Saddle Bronc Life

When the rodeo is over, what happens to the average rodeo cowboy? Not the NFR qualifiers but the meat and potatoes of rodeos all across the country?

Weigh in and let us know in the comments

Most quit from a broken heart, a sad dying of their best younger years. They become pipeline workers, fence builders, day wage workers and and blue collar broke. The sad truth of rodeo is that there is no future in it for ninety percent of the guys that make it happen. Sure some go on to better things, usually with regret and a alcohol problem to ease the pain of never being “good enough” for the big show. Many loose the wife that thought he would fit into normal society and settle for a nine to five and complacent lifestyle with comfort of consistent money. This isn’t the amateur rider or weekend warrior that went to 3 rodeos on the weekend, or the guy that kinda went for a year and gave up on the big show. We are talking about the guys that poured their bodies hearts and souls in and just couldn’t make it happen. From bad injuries to bad luck and bad judging to being on the outs with the inside circle, there is a lot of things that can put them there. Some of it is simply that they don’t have the talent or personality to succeed.

So what does happen?

They don’t die, though the heart they had for rodeo does more often than not. Many hate to even go to one and they chose to chide others for the fools dream they once chased. Even the people around them have no idea what it took from them, family and friends often pity them. Most usually end up fading away, lost in a era where cowboys are underpaid, under appreciated and frowned upon by people even in their own industry. It is sad, like the words of a old country song, perhaps Willie Nelson was right when he crooned “mamas don’t let your baby’s grow up to be cowboys…make ‘em be doctors and lawyers and such… they’re always alone and they never stay home, even with someone they love.