36 • The WRANGLER • July, 2024
Following Back-to-Back CNFR
Championships, Rookie of the Year
Contender Weston Timberman Sets His
Sights on Las Vegas.
G
rowing up in Montana, there
was no shortage of rodeo influence in Weston
Timberman's life. His uncle Kelly was the 2004 PRCA
Bareback Riding World Champion and his dad Chris won
the National Circuit Finals Bareback title in 2006. Now,
19-year-old Weston is taking on the mantle.
"It was something I knew I was going to do no matter what
happened in my life. I knew I was going to be a bareback
rider," Weston said.
Despite this conviction, it was wrestling, not rodeo that
was the focal point of Weston's life until he graduated
high school. Fortunately, Bret Franks, the rodeo coach at
Clarendon College, likes to recruit wrestlers.
"Wrestling is pretty much parallel to rodeo in mindset and
being physical. It's a sport that just you have to dig deep
and find a way to win. Somebody else can't win for you,"
said Bret.
After high school rodeoing in only his senior year, Weston
made his way down to Clarendon on a rodeo scholarship,
bringing with him the mentality he'd learned from wrestling.
"The main thing I got out of wrestling that I took to
the arena would be the mindset. You can't have a weak
mindset when you're wrestling with everything that goes
into it. The one-on-one factor is something you see a lot
in rodeo as well, it's a one-on-one deal with you and the
horse," Weston said.
Although he'd been on a limited number of horses
compared to most incoming freshmen, Weston did enter
the program with strong fundamentals. It was something
his uncle had driven into him in the interest of maintaining
his health and elongating his career.
The first semester was tough. Most rides would start out
with a strong four to five seconds, but finishing them was a
little tougher. After a long Christmas break of gym trips and
spur board rides, Weston came back "hungry and eager."
"It was the second or third horse I got on, a Pete Carr colt,
it bucked hard and I tapped off on it. Ever since then it's
been no slowing down," Weston recalled.
That year Clarendon took a team to the College Finals
in Casper, Wyoming. The sixth man on the team, Weston
barely squeaked in. However, with an aggregate score
of 325.00 on four head, he became the 2023 CNFR
Champion Bareback Rider.
Weston began pro rodeoing that summer, qualifying to
the Montana Circuit Finals, held January of 2024. There,
he placed second behind Richmond Champion and won
By Erin Rees
Weston Timberman Weston Timberman
Photo Credit for Both Photos: Jackie Jensen Photography
