What Rodeo Means To Me

Rodeo is a tough sport and I was lucky enough to grow up under some of the best competitors. Having an uncle who was a 4x NFR qualifier and a family that is constantly in the arena, it was understandable when I told my parents that I wanted to start taking it more seriously. It wasn’t until about the age of 13 that I decided I wanted to start practicing more and really start becoming more active in the rodeo world. From a young age, I was always on the road traveling to all sorts of different Team Roping’s with my Mom and Dad, because of that I have always been well known by many different people who were able to open many doors for me.

Being raised the way I have been. I’ve been taught that there is much more to the sport of Rodeo than just catching a steer or turning a barrel. With a team roping teacher for an uncle and competitive team roper’s for parents, you tend to sit through quite a few lectures on how to properly do everything! But the biggest piece of advice  I have continued to carry with me was told to me by my Uncle Rube and he (roughly) said: “ no matter how good you are you will never be as good as you want to be”. For me that really put things into perspective. As a competitor, you never really realize how far you have come or how good you are doing, because in your mind you’re still not the best you believe you can be.

I believe that a good horse is a horse with a lot of heart. For me I don’t care about the price tag on the horse, I care more about the bond I create with that animal in the arena. That’s what’s more important. I’ve ridden many horses and the ones that have always performed the best have been the ones that I have created a bond with. Every time I get on a different horse I learn something new. Those animals are your partners, we can’t compete without them. The horses that want to perform at their best will always teach you something beneficial to your career. Growing up I have always been told to take care of your horses because they work hard to give you everything they’ve got.

Rodeo to me isn’t about winning every event or making it to every rodeo. It’s about creating a bond with your animals and learning how to be a better horseman. Of course, I always go in with the mindset that I will be the one pulling that check. But I am just as happy leaving knowing that my horses did all they could to try and win. Rodeoing is about the life long friendships that you create as well as the memories you make on the road, knowing that everything you love is in that truck and trailer. That’s what Rodeo Means to Me.