Jason Miller of tiny Lance Creek is having the best week of his life at the $6 million Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Competing at rodeo’s Super Bowl for the fourth time since 2006, the 38-year-old Miller has earned $50,000 in just four days, including winning the fourth round on Sunday in a smoking 3.3 seconds.

“In 2008, my last time here, I got a slow start and I told Lee [Graves] I wasn’t going to do that again,” said Miller, who along with Trevor Knowles is riding Graves’ former PRCA Horse of the Year, Jesse, while Graves hazes. “Every night, that horse has won two checks. That really says something about the horsepower.”

Miller’s biggest obstacle to earning his second gold buckle is his former traveling partner and good friend Luke Branquinho, who’s attempting to take a third gold buckle home to California. Miller and Branquinho finished one-two in the fourth round, are ranked one-two in the aggregate standings (worth another $45,000 for first place) and one-two in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings, which will determine the 2011 world champion on Saturday, Dec. 10.

“Our governor, Matt Mead, was down this week supporting us,” said Miller, who is sponsored by the Wyoming Office of Tourism. “Having the state behind is really special.”

Miller’s Team Wyoming counterpart Jhett Johnson suffered a penalty in team roping but continues to rank second in the aggregate standings

Competition continues in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 5, with the fifth round kicking off at 6:45 p.m. (Pacific).

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