PRCA ProRodeo Photo/Larry Smith

Sometimes, it's the stories behind the stories that are the good ones.

At this year's Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Idaho in April, that was the case several times over. The June issue of America's Horse includes a few of the human-interest features found at the circuit finals. Here's a preview:

A Washington steer wrestler who has taken time off the rodeo road and a 12-year-old black horse nicknamed "Chainsaw" cut to the chase and pulled off a surprise on the opening night of the DNCFR. Erik Johnson of Eltopia, Washington, took over the first-round lead with a time of 5.7 seconds, beating a top field that included Luke Branquinho, the two-time world champion.

Erik had finished second to Cash Myers in the 1999 rookie of the year standings, but he got married and started a custom hay business that same year. It was a life choice. He focused on building his business and limited his rodeo competition mostly to Columbia River Circuit competitions in the Northwest.

Until this year.

He started re-thinking his rodeo options in 2008, shortly after he purchased Kilo Bar Tag, aka Chainsaw ("the best horse I've had in a very long time"), from a woman who lives nearby in Washington.
Chainsaw, a PMU foal, had been sold in 2001, but the man who bought him was killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11 of that year.

"The man who owned him kept calling the buyer's number to find out why he hadn't come to pick up Chainsaw," Erik says. "Eventually, he found out that the man had died. He took Chainsaw off the market for a while. When I had a chance to get him a couple of years ago, I jumped at it.

"He's just special. After I'd had him for a while, I decided to try going to more rodeos, going at it a little harder."
Erik and Chainsaw finished eighth at the DNCFR.

Join AQHA and get America's Horse magazine as a great member benefit to read more about the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, as well as other fun, educational and heart-warming topics. We want you to belong!

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