Equine
From the Rodeo Road
By Phillip Kitts
As the summer heats up, so does the rodeo road. Not only is the temperature outside rising but so are the competition levels in the professional rodeo world.
The spring months have a strong list of rodeos that pay out reputable amounts of money; however, as spring turns to summer, both the payout and the level of competition climbs several notches. By this time of year, rodeo competitors have knocked off the rust from the slow season and are now averaging three to four rodeos per weekend.
Many people ponder on how these athletes manage to be so many places in such a small amount of time. The technique varies from competitor to competitor, and then there are variables such as what event the competitor competes in. Because the rough stock competitors, which consist of bull riders, saddle bronc riders and bareback riders, generally only must haul a simple bag of equipment, their ability to travel is much easier. With this group of athletes, you will see large groups of them team up and rent charter planes, helicopters or nearly any mode of fast transportation they can get.
The group will all enter a rodeo the same night and utilize this mode of transportation to hit their rodeo. As soon as the last guy finishes his ride, it turns into a blinding rush as they throw all their gear into any vehicle that will get them on their way. Then all night flights will get them on to the next town and next competition.
The timed event folks have a little more of a challenge. Timed event competitors consist of team ropers, tie down ropers, steer wrestlers, and barrel racers. These folks not only have to account for very expensive horses but also thousands of pounds of saddles, tack, feed, and miscellaneous equipment that is necessary to compete in their event.
To read more pick up a copy of the August 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
The mystique and imagined glory of the rodeo road call many young people’s names. As they grow up, they watch the greats of the sport run from rodeo to rodeo and occasionally land on the television giving the perception of the rockstar lifestyle.
No, the glory of the rodeo road is not as grand as, say, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, but being an athlete competing in front of the yellow chutes of Vegas is just as big a deal, and in every way, can be compared to competing in a Super Bowl.
However, things sure are different in the rodeo world. Let us take a minute and talk about what seem to be simple things in life that impact rodeo and rodeo athletes that in no way would make a difference to the big-money sports.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Garrett Metcalf, DVM
It is common for horse owners to have a horse with a wound or laceration at some point in their life. Sometimes small lacerations can be perceived as benign, inconsequential problems that do not need immediate veterinary attention and are managed by the owners or trainers initially. Unfortunately, these simple-looking wounds can involve very important anatomical structures that can lead to serious infections that can be life-threatening or, at best career-limiting, for the horse.
Large wounds tend to get all the attention from owners or trainers because when they occur they are so obvious and visually appalling that medical attention is sought almost immediately. Those types of large wounds can be devastating, but they often involve the upper body regions of the horse, which heal better and often don’t involve structures such as joints or tendons.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
Have you ever wondered what the rodeo looks like for contract personnel in the winter?
This month we will look at what the winter months look like from the rodeo photographer’s perspective.
To understand the time and demands that go into a career as a rodeo photographer, let’s start at when the season gets busy. Not all rodeo photographers work the same. There are many varieties in their career field. They can vary from the few weekends here and there to the full-timer who travels more than 30 weekends a year.
The full-timer that spends most of their year working usually hits the road in late winter. Yes, the winter months are slower but the photographer who has cemented themselves into the field usually books a few during late winter.
Rolling into the spring it begins to get busy. Depending on the photographer, spring can start with an every other weekend type schedule all the way to every weekend through the summer. In 2023 there were photographers that had 20-plus weeks straight going from rodeo to rodeo.
When late fall rolls in things begin to slow down, even for the go-getter who books everything they can.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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