Photo by Samantha Davis Children participated in the annual Western Fest’s mutton bustin’ event prior to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo Thursday at Lee Mar Ranch in Granite Falls.

GRANITE FALLS — The annual Western Fest rodeo has made its return to Granite Fall’s Lee Mar Ranch, hosting three days of mutton bustin’ and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) shows. 

Among the dozens of professional contestants from around the country taking to the rodeo grounds at this year’s shows, is the homecoming of Tanner Aus, a Granite Falls native that has embarked on a championship-ridden rodeo career with eight bareback Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) appearances. 

“I love it. It’s one of my favorite ones (rodeos) of the year,” Aus said of returning to Western Fest. “We get to see a lot of cool places, a lot of country and there’s a lot of big rodeos that we get to go to, but I tell everyone that my favorite rodeo is Granite Falls, Minnesota, during Western Fest week. It’s a great rodeo, and it’s only gotten better in the course of my career.” 

Kicking off each of the three days of Western Fest is a mutton bustin’ event prior to the PRCA rodeos, where kids are welcomed to take action and ride sheep, with the goal of holding on as long as possible. 

Seeing children get engaged with rodeo activities serves as an inspiration to Aus, who makes it a goal to be a role model for the next generation. 

“I’ve been told that there’s kids watching, and I take that to heart. I always try to set a good example and take the time to visit with especially kids,” Aus said. “Rodeo is a pretty niche industry, and if there’s any young bucks that have interest in it, I always try to take the time to help them out and keep them inspired …  You never know where the next big rodeo athlete and star could come from.” 

Aus is a 2008 graduate of Yellow Medicine East High School, and first began competing in rodeo at 9 years old. He’s grown to become known as Granite Fall’s “hometown hero.” 

Aus has ventured off to become one of the world’s top competitors in bareback riding. So far in 2025, he has already won the American Heroes PRCA Rodeo in Hawley, a rodeo in Austin, Texas, the New Years Eve Buck and Ball in Wyoming and was a co-champion as the Sioux City, Iowa, Stampede. 

“I started in the summer of ’99 going to Little Britches Rodeos. That was the summer after my dad actually retired from riding bareback horses,” Aus said. “Me and my sisters, we grew up going to rodeos with my folks, and watching mom and dad compete. We’re second generation cowboys and cowgirls, but that was how I got started. That was the reason I wanted to do it in the first place.” 

“We were lucky, because mom and dad hauled us all around,” Aus added. “We went from Little Britches Rodeos, eventually to high school rodeos, and then got recruited to go college rodeo.” 

Aus finished the 2024 season 16th in world standings, and currently remains toward the top of this year’s rankings as well. 

“I got good memories of going there (Western Fest) back when Johnny Walters in the Mid States Rodeo Company was the contractor, and I made good friends with him,” Aus said. “(I have) just good memories hanging out at the rodeo grounds.” 

From attending the shows as a kid, to helping clean the grounds, to getting his first opportunity to participate in the rodeo as a high schooler and now competing as a professional, Aus mentioned the feeling of gratitude that fulfills him when he gets to return. 

“I just want to say thank you to the community and the committee for putting on such a great rodeo, and for supporting me in the hometown and also abroad,” Aus said. “It’s been a blessing, and I appreciate it.” 

Aus now currently resides in New London with his wife Lonissa and three children, and is in one of the busier times of the year with travel for competitions, spanning across the country and Canada. 

“We’re pretty busy now. I was in Nampa, Idaho, (on Wednesday), riding Buffalo (Thursday), got the hometowner (Friday),” Aus said. “Then, I will either fly back to Nampa for the short round … From Nampa on Saturday, I fly down to Reno, Nevada, for the long round there … Wednesday, we’re in Springdale, Arkansas, then Thursday, we’re up in Ponoka, Alberta.” 

“Then the fourth of July, they call it Cowboy Christmas, and we basically have one or two rodeos every day for 14 days,” Aus added. 

Although the continuous travel schedule and rising weather temperatures of the weekend, Aus enjoyed the opportunity to return home and reconnect with family, friends and locals of Granite Falls. 

“It’s the one time a year, for the last several years, where I get to see about 100 people that I only see once a year, so it’s just a good time,” Aus said. “It’s always a really busy time, but it’s just the feeling of coming home and riding in that arena that I have so many good memories, both competing and being a little (kid) running around with dirt on my face. It’s just all good vibes.”