A Trade Of Many Trades

A lot of fans who follow the sport of rodeo, more specifically bull riding, are simply that--fans. Of course there is by no means anything wrong with that, because without them, there wouldn't be a sport! (So first, thank you!) However, a lot of those fans don't see what goes on in a cowboy or cowgirls life. Unless you were raised around the sport, you may actually be surprised that "cowboying" is only part of the job.

There are very few individuals who are lucky enough to call themselves a professional cowboy (or cowgirl) and say that is their full-time job. If you made it that far, congratulations! At the same time, watch out there are thousands of others trying to take your spot.

I wanted to give fans an idea of what else these rodeo participants do outside the arena. Simply, it takes money to make money. For these athletes it means working to pay the bills and putting food in their mouths  during the week, and whatever is left goes to entry fees for the weekend rodeos, hoping that they win and are able to makes ends meet and do it all over again next week.

Let's put ourself in a situation. You go down to the local watering hole with me and who is there? To keep it simple, we have lot's of bull riders, some steer wrestlers, bareback and saddle bronc riders, and for the heck of it we will say some team ropers. When we are all sitting there, we don't see what event everyone is in. What we see is a variety of connections.

We've got a bull rider working for a petroleum company traveling across the southern US taking samples on oil rigs. Driving 12+ hours a day for work, coming home grabbing his gear bag, then heading to the rodeo. We have leatherworkers making (by hand) belts, wallets, and those fancy chaps everyone sees. Another just got back home from hauling top-notch race horses from New Mexico. The other is just getting into town after finalizing contracts for his construction company. One just "got off the mountain" after being a hunting guide and packing mules. One is in the studio recording a new Texas Country music album. We've got even more working for the city fire department and on the ambulance saving lives. Or if you are sitting across from me, you'd be looking at a PR & Business student trying to get her foot in the door in the sports marketing industry.

Needless to say, you can do anything and still be a cowboy. I think it's important for the fans to realize that, and see that these athletes are more than just people who get on the back of some livestock. They are just like you and me trying to make a buck and make it big in the rodeo world.

Just for the fun of it here is one of the guys in the studio: This is Lonnie Dee--the next big thing in Texas Country (you'll have me talking more about him in a future post). This is a short clip from Filthy McNasty's Saloon in the Fort Worth Stockyards of him covering Down In Flames. Just an example of what else those cowboys are doing!