisa] We're getting you a little behind the chutes tour here.

(gate clanking) They check the animal pens every day to make sure that our animals are healthy and safe.

They have fresh water and food at all times in front of them.

They only work eight seconds and then they go back out to pasture.

(chain clinking) And now, here you are in the largest outdoor rodeo arena in the world.

(motor whirring) Cheyenne Frontier Days is the daddy of them all.

It is make or break time for cowboys of this time of season.

- What's up, Cole?

- Oh dude, you have a camera?

- Yeah.

- How's it going?

- Big time, it's looking good.

- Hi.

- Hey.

Good job in Salt Lake.

Hey Layton.

- How are ya?

- Good, how are you?

- Really good.

Dude, my truck's been here for three days.

- [Man] How many cameras do you need?

- This is the "Tanner Aus Show."

- At least three.

It's going that way?

All right.

- [Cowboy] What's up, Tanner?

- How's it going?

(quiet, exciting music) Yeah, Cheyenne is a great gathering.

It's kind of home base for a lot of guys for a while 'cause, you know, there's rodeos going on in Colorado and Nebraska, South Dakota this weekend.

You know, everyone's just basically hanging out and loving life.

(exciting music) 2015, that's too long ago.

Of course it's the only seat in the sunshine, too.

I don't think I'm gonna sit there.

(exciting music) I've been here when it's hot and I've been here when it's muddy.

I've never seen it like that, but I'm thinking they're gonna get it fixed up here before we gotta go.

(exciting music) - [Woman] Come on.

- [Tanner] Yeah, you gotta be able to turn your toes out.

Nah, I'm probably a little naturally duck-footed, anyway, so that helps.

- [Announcer] Tanner, he's coming in... (supporters cheering) (slowed music) - [Videographer] How did he do?

- [John] What's that?

- [Videographer] How did he do?

- Well, he probably won't make it on.

Probably don't want to hear what I would like to say.

But yeah, Tanner, it didn't go as expected, but the horse was the story today.

Just wasn't enough horse.

He didn't have his day.

Well, let's give him 10 minutes off first and then we'll then we'll talk to him.

(crowd chatting) (motor rumbling) - I didn't win.

- [Driver] Ah.

- I didn't even actually get close.

- [Driver] You just wanted to share, right?

- No.

(driver laughs) No, that was not my game plan.

What you guys saw was my whole Cheyenne right there.

That's it.

Yeah, it was just a lot of work to get to that point.

To hit the ground and hear your score and realize it's not enough.

Yeah, I get frustrated but also, I had another chance.

Even later that day, it was at another rodeo.

That's the thing, you cannot dwell on the failures and the faults because you gotta pack away the negativity in your gear bag and it's onto the next one.

You have aught 70, Rustler.

In rodeo, you've heard the expression, "the luck of the draw" and that's, you enter the rodeo and they, they pluck a horse out for you.

You know that horse, don't you?

Been on him?

- [Cowboy] No.

- Like, she's not gonna feel good... You show up, try him.

And most of the time, when you got the right horse, you can expect to win a place and that's what we look forward to.

- Okay, man.

- Okay.

See ya, Kyle.

- See you, buddy.

- Good luck.

- Okay, see ya.

Hey, is this mine?

That's the sealer.

Benzoin's in the car.

(motor rumbling) - Oh, not mine.

Good.

I'll feel a lot better once I get in the truck, crank that A/C.

(engine rumbling) (faint country music) Which way can I go?

(vehicle beeps) - [Cowboy] Probably forward.

- Oh, that's it?

Oh, we're off to a great start here.

(engine revving) I entered 98 rodeos.

I went to most of them.

I definitely got on over a hundred horses 'cause some of them rodeos are three headers.

(airplane roaring) Every year that goes by, I fly a little bit more 'cause it affords me a little more time with my family.

So if you put the air miles and the truck miles together, I'm sure it was over a hundred thousand miles.

It's quite a bit.

