Before steer wrestler Dean Gorsuch left for RodeoHouston last year, he and his wife Bekah had talked about what might happen if he did well.

"If we done good in Houston, we were going to seriously think about (going pro)," Gorsuch said. "We weren't really planning on winning or anything."

Gorsuch fared just fine, turfing his steer in 4 seconds and winning Houston. He later quit his pipeline welding job at Kinder Morgan and started bulldogging full time.

The decision paid off.

Gorsuch enters his second NFR in the No. 1 position, but he's still reminded about choosing steers over pipes.

"After Houston, me and my wife talked, and we decided to do it," said Gorsuch, whose decision was made even harder by the birth of his son, Taydon. "It was a decision between us, and she's been great about everything.

"But it was a pretty hard deal right away. My boy was born just a few weeks before I left for Houston."

Gorsuch finished ninth at the 2005 NFR and finished with almost $119,000 on the season.

He enters this year's NFR with more than $111,000 and leads second-place Shawn Greenfield by more than $20,000.

"It's pretty exciting right now," said Gorsuch. "I've always rodeoed since I was a little kid, but I'd never done it full time before last year. I always wanted to try to make the finals, but with working and all that, I just couldn't."

The success made it a little easier.

"There are a lot more expenses and stuff, being on the road all the time," Gorsuch said, "but it's paying better right now. Hopefully, it will keep going well."

Former University of Wyoming cowboy K.C. Jones qualified for his fourth NFR in five years.

Jones, who makes his home in Decatur, Texas, is eighth in the world standings with $71,781; he won the Elizabeth, Colo., Stampede Rodeo earlier this year.

The Wyoming contingent also includes an NFR rookie.

Lance Creek resident Jason Miller enters the finals ranked ninth with just under $67,000. He won the Magic Valley Stampede in Filer, Idaho, and the War Bonnet Roundup Rodeo in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Miller nearly qualified for the NFR last year, but missed by two spots at 17th.

Contact sports reporter Ian Stauffer at (307) 266-0578 or ian.stauffer@casperstartribune.net

NFR Tracker

WHAT: National Finals Rodeo.

WHEN: Thursday through Dec. 9. Most of the rounds will start at 8 p.m. each night; performances on Dec. 2-3 and the finals on Dec. 9 begin at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas.

TV: ESPN2 will broadcast all 10 rounds, three of them live - Dec. 2-3 and the finals on Dec. 9, each at 7 p.m. Other broadcasts will be on a tape-delayed basis (Thursday, Friday, Dec. 4, Dec. 7-8, 10 p.m.; Dec. 5-6, 10:30 p.m.).