Let's get this man some money.

Rodeo is the greatest sport on earth.

Wild West entertainment.

And people like it.

I think they're going to continue to gobble it up.

And I think we are on the rise.

Growing up with it, you learn to be very competitive.

But at the same time, you know, the struggles of other people.

It's not an easy sport at all.

It'll humble you at the worst times, too.

I don't want to get too cocky because you’ll make a fool of yourself.

Yeah, you might miss here and there, but you if don't miss you ain't learning.

And that's the deal.

Tomorrow's a new day.

It's a clean slate.

Pretty good deal about rodeo.

I think the bond with cowboys is unique because of the danger.

It's just like guys coming through the service a lot through horrific things in war.

There's a bond there that would be created no other way.

And while it may not be that life and death on the rodeo trail, the hardships are really hard because there's no guaranteed money.

I couldn't imagine the struggles that a cowboy like Brady Portenier, for example.

You know, there's a guy that they can go to six rodeos and might get bucked off of all six of them.

And that guy's one of the best in the country.

But that's a normal thing for bull riders.

But when you do get in your groove and everything's clicking, it's like a day off and you don't even know it.

But a lot of things have to go right for those who do it part time to actually cash in.

Shelli Schrivner.

I'm a nurse by trade and I actually went to nursing school on a full-ride rodeo scholarship.

So I go to work Monday through Friday and try and rodeo on the side.

And I pretty solely focused on the breakaway roping since 2017.

II do hope some day that there's enough money that that role reverses, that I can live that lifestyle every day of the week.

I was a schoolteacher before I became a rodeo clown, which is not the normal path for rodeo clowns.

Typically, there’s not a master's degree involved.

I quit my job to pursue this little boyhood goofy job I do now.

I started rodeo queening when I was ten or 11, and I was able to get the opportunity to ride a bull.

I would do it again.

You can walk back all dainty like that.

(laugh) Music Funding for Outdoor Idaho is made possible by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, committed to fulfilling the Moore and Bettis family legacy of building the great state of Idaho, by the Friends of Idaho Public Television, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by the Idaho Public Television Endowment.

Music [Narrator] The tale of the American Cowboy is legendary.

Thousands of brave men enduring hardships to help tame the West.

But a lot has changed with the passage of time.

[Rene Verdino, Stock Contractor] It's a dying breed.

There's few rugged cowboys, those that have to sleep in a bedroll because they needed to go find a momma and a calf that's out in the wilderness, you know, that didn't come home.

It's hard work.

[Arena Announcer] Amazing.

Wow.

Music [Narrator] Cowboy numbers may be on the decline, but the sport they love is thriving.

With that said, sit back, hang on to your hats and enjoy the ride, because this is rodeo.

[Arena Announcer] Here we go.

Music Rodeo and cowboys and Western life is a culture.

I think it's the backbone of our country.

It was at one time at least.

[Narrator] And it remains appealing to young and old alike.

As soon as you step into the rodeo arena, it's just an extraordinary experience.

And the entertainment value is tremendous.

[Narrator] Rodeoers also share the kind of bond you won't find in any other sport.

Rodeo is family.

The rodeo people are like a family.

We all know each other.

We know the cowboys.

It's an all-American sport.

That may be the case today, but rodeo wasn't born in America.

Music Before there were American cowboys there were Mexican Vaquerros, expert cattle wranglers trained by the Spanish.

Vaquerros held ranch hand competitions on haciendas.

They would eventually introduce rodeo to America.

Music When Wild West shows sprang up in the late1800s rodeo’s popularity soared.

The most well-known show was Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

It toured the U.S. and Europe for three decades.

It was a blend of sharpshooting reenactments, vaudeville and roundup, and featured the likes of Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane, Will Rogers and Sitting Bull, among others.

Today's rodeo athletes are essentially writing the next chapter in Buffalo Bill's playbook.

[JJ Harrison, PRCA Rodeo Clown] Buffalo Bill Cody started it, and we're just trying to keep that man's legacy alive.

[Narrator] JJ Harrison is one of the top rodeo clowns in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

His life on the road today is worlds away from his previous life as a schoolteacher.

[JJ] I graduated from Washington State University in 1998 because my mom said, you're going to get a real job.

You know, I've always been an adrenaline guy, though, you know, and tried to be a smoke jumper and fight forest fires and ski instructor.

And I'm a pilot now.

And, you know, so I've just always kind of craved a little bit of adrenaline.

The arena is ready for you if you're ready.

Teaching is a great, safe job, but I just decided that I needed to make a switch.

Right about 2008 I decided to try and rodeo full time.

I was doing it kind of as a side gig.

16 years later, I'm going from Florida to Hawaii every year and doing rodeos all across the country.

And so it's been a great ride.

There's been lots of ups, there's been a few downs, but for the most part, this is what I was born to do.