- Rodeo's so much fun and there's a lot of positives, but it can be stressful just in regards of trying to figure out your life, like on a Monday, what it's gonna look like for the rest of the week.

(child vocalizes) - I think it's hard on him.

He has such like little kids right now and I'm sure he feels like he's missing out on a lot.

(country music) (sighs) ♪ Rolling down I-40 ♪ On a nickel and dime ♪ ♪ Nowhere to go in a hurry ♪ and I'm feeling all right ♪ ♪ Blue skies overhead ♪ ♪ Well, am I dreaming?

♪ ♪ Is this really it?

♪ - [Tanner] That's the kind we need.

♪ Down the road we go ♪ ♪ Maybe take it fast, ♪ maybe take it real slow (music fades) (hood slams shut) (vehicles going by on freeway) - [Cowboy] Yo, Tanner!

- Yo.

That was Lefty in that pickup.

Thought he had a different rig.

(exciting music) It was fairly tight.

And from Cheyenne to Eagle that night, I was gonna be happy to get that second one done and out of the way and relax and hopefully it went good.

It didn't.

(Announcer bellowing) (crowd cheering and roaring) The horse turns out backwards.

Well, that's an automatic re-ride.

- [Announcer] How many of you think he ought to get on another horse a little bit later on?

(crowd cheers) (exciting music) - [Tanner] And I draw another young horse and this horse has been just bucking hard but has a hard time sitting on his feet in the trips that I've seen.

(gate clanks) - [Announcer] Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minnesota.

(crowd cheers) Wild Thing is a bucking horse.

- As soon as he gets off the gate, I'll be ready.

- [Announcer] ... Colorado.

- [Man] Give you a little rope.

(upbeat music) - That's good, Kyle.

Stop, stop, stop.

(gate clanks) (people shouting) And she bails out of there and slips and falls down.

Re-ride.

Okay, now we're going on horse number four for the day.

(crowd cheering) - [Announcer] I can't hear you tonight!

(upbeat music) Unbelievable.

He's been on three horses.

Tanner Aus... (crowd cheers and applauds) (indistinct announcer bellowing) 85 and a half.

- [Tanner] Perfect little bareback horse for the shape I was in at the time and they liked it.

I think I was 85 and a half and ended up placing there and getting a good check, so.

(loudspeaker bellowing) Today, in Cheyenne, when I got done, you know, I was 79, I would've given anything for an option for a reride, you know?

If they keep letting you try, you just keep going because see what happens, you know, I was 74 then I was zero and then, now I'm leading it.

Me and Kyle are sitting first and second right now.

Yeah, four horses in a day is, doesn't sound like a lot in the morning, but by now, it's like, yeah, it's kind of a lot.

- [Tanner] Who's that?

(indistinct conversation) (trunk latches) - [Tanner] Beauty.

You got it, cowboy?

Yeah, I got her.

- [Tanner] Nice.

When I met my wife, she knew I was a rodeo cowboy.

(gentle piano music) You know, we kind of had an agreement.

This is what I do, this is what you're signed up for.

This is, you know.

I packed her along with me to a few rodeos whenever I could and it was like, I'm gonna do this for as long as I can.

She supported me from the get go.

She understands it.

And we still check in and have that conversation now because life has changed so much.

You know, we got three kids and being a dad is first and foremost for me.

(cowboys chatting) - Hi honey.

What are you still doing awake?

Bristol, guess what?

(loudspeaker bellowing) I'm gonna be home on Sunday.

(gentle music) "What I Play When Dad's Away".

(Lonissa laughs) - Ha.

- Cowboy.

(book pages rustling) - Okay.

- "Dad left on a Monday to go rodeo.

I started to miss him and wish he was home.

I figured if I played, I wouldn't miss him as much.

So I ran to my bedroom to get-" My kids are probably the least understanding of it, but they sure are happy to see me when I get home and I miss 'em like heck when I'm gone.

And I hope that, you know, when they look back on it someday, they won't think that, you know, Dad was just gone all the time, but.

