story by Sharon Adams
Jordan Thurston-Miller is the youngest member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Alumni Board of Directors. She brings a welcome youthful perspective, a wealth of rodeo experience and a commitment to the future of College Rodeo and she is carrying on a family tradition. Her mother, Tiffany Thurston is also a member of the NIRAA Board. Jordan was the College National Goat Tying Champion in 2010 as a freshman at Gillette College and again in 2013.as a senior. Her rodeo resume goes back a lot longer than that.
Born in Lance Creek, Wyoming, Jordan attended Niobrara County High School, In Wyoming State High School Rodeo she competed all four years, winning championships in goat tying each year and an All Around title as a freshman. In addition to her goat tying skills, she competed in breakaway roping and barrel racing in both high school and college rodeo. She qualified for the College Finals all four years at Gillette College.
Rodeo was not her entire focus in college. She earned her Bachelor’s degree and completed her student teaching, She also met her husband, a saddle bronc rider, Chancy Miller of Mud Butte, South Dakota, who also competed at the College Finals Rodeo. They were able to rodeo for two years together at Gillette College. She jokes that he came to college as a cattle rancher and left as a goat rancher.
She credits her parents, John and Tiffany Miller Thurston of Lance Creek, for much of her success.
“When I went away to college I learned how fortunate I was to have such phenomenal parents. While I was in college I kept my horses with Jerry and Kathie Means and they were also wonderfully helpful and supportive. I made such good friends and helpful connections in college and, of course, that is where I met my husband!” says Jordan.
Alumni board member Clara Wilson asked Jordan to consider joining the Board a year or two ago and Jordan suggested instead that her mother might be interested in the NIRA Alumni. Tiffany joined the board in 2017 and now there will be a mother-daughter combo working together. Tiffany’s father went to college with the help of a rodeo scholarship, as did Tiffany and her siblings, and now Jordan and her brothers.
“I remember how helpful rodeo scholarships were for me and my family and I want to help support and enlarge that tradition,” states Jordan.
Rather than teaching after college, Jordan opened an online boutique, CrissCross Chaos, specializing in clothes and accessories with a western flair. She and her husband took over running the Thurston goat contracting business so nowadays when they go to a rodeo they are very busy people, providing goats for the rodeo and showing their clothing line. Jordan frequently conducts goat tying clinics and still finds time to compete. Jordan and her husband live in Moorcroft, Wyoming.
