The Rodeo Life – Why They Do What They Do
“It’s the bulls and the blood, the dust and the mud, the roar of the Sunday crowd”, according to Garth Brooks. But for the 6,000 plus cowboys and cowgirls chasing that world title, rodeo is so much more. Rodeo is a way of life.
For those on the outside looking in, it is easy to only see the bright lights, fun times and big checks. For the cowboys walking in those boots every day, they know the early mornings and late nights, the blood sweat and tears spilled in the practice pen, the long hours in the truck just trying to chase the next gold buckle. They feel the pain of being out of the money because they were 1/100th of a second too slow. They know the sickening feeling of a 3 am colic in their best horse or the loss of a stillborn calf. They know huge expense, directly reflected in their bank accounts. They know the internal debate of “do I give it all up, or keep on gambling to try and reach my dream”.
Some may ask, “if it is so hard then why do it?”. I will tell you why. For the exhilarating feeling of their horse’s hooves, building with power as they come down the alley. They do it for the adrenaline rush as they throw their leg over a 1,700-pound bull that could end their life at any moment. They do it for the feeling of their heartbeat becoming one with the majestic animal underneath them. They do it, because rodeo is who they are.
The 4th of July rodeo run, better known as “Cowboy Christmas”, is well underway and kicks off 100 rodeos in 100 days. The road to the super bowl of rodeo, The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas this December! Rodeo fans from all over watch as contestants gear up for one of the most action-packed months of the season.
So, what does this mean for us in the automotive world?
We already know, according to the census from the USDA, that the average farm/ranch will own 3 trucks at any given time, and 47.5% of those will replace at least one truck each year. Another thing we know, not everyone involved in agriculture is involved in rodeo, but just about everyone involved in rodeo is involved in agriculture. With the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) recording over 6,000 professional rodeo athletes and 35 million rodeo fans, that equals a lot of trucks!
Which is exactly why The Certified Agriculture Group and AgTruckTrader.com saw the value of the rodeo industry and has launched the AgTruckTrader.com Pro Rodeo Team.
This rodeo team will be led by none other than the currently ranked #1 bareback rider in PRCA, Leighton Berry. Berry, from Weatherford, Texas, is a two-time NFR Qualifier, Canadian Nationals Finals Rodeo Qualifier and Texas circuit champion.
As Leighton takes the reins as team captain, he plans to help create awareness for AgTruckTrader.com and Certified Ag Group, as a whole, while doing what he does best in the arena.
“There’s no greater honor than to partner with, and represent, a genuine agriculture company in agriculture’s official sport,” noted Berry. “As Captain of this new team, I plan to share the work ethic and integrity that rodeo has taught me, with the rest of the AgTruckTrader team.”
Over the next few weeks, AgTruckTrader.com will be building their team roster with men and women from multiple pro rodeo events. Each will “proudly represent AgTruckTrader.com and Certified Agriculture Dealers all over the nation, while increasing awareness among rodeo fans of the $30,000 in farm/ranch supply savings they can get with AgPack®,” according to Berry.