Voted the 1997 Original Coors Fans' Favorite Cowboy, Kelly Wardell joined the College of Southern Idaho Rodeo team as the assistant coach in the fall of 2015.
The Golden Eagles landed an experienced and talented coach in Wardell. Born and raised in Big Piney, Wyo., Wardell now lives in Bellevue, Idaho.
"I am extremely excited to have Kelly on our coaching staff," said CSI Head Coach
Steve Birnie. "He has a wealth of experience and knowledge that will benefit all of our students."
Wardell runs a Mixed Martial Arts gym as well as owning a welding shop and started riding bucking horses again two years ago. He also does rodeo schools throughout the year and works for the PRCA at the high school finals.
In 1998, Wardell won the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo.
Wardell has rodeoed professionally for 30 years, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo four times in bareback riding. In 2001, he entered the NFR ranked #1 in the world.
That same year he collected the top prize in rodeos in Laughlin, Nev., Logandale, Nev., Calgary, Colorado Springs, and Cheyenne, Wyo. His biggest win came at the Copenhagen Tour Finals in Las Vegas where he scored 91 points on the bucking horse of the year, two points short of the all-time PRCA record.
Because he won the winter finals in Las Vegas that year, he qualified for the Olympic Command Performance Rodeo in Farmington, Utah held as part of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. He took home a bronze medal and helped the United States to a team gold medal.
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