(gets choked up) I think I need to get a drink.

(gentle music) - [Children] You will help, strength in His power.

- [All] Bless you with good things.

Be faithful to the end.

Jeremiah 29:11.

Amen.

Yay Jesus!

- Can you turn the night light on, Dad?

(gentle music) ♪ I'm riding my luck, ♪ I'm taking my chances ♪ ♪ With all the ♪ odds in my favor ♪ ♪ I'm shooting for the moon ♪ ♪ Taking a gamble on you ♪ (jet roars overhead) - [Lonissa] Are you guys excited to be in Las Vegas?

- Yeah.

(announcer bellowing) (audience cheering) - [Tanner] The way our season is set up, we rodeo from October 1st right through the last day of September.

(upbeat music) The top 15 guys in the standings go out to Vegas and they get on 10 nights in a row and then they add all the money from the regular season and the national finals together.

And that is who wins the world title.

(crowd cheering) - [Lonissa] Did you know that daddy got in the money tonight?

(upbeat music) That means he won a little money for us.

(children exclaiming) - [Lonissa] Woo-hoo!

Way to go, Daddy!

- [Tanner] My kids love it.

I'm lucky to have the support of my family.

The support that I've had and the ability that I've been blessed with has carried me to where I am.

- [Woman] We'll be ready to go.

- [Woman] Oh wow.

Yeah, that.

- [Announcer] Great little horse, should go off there kind of around to the left.

Lots of kick, lots of- (crowd cheering) - How you feeling?

- I am tired, but I'm happy.

It's a good day.

- Yeah, this is Round- We said this was round seven?

- Round seven.

We did six and seven today.

It's a Wednesday.

(crowd cheering) (loudspeaker bellowing) - So Tanner won the round this morning.

Woo woo.

That was exciting.

And now we are back for the night performance.

(upbeat music) - We're so, so silly.

We're having the best time.

We're crazy.

Whoo hoo woo.

(guest clapping) (Tanner hooting) (upbeat music) (crowd cheering) I was the oldest bareback rider there this year.

That's true.

(bandage tearing) - [Producer] By how much?

- Just by a year.

But how did it make me feel?

Fine.

'Cause I left there healthy and it was good.

A goal I set for myself long ago, after I'd made the NFR, I said I wanted to go to 10.

I missed the NFR in 2018.

Now I've made eight at 33.

And if I make two more, that'll be a goal I can cross off.

- Look at that.

(gentle piano music) (toy horse bouncing) (gentle music continues) - [Tanner's Mom] Tanner!

Look at mama.

There he is.

- [Tanner] I grew up following my dad's rodeos, watching him ride.

And my mom, for that matter.

I have good memories of it and I have, you know, pictures in my head of them nodding their head and doing the deal.

I wanna do this for long enough that my kids remember it.

As long as I'm healthy and competitive, I'm gonna do it for as long as I can.

You know, riding bareback horses isn't something you can circle back to later on.

You know, when it's done, it's done.

It's not real comfortable to talk about, I guess.

I don't know.

(dramatic music) There's a lot of unknowns.

I've done this for so long, you know, I've freaking, I started when I was nine and this is all I've done and all I've wanted to do.

So I've been very blessed that way.

I definitely get the most outta rodeo, have the most success, when I pour everything I have into it.

And so that's always been my philosophy and it still is.

(energetic rock music) ♪ These are the moments ♪ that depend on ♪ ♪ Do we run or do we rise up ♪ ♪ We takin' everything ♪ we're dealin' ♪ ♪ Blowing through the ceiling ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ This is the story ♪ they remember ♪ ♪ No please, no surrender ♪ ♪ You can't kill a legend ♪ ♪ Legends never die ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ - So we're just over in this green room because it was the quietest place here.

A bunch of people bust in the room.

"Shh, we're doing an interview," and I'm like- that's Reckless Kelly.

- Oh, here they come!

- [Announcer] This program is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.