COLORADO SPRINGS - The man who rode horses in rodeos and now heads the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association headquartered here may be in for the roughest ride of his life - up to two years in prison.

Troy Ellerman, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday to obstructing justice, contempt of court and filing a false declaration by leaking secret grand jury documents to two San Francisco Chronicle reporters covering the government's probe of steroid use in Major League Baseball and other sports.

In court papers, Ellerman admitted allowing the reporters to view transcripts of the grand jury testimony of baseball stars Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield and sprinter Tim Montgomery.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White is expected to sentence Ellerman on June 14. He could be sent to prison for as long as two years and fined up to $250,000.

Ellerman, of Woodland Park, briefly represented Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, the supplements lab that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs to the elite athletes.

He later represented BALCO vice president James Valente, and that's when he obtained transcripts of the athletes' testimony from federal prosecutors.

"I find the fact that Troy Ellerman has admitted to leaking the BALCO grand jury transcripts to be outrageous," Conte said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Ellerman signed agreements with prosecutors and was under court order to keep the grand jury testimony confidential.

Ellerman himself made a motion in October 2004 to dismiss the case against Valente because of "repeated government leaks of confidential information to the media."

Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said Ellerman's behavior was an "abuse of our system of justice."

Ellerman is relatively unknown in Colorado Springs to anyone outside rodeo circles.

He moved to Colorado two years ago from California when he rose from PRCA board member to its commissioner, the equivalent of its chief executive officer.

Ellerman's tenure at the PRCA has been turbulent, according to some who served on the association's boards. His aggressive, sometimes confrontational manner may explain in part the circumstances that landed him in trouble in California, where he grew up, earned his law degree and still practices law.

"I'm not surprised," said Leon Vick, a rodeo cowboy and former PRCA board member who was voted off of the board last May after clashing with Ellerman over the association's financial records.

Vick said Ellerman was abusive and ruthless toward those who disagreed with him, often unleasing strings of profanity.

"That's how he kept the weaker members in line," Vick said.

Ellerman seemed to conduct much of the association's business on his own without bringing it to the board, Vick said.

Vick's final argument with Ellerman came when Ellerman refused to show the board the documents disclosing the financial figures when he sold off the association's Pro Rodeo Tour circuit.

"He never would show the board of directors the contract," said Vick.

After Vick and Ellerman argued, Ellerman collected enough votes to oust Vick from the board, he said.

Ellerman led the PRCA board into another vote last year to move the association and the Hall of Champions to Albuquerque, N.M., even though the hall was a separate entity.

"He was dead wrong," said Harry Vold, a member of the Hall of Champions board. "They didn't even own the Hall of Champions and never consulted our board. They made a deal without any authority."

Vold said the PRCA board is controlled by Ellerman.

"He pretty much runs the show," Vold said.

Thursday's guilty pleas should mark the end of Ellerman's control of the PRCA and usher in new leadership, Vold and Vick agreed.

While both were critical of Ellerman's leadership, they are unqualified supporters of the PRCA.

"I want it to be known I am for the PRCA," said Vick. "That's why I joined the board."

"I'm terribly sorry over what's happened," said Vold. "But it's the cowboys who make this organization, and they'll continue to make this organization. It's the best cowboy organization that's ever been."

fosterd@RockyMountainNews.com or 719-633-4442

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