Are you with me?

Applause.

[Narrator] One of JJ's favorite rodeos is in Southern Idaho.

That famous Preston Night Rodeo is believed to be the first in the country to take place under the lights.

And while it's far from the largest rodeo he does, it seems to fit JJ Like a glove.

Or you might say, like an air suit.

I'm giddy.

Look at how excited I am.

Whoo!

All right.

I have a talent.

I am the greatest air suit dancer of all time.

Do you want to see it, Preston?

Thank you.

Oh, Daryl.

Hold, please.

Let me get into position.

Hit it.

Music Everybody dance now, everybody dance now.

Huh?

Thank you.

Thank you.

JJ is definitely a crowd pleasing, funny man, but he's also savvy when it comes to the business side of his industry.

[JJ] Rodeo is Wild West entertainment, but it's evolving.

You can't just do the Wild West show anymore.

You can't put a bunch of vehicles in a circle, turn the headlights on and buck some horses.

We're now competing with YouTube.

So how do you compete against that?

You've got to have an entertainment package that is lots of change, lots of energy, lots of focus and lots of excitement.

[Arena Announcer] Come on, guys, got him by the horns.

Yes, there are your leaders.

4.8 How old are you, sir?

87 years old.

Still coming to the rodeo.

[Narrator] A great venue can be key to a rodeo's long term success.

Preston's arena was showing its age.

Instead of giving it a facelift, the rodeo committee decided to build a new one.

Thanks to generous donations and a bank loan Preston now has one of the nicest rodeo arenas in Idaho.

Music [JJ] To see it completed, to see the entire thing built like this is awesome.

It's awesome for this community.

It's awesome for the rodeo.

And I think it's awesome for anybody who sets foot in it.

I mean, they added thousands of seats.

This elevates the rodeo.

This makes everything just a little bit better.

[Narrator] Kris Beckstead and her family have been running That Famous Preston Night rodeo for decades.

[Kris Beckstead, That Famous Preston Night Rodeo] People probably think that's really weird that I come and look at this arena and get tears in my eyes.

But if they knew what went into this and getting it like this, I do get a little emotional about it.

This was a pretty massive project.

The whole arena cost just around 2 million.

[JJ] It went over budget a little bit because they added a few things, but they wanted to do it right.

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

They wanted this thing to have that same feeling you saw when you walked into it that, whoa, this is legit.

I tell you, if you don't have your tickets for next year's rodeo, you better get them now, because there’s no stopping this.

And in my experience, honestly, it's going to be a sellout crowd from here on out.

Music Music and Pyrotechnics [Narrator] The Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho's largest rodeo and one of the top ten regular season pro rodeos in the country.

To say it's heavy on visuals would be an understatement.

Music The stampede has been held inside the Ford Idaho Center since 1997.

It was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2014 and bills itself as the fastest show on earth.

Stampede announcer Boyd Polhamus says he learned years ago it's all about audience engagement.

[Boyd Polhamus, PRCA Announcer] That was taught to me by Shawn Davis, who was the rodeo coach at the College of Southern Idaho.

And Shawn was a production king.

And he knew that fans don't want to wait to see something.

He knows they'll get bored.

And if they get bored, they might say, what else could have we done tonight?

Rodeo is so novel in the way that it operates.

I don't care if you're a country music or rock and roll or rap artist and you travel from town to town, there's just nothing similar to it.

I think, from being a marketable entertainment venue for people in suburban America, it's affordable, it’s family friendly.

Take your kids to it and trust that you're not going to hear something they shouldn't.

So many people grow up without being around livestock anymore.

It's almost like going to a zoo, but there's a competition too, you know, where else can see a cowboy monkey?

Without further ado, say hello to Whiplash, the Cowboy Monkey.

[Narrator] And where else can you see a drill team performance like the Snake River Stampeders?

Johnny Cash Music-Ring of Fire The team was formed by Jimmie Hurley, the Stampede’s former executive secretary.

She was looking for an exciting open to the rodeo when it moved indoors in 97 after spending decades outside at the Green Queen.

Then a friend of hers gave her a suggestion she took to heart.

[Jimmie Hurley, Former Stampede Executive Secretary] It was pretty girls on fast horses.

And one night after I'd gone to bed, it hit me.

Let's put lights on them and their horses and turn off the inside lights and see what happens.

[Brandi Krajnik, Stampeder] We literally safety pins, Christmas lights on, just on us.

And we were hand picked.

We were former rodeo queens, former rodeoers.

[Narrator] Old fashioned Christmas lights have been replaced with mini LEDs.

But one thing hasn’t changed.

Team members are still hand-picked.

[Becky Green, Stampeder] I definitely,f ive years ago, I would have not thought that I'm going to be riding in the biggest rodeo in Idaho performing on the Snake River Stampeders.

