Chet Johnson, a Wyoming cowboy with Rapid City-area roots, capped off a successful 2009 rodeo season by winning the year-end money title on the Canadian rodeo circuit, earning the title of 2009 Canadian Champion Saddle Bronc Rider.

Johnson, who was born in Rapid City and lived in Hermosa, clinched the title at the Canadian National Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta last weekend with a dramatic final ride.

His final draw of the event, a chestnut mare called “Miss Congeniality,” was a horse Johnson remembered quite well.

“Last year, I drew the very same horse on the final day,” he said. “She bucked me off so fast it wasn’t even funny, so I thought it was pretty ironic when I drew her again this year, and for the title besides.”

Johnson, 29, provided a different conclusion in 2009, delighting the 14,000 spectators at Edmonton’s Rexall Place Arena with a classic saddle bronc ride that just made the final buzzer. He even added a little flair landing on his feet after a flying dismount.

“Actually, I didn’t jump off,” Johnson said. “She bucked me off, though fortunately I lasted just long enough. That horse is an outstanding animal, and I think it has been voted horse of the Canadian Finals twice before.”

Introduced to the Canadian Circuit four years ago, Johnson enjoys not only the quality of rodeo but the passion for the sport exhibited by Canadian audiences.

“Canadians really enjoy their rodeo,” he said. “And they’ve got great horses and good rodeos with lots of prize money. And given how far we typically travel on the rodeo circuit anyway, it isn’t too far to travel up there.

“Used to be that Americans could not compete in the Canadian National Finals Rodeo (comparable to the PRCA Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas), but since they opened it up to Americans a few years back, I just figured that it is a good deal to ride up there.”

Johnson, who just missed out on a return trip to the National Finals Rodeo in December, finishing 17th in the standings and two places short of punching his ticket, is nonetheless very pleased with what has been an outstanding 2009 season.

“Missing the NFR is a huge disappointment to me,” he said. “But all-in-all, I’ve had a really good year. I finished second at the Calgary Stampede and at Cheyenne Frontier Days, and third in Houston. So to cap it off with the Canadian NFR title really makes it a great year for me. Making the NFR would have made it just about a perfect year, but really I can’t complain.”

Following foot surgery to remove a corrective plate inserted after a horse fell on him in 2006, Johnson will recuperate during the holiday season and then return to the PRCA circuit in January.

“They said it would only take about four weeks to heal up,” Johnson said. “I’ll have a little home time I guess, though it is sometimes kind of hard to remember where home is when you are on the road about 250 days a year.”