I am off to Texas early tomorrow for a few days. This will be the first trip of the season to watch my bulls try to buck off their riders and earn points and money that will hopefully take them to the World Finals in Las Vegas in November!!
The Brand X Ranch Bucking Bulls will be our retirement income. It sure seems to be a better bet than the Stock Market right now! Four years ago we partnered-up with Shippy Rodeo Bulls, Randy and Jenny Shippy and their two young boys. They are a young, hard working, Midwestern All-American family, living a dream. They do all the work; and it is hard work, and we get to reap the benefits.
The bulls live in South Dakota, on the Shippy Ranch, where they are bred, fed, doctored, trained, then hauled to the various competitions during the spring and summer. The goal is to take these two and three year old bulls to the PBR circuit, and to make a profit in doing so.
It has been an incredible adventure.... I have learned so much about the industry. The American Bucking Bull organisation, founded a few years ago by the PBR, is dedicated to advancing these amazing animal athletes. The bulls are all registered, DNA'd, and drug tested. The bloodlines go back to the famous bulls of rodeo. There is such history here! It is such an honor and privilege to be a part of it.
I tell Randy that I am a poser, since I don't do any of the work. I show up at the events, pay the entry fees, take the pictures, and wear the vest we won in Las Vegas that says "Stock Contractor" on the front, and recognizes that we had a world champ. We named one of our young bulls "Poser" in honor of my status. Who knows, he might be the one that takes us to the top in a couple years. Actually, just being a part of this world is a treat. It's not about the prize money, it's about the bulls. This weekend in Stephenville, Texas, it will be about Tricky Rick and Buckin' Secret. I'll be there to root for "my boys" and spend some time with my partners and friends.
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