Casey Colletti celebrates his 26th birthday today, and he has a lot for which to be thankful.

So do I, for that matter. Over the past couple of months, I got to know a lot more about the Colorado cowboy. I’ve been very blessed to be able to help tell his terrific story. The son of a bareback rider, he was raised on a ranch west of Pueblo, Colo.
A few years ago, he accepted a rodeo scholarship to Garden City (Kan.) Community College, where he competed for coach Jim Boy Hash – Hash, by the way, is my wife’s longtime friend from their college days at Panhandle State University.
During his first qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Colletti earned $82,644. That’s a pretty good living for 10 nights worth of work. He placed seven times and proved why he deserved to be in Las Vegas.
Each night he collected a check, Colletti got his arm wrapped in ice and walked to the media room for our nightly visits. By the time he won the ninth go-round, I wasn’t sure what questions I could ask him. But we made due.
In the process, I hope the people who read the stories enjoyed them. Furthermore, I hope they enjoyed the opportunity to know a little more about a great young cowboy.
I sure did.