[Narrator] The Stampeders is the only drill team to ever perform at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Johnny Cash Music-Ring of Fire [Jessica Ashcraft, Stampeder] Our team has several different occasions.

I've got to go with them twice in 2014 and as well in 18.

And that is another just I mean, that is like the NFL of rodeo.

[Narrator] If the Stampeders drill team is Jimmie's baby, the rodeo may be, metaphorically speaking, the love of her life.

[Boyd] She often would say to me, I don’t understand how I can love something so much that can't love me back.

You know, meaning the Snake River Stampede.

And I just said, Jimmie, it does love you back.

They're wearing red shirts.

The generations change.

You know, there's different people in red shirts, but everybody here, every fan here, loves you back because this wouldn't be here without you.

And it wouldn't.

Jimmie Hurleywas the glue, the absolute glue of this place.

[Jimmie] I can't see myself not doing it.

I'm glad I had the chance.

[Narrator] The Caldwell Night Rodeo is Idaho’s second largest, and one of the nation's top five large professional outdoor rodeos.

And while the Stampede is flashy, Caldwell has a more traditional format.

[Nicole Cassity, Caldwell Night Rodeo] I think good rodeo is good for all rodeo, and Stampede is very good at what they do, and we're very good at what we do.

They have much of a production.

We focus solely on rodeo and show very little, if any, production.

With that, we each have our own followings.

[Boyd] But they're buddies.

But the folks at Caldwell are going to darn sure believe that they've got the better rodeo, their announcers are better.

Their clown is funnier, their stock is better.

And everybody over here is going to feel the same way, okay, on our side of the fence.

But you know what?

They both do Absolutely fabulous when it comes to selling tickets.

[Nicole] 2022 was a phenomenal year.

I think any outdoor or just entertainment event blew up in size as a direct reflection of our valley, our valley’s blown up in size.

And so, yes, we definitely broke records all nights of of the rodeo.

Looking for a bid.

We're at a thousand need a bit of a living good a bid of 11, now 12.

[Narrator] Both rodeos are excellent at community engagement.

The Stampede’s Pink on the Dirt Luncheon has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to support the Stampede for the Cure.

We're at 19 and over with.

Daryl's better need a bit of 2000 going once, coming back at 2000, going twice, looking for a bit of 2000.

All done all through to the lovely lady with the high cheekbones, the fantastic hair, beautiful dress, the fantastic jewelry and sparkling personality.

Very generous philanthropic lady.

[Arena Announcer] This is the Man Up Crusade.

You see cowboys and cowgirls wearing purple tonight as Sheriff Kieren Donahue, Canyon County Sheriff, rides around.

[Narrator] The Man Up Crusade is a non profit organization formed by Sheriff Donahue and his wife Jeanie and his wife, Jeanie, to address domestic violence.

[Nicole] So we were the flagship for Man Up Crusade.

Sheriff Donahue brought it to us and said, this is my idea.

Could Caldwell be the inaugural rodeo for that?

And we were happy to do so because the message is incredible.

[Sheriff Kieren Donahue, Canyon County Sheriff] We're just saying, look, it exists.

We need to talk about it.

We need to stop it.

We need to have healthy relationships.

And we need to change the next generation of children, that next generation who could very well be the rodeo champion or the bull riding champion, the barrel racing champion.

We've got to save those children.

And it doesn't matter really what sport you're in.

But I can tell you this, rodeo is going to lead the way.

Music [Narrator] A world championship buckle.

The most prestigious award in rodeo.

These are some of the world championship buckles won by Dean Oliver, an Idaho legend and a pro rodeo Hall of Famer.

Dean won 11 national Finals rodeo titles in his day, eight in calf roping and three all around.

Not bad for a kid from Nampa, Idaho.

[Dean Oliver, Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer] What started me roping was I snuck in the rodeo when I was 15.

My brother and I snuck in it We didn't have the money to buy a ticket and I saw a guy win the calf roping.

At that time, I was making about $100 a month working on a farm.

And this guy won 300 at Nampa.

And I think that's what kind of started me thinking about it.

So then I went to work and on that.

It came pretty quick for me because I could do it alright.

Because I was big I could throw a calf good.

You know, you got to be able to do that or you can't tie one fast.

And I could ride a horse good.

And then you got to be lucky, too.

I went to about 80 rodeos a year.

I was lucky enough that I've won every one of them.

And some of them more than once.

I was lucky.

to win Nampa ten times and Caldwell eight, and a lot of rodeos three and four times.

Like Calgary and Cheyenne.

The bigger ones.

It was a way of life with me.

It was fun going.

I mean, when I'd get in that car, I wanted to go and win.

The fun part is winning.

And if you're not winning, it's no fun.

But when I got to making the money, I bought new cars, new pickups, and it took a lot to buy a horse.

