Family reunited at the rodeo

It’s Saturday afternoon, and his left elbow already hurts from multiple pulled tendons and muscles; now his wrist has to hurt, too?

But he signs, "Kanin Asay" after "Kanin Asay," making someone’s day each time.

"What can I getcha?" he’ll ask a kid standing in line.

Only this time, something’s different.

"I don’t need an autograph, I just want a hug."

Asay looks up from his table to see his older brother, Klayten, freshly in Las Vegas from Wyoming, less than six weeks after returning from his first tour of duty as an Army interrogator in Iraq.

Klayten Asay is in Las Vegas to watch his younger brother compete in bull riding at the National Finals Rodeo, watching from Section 109, Row U, on Monday with his parents and youngest brother, Kaleb. Each holds a mini-poster with one of five letters, K-A-N-I-N.

"To have my whole family here is just a blessing," Kanin Asay says. "The five of us haven’t been together in more than a year. Still, it feels like we haven’t been really together for years. (Klayten) is over there, and I’ve been rodeoing for the last few years, and with Mom and Dad working and training horses, we’re always really busy."

Asay’s mother, Kim, holds the last "N" in Kanin, her leg shaking. She watches as one of her three boys sits atop a wild animal that weighs nearly a ton. She watches as Stinger veers right out of the chute, carrying her son to either glory or anger. After roughly six seconds, the bull takes a sharp turn toward the side rails.

Kanin Asay, gripping the bull rope for dear life with his left hand, pain shooting up to and through the bad elbow, falls off Stinger seven seconds into the ride.

Kim Asay falls back into her seat, saddened but relieved. For another eight seconds, her baby boy has cheated injury.

But wait. The bull has hit the railing. Reride.

"I’m nervous, but it’s what he loves to do," Kim Asay says. "It’s stressful, very much. But it’s all God’s deal, and God takes care of him. For me, it’s more of an adrenaline rush because I want him to do well."

And he does on his reride.

Now atop Sadie’s Pet, Kanin Asay twirls along with the bull, the buzzer sounding, an "81" flashing on the scoreboard, fourth place, a $6,875 payday. For the second time in 15 minutes, Asay is spared. For the second time in 15 minutes, he kneels on the dirt, praying.

"You don’t pray to win," he says. "You don’t pray that you have a better bull. You don’t pray that you ride better than everybody else. You thank God for the blessing of safety that he provides us with. But I also pray before the rodeo starts, before I ride, after I ride. It’s a constant conversation between me and Christ."

The conversation will continue later on Monday in a tent next to the Thomas & Mack Center. Asay and his family will join a group of other cowboys for a bible study. Asay has been here after every performance so far, and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

That certain nickname that belongs to Las Vegas, Sin City?

Not in this tent.

"It’s hard for God’s light to shine here, because it’s covered up with so much darkness," Kanin Asay says, resigned. "But no matter how dark it is, you can always see God’s light."

Adds Kim Asay: "Kanin’s focus is vertical. He truly trusts in the Lord. He’s very humble, and he gives God all the glory, and that’s why he’s grounded. He’s grounded in the Lord, in his faith."

He gets it from his folks, who might give glory to God in the middle of a hurricane. One son rides bulls for a living, one son rides broncos, one son interrogates Iraqi prisoners.

Meet Kim and Mike Asay: The World’s Most Nervous Parents.

Still, they appreciate and applaud their three sons for following their respective callings, which have found success for each of them. Kanin is second in the world standings in bull riding, and Kaleb won the 2006 National High School Finals Rodeo in saddle bronc riding.

And there’s Klayten, who, while not sharing his brothers’ passion for riding wild animals, can at least celebrate their successes.

"I was joking with (Kanin) about that before I left," Klayten Asay says. "He was doing pretty well (in 2006), but he ended up getting hurt. I told him everything would be OK because he wasn’t allowed to go to the NFR until I got home anyway."

Klayten Asay sure sounds like a fan.

Maybe he should get that autograph.