Rodeo champ puts Ramona on the map
Staff writer
The tiny community of Ramona has produced a steer wrestler who will be competing for the fourth time Thursday through Dec. 10 in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
“Tanner Brunner of Ramona, Kansas,” will be blared over loudspeakers for the world to hear.
Brunner, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound, 29-year-old cowboy, earned $96,271 during the regular season and is entering the national finals in 10th place.
Brunner had an excellent fall season, with three championships in September, including Nebraska’s Big Rodeo; Night Rodeo in Caldwell, Idaho; and Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa.
He was co-champion at the American Royal Rodeo in Kansas City, Missouri, and co-champion at a rodeo in Preston, Idaho.
A 2011 graduate of Centre High School, he has been competing in rodeo since age 5.
He won his first saddle as a 9-year-old in a junior rodeo series. He competed in rodeo through high school and college, and began his professional career in 2013.
He competed at the National Finals Rodeo in 2018, 2019, and 2020. His best finish so far was in 2020, when he finished 12th. He is hoping to improve on that this year.
Brunner comes from a rodeo family. His father, mother, and sister all compete in rodeos. They will have front row seats at this year’s finals.
Brunner is gone from home all summer but has a few weeks at home in fall and winter. When he’s home, he spends time working at his family’s beef cattle operation, where he practices throwing steers to stay in shape.
The National Finals Rodeo will be aired on RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel.