Building Furniture has Kept Bareback Rider Tanner Aus Busy

Bareback rider Tanner Aus and his wife, Lonissa, moved into their new home in New London, Minn., last fall.

Little did the four-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo know he would have plenty of time to do home projects this spring.

That became a reality when rodeos were put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s plenty to do here at the house, odds and ends, catching up on stuff,” said Aus, 29. “I’ve been doing landscaping and building some furniture for the house.”

Aus, who made the Finals in 2015-17 and 2019, doesn’t claim to be a master furniture craftsman.

“My style of woodwork is pretty rough, but it has kept me busy, which is really the main goal at this point,” Aus said. “I built a bench chest for the entry way and I’m working on a desk right now, and that by far will be my most complicated project. We will see if it turns into a pile of scrap or it is actually a desk when I get done.”

The uncertainty of rodeo right now is something Aus has accepted.

“The plan always with rodeo is to just roll with the punches, especially in an event that could leave you sidelined at any time,” he said. “Honestly, I really enjoyed my time at home with the family. We had a baby boy (Rowan, March 29), and my wife can use all the help she can get right now. Being sidelined right now has been a blessing in some respects. I have no complaints.”

Rowan was welcomed home by sister, Bristol Rae, 1.

“They are keeping us busy,” Aus said of the children.

Getting on a bunch of practice horses isn’t a routine Aus follows.

“The past few years I haven’t been on too many practice horses to speak of,” Aus said. “I like to keep my mind sharp with visualizing. I feel like I get a lot more done that way. I also do conventional exercise. I’m blessed to belong to a gym that throughout this whole quarantine, even though they are closed, they have an app and update it everyday with workouts. They make sure you’re not always doing the same stuff, and that has been good.”

Courtesy of PRCA