Photo Courtesy of Jodie Baxendale 

Kellan, Kress, Jenny, Jhett, and Carson Johnson pose for a family photo. Jenny teaches in the education department at Casper College, and her husband, Jhett, is the college’s head rodeo coach. Jenny’s two older sons rodeoed for CC on one Jhett’s former teams. 

By Kassadee Lym 

 here with the screams of an eager crowd as rodeo cowboys give their all to compete for their chance to win the world at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. 

However, amidst the excitement of the arena, an anxious mother of three young cowboys wishes her husband to return with ten fingers intact and the world title in his grasp. Jenny Johnson is the wife that stood behind the five-time NFR Qualifier and NFR World Champion, Jhett Johnson. She also raised the 2021 College National Finals Rodeo Team Roping duo and Gold Medal Winners at the Days of ‘47 Rodeo, Kellan and Carson Johnson. She is the glue that holds a pro-rodeo family together. 

Jenny spent her childhood riding her horse to a one-room schoolhouse near Sturgis, S.D. 4-H projects and time on her family’s ranch filled her younger years. Both experiences are integral pieces of her childhood that she hopes to instill in her three cowboys. 

Time in the saddle paid off for Jenny, and she earned a scholarship to rodeo at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kan. After competing there Jenny finished her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in early childhood at the Oklahoma Panhandle State University. 

On the college rodeo trail, Jenny crossed paths with her now husband, Jhett Johnson. As a couple, the two-faced adversity. Jenny became the foundation that kept her family stable, whether supporting her sons and husband to chase their dreams or holding her family together during tough times. 

When Jhett and Jenny were only engaged, they received the news that Jhett had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. 

Jenny explained that faith kept her going. 

She said, “We pray a lot. You have to because there are some things that are just out of your control.” 

Fortunately, the couple moved forward. They had three children: Kellan, Carson, and Kress. 

Faith and a strong network of support held Jenny’s family together. 

While Jhett worked to achieve his dreams of becoming a world champion, Jenny played a crucial role in running everything seamlessly in Casper. Her two older boys, Kellan and Carson, explained that their mom took the thankless job of caring for everything at home, from driving them to late-night basketball practices to hauling horses. 

Jenny looked to what she explained as her, “teaching family” for support. While teaching, raising young children, and supporting her husband on his dream trail, Jenny completed her master’s program and national board, twice. 

“She’s a go-getter,” Kellan said of his mom. 

Burnout never crossed Jenny’s mind. 

She said, “I never was looking over the fence wishing for something different or more material things. I had a job and it was to raise my boys, keep everything going at home, and teach third graders.” 

Although it was not always easy, Jenny explained she never kept challenging aspects of her life from her children. She believes that your kids need to watch you overcome obstacles. 

“I think it’s important for your children to see you struggle and how you overcome it. Because they’re going to be able to take those skills and say, oh yeah, they overcame that. They can accomplish anything,” Jenny said.

Her philosophy must have proved helpful because her boys are not strangers to success. 

Jenny instilled the value of family into her sons, and Kellan and Carson explained that because of their mom, family drove them to achieve their goals.

Carson, Jenny’s middle son, said, “Everything we did, we did as a family.”

The boys grew to rely on each other. 

Kellan, the oldest, said, “She (Jenny) was always big on your brother is who you always have to fall back on…we’re in each others’ corner no matter where life takes us.”

Jenny helped create a bond that allowed Kellan and Carson to go on and win the 2021 CNFR, amongst other accomplishments. 

However, Jenny is also proud of the role model her older boys created for her youngest son. 

She said, “I was gifted with really great children… and Kress had the opportunity to have wonderful role models.”

Jenny was able to raise those role models by focusing on creating gracious winners. Although her husband was unarguably successful, he too shared his time of not making the spotlight. Jenny said her boys and others witnessed their father, Jhett, make it to the NFR, but they did not always understand the failures that formed such success. 

She said, “They didn’t see the 1992 to 2005 and all the things in between.” 

Jenny supported her husband through the failures that led to winning. 

But when big wins were found, Jenny was the first to yell. Kellan and Carson explained that when they won the CNFR together, Jenny’s reaction matched when their dad, Jhett, won the world.

Carson said, “She was screaming, yelling. She was proud to see us do it together really.”

Her oldest son Kellan said, “She cries, yells, hoops, and hollers. She’s always on our team.”

With Jenny’s support, both boys continue to team rope together today as part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). 

Not only does Jenny play a pivotal role in her family’s team, but she also contributes to the success of the Casper College Rodeo Team. 

Alongside her husband, now CC’s head rodeo coach, Jenny works to create an atmosphere where rodeo athletes have the opportunity to succeed in the classroom, in the arena, and in life. 

Jhett and Jenny Johnson are the team that supports CC Rodeo. 

“If you come to Casper College you’ve got my dad and my mom. That’s just like having a family away from home,” Kellan said. 

The CC team is not the only ones that benefit from having Jenny on their side. Her boys also recognize the blessing that is their mom. 

Kellan said, “She showed us everything outside of rodeo — that life’s bigger than rodeo.”

Jenny’s behind-the-scenes support drove the success of her three cowboys, Kellan, Carson, and Kress, and her world-champion husband, Jhett. 

As Kellan said, “I love my mom and I wouldn’t trade her for nobody.