When I was rodeoing a good horse would cost you like 2,500.

Now they're probably 50,000 or a hundred.

If you can find them.

The ropers nowadays are really good.

I mean, they tie up a lot of fast calves and seven and eight.

When I was going, you know, nines and tens were the faster ones.

And then, of course, I won a lot of rodeos tying ones in 12 and 13.

And then the calves were bigger.

Nowadays, they're smaller and the scores are shorter.

You know, the guys nowadays that are good, their dads taught them and they started roping when they were young.

I never even started till I was 20.

[Narrator] Devon McDaniel represents that next generation of roper.

[Devon McDaniel, Rodeo Athlete] Ever since I can remember, my parents have been roping and my whole family really.

So I just started doing it.

I roped my first calf in a competition I was four years old.

You know, I track that thing around the arena forever.

But, you know, I finally got him caught.

I think it was like 30 seconds or something like that.

But, you know, I thought it was pretty cool.

I felt like I was on top of the world, I tell you that.

[Narrator] Devon's father Chad has taken Devon under his wing, helping him with the technical and the mental aspects of roping.

[Devon] It takes both.

You know, you can be mentally prepared person, but if you suck at roping, you know, it's not quite going to work out for you.

I mean, I come out here and I practice almost every day, and I think I have my horses myself prepared to compete and win.

[Narrator] And Devon's done pretty well at that.

He's won Idaho State championships in team roping and tie down roping, and he's performed well at nationals.

He's also competitive in the Idaho Cowboys Association, an amateur rodeo circuit that feeds into the PRCA.

It looks like college rodeo in Arizona is in Devon's future.

He's got family there, and he says he wants to go somewhere warm.

But he also has his sights set on even bigger things down the road.

[Devon] I went to the NFR.

It's really cool watching on TV, but when you get in there and it's just the atmosphere, everybody's going and somebody makes a good run and the crowd goes wild, you know.

That just makes it all worthwhile, you know.

So if I could get to that point, you know, that'd be that'd be amazing.

[Narrator] But for now, Devon is putting everything he has into a sport that's not always kind.

Sometimes you catch the calf, sometimes you don't.

But that's rodeo.

Lucky for Devon, his father has taught him that long term success comes to those who persevere.

Sierra Telford is another rising star in Idaho.

She has an Idaho all around title and a national reigned cow horse reserve title to her name.

Her father Jake is a reigned cow horse trainer and champion, and her mother, Jessie, is an NFR qualifier in barrel racing.

[Sierra Telford, Rodeo Athlete] I'm pretty lucky to have parents that both are pretty successful in the horse world and so they are able to help me out and are able to come out there every day and help me get better and help me practice and set things up, like holding out for me when I practice goat tying and things like that.

[Narrator] Sierra plays other sports, but she says rodeo is by far the most challenging.

[Sierra] Definitely tougher than any other I've ever played.

It's been good for me to learn how to do these things and how to be a hard worker and to be disciplined of you have to do certain things every day and there's not just days you feel like it, you can do it and you don't.

[Narrator] Rodeo is an all encompassing way of life.

But like any sport, there's always that one thing that's hard to come to terms with.

[Sierra] Probably the fact that you can't control everything.

And there's definitely times where you run a redo because, you know, you let your horse down or you know exactly what you should have done different after you run and just want to redo.

[Narrator] Sierra’s older sister Shawny is a rodeoer as well.

She's also competed at nationals.

She and Sierra constantly challenge each other so they’re prepared when it's go time.

[Sierra] Me and my sister definitely push each other to do better and be better and to not just kind of let each other do it just for fun.

We definitely want to be the best we can at this sport.

[Narrator] A good approach since they're both chasing their dreams.

Music [Narrator] Shelly Schrivner is also chasing her dream.

She's a nurse manager at a major medical center.

But don't let the office environment fool you.

She's a cowgirl through and through.

Shelli is a professional breakaway roper.

And like many rodeoers, a full-time paycheck is helping to fuel her passion.

But you'd think the intense schedule she keeps would be hard on her.

[Shelli Schrivner, WPRA Breakaway Roper] If it's your dream and it's what you're passionate about, I don't think it's hard.

I've never one day went outside to practice and thought that this was hard.

I mean, it's cold sometimes, but it's it’s not hard.

It's what I love to do.

[Narrator] Breakaway roping might be the most misunderstood event in professional rodeo.

Shelly says that's because a lot of people don't seem to understand the rules.

[Arena Announcer] Three flat for Schrivner.

[Shelli] So breakaway roping has actually been around for quite a while, but it hasn't entered into the pro rodeo scene until about 2017.

I think they took it on in the in the actual pro rodeos.

It's similar to calf roping.

The ladies rope their calf around the neck, and then it's tied on with a nylon string around