If you know Erin Johnson, you know Chico. Registered “Husker Be Smokin,” 14-year-old Chico has carried Johnson to three NFBR qualifications and after the 2022 ProRodeo regular season, sits No. 2 in the wold standings with an impressive $72,241.04 in earnings as the only horse Johnson competed on in 2022.
Chico and Johnson started out their year strong, headlining their winter with a $50,000 win at the inaugural RodeoHouston breakaway roping.
Since then, Chico has been a fixture on the ProRodeo trail, and Johnson will be the first to share how special this palomino gelding is to herself and her family. Listen as Johnson shares Chico’s background and how she turned him into one of the top breakaway roping horses in history.
About Erin Johnson
Erin Johnson grew up on an Eastern Colorado, fourth-generation cattle ranch.
“Ranch work was always a part of our lives,” said Johnson, a three-time WPRA World Champion breakaway roper. “My siblings and I, we really didn’t get into rodeo. My parents took us to some gymkhanas when we were younger, and we learned to ride bareback. I don’t even think we had saddles until we were like 8, when we started showing in 4H. We showed cattle a lot.”
Real Talk with Rodeo Woman Erin Johnson
Johnson is also a two-time National Finals of Breakaway Roping qualifier. Her series on BreakawayRoping.com discusses opportunities in college rodeo as well as breeding programs, the legacy of a great breakaway roping horse, and more.
- The Trials and Tribulations from the ProRodeo Road with Erin Johnson
- The Right Knot: How to Tie-On at the Rodeo with Erin Johnson
About BreakawayRoping.com
BreakawayRoping.com offers courses on breakaway roping 101 as well as elite tuning for pros. The platform features the likes of WPRA World Champion Hope Thompson, RFD-TV’s The American Champion Madison Outhier, jackpot standouts Josie Conner and Aspen Miller, and the King of the Cowboys, Trevor Brazile. It’s accessible on over 1,000 devices including iOS devices, Android devices, MACs, and PCs. Enjoy streaming videos from the barn, event or comfort of your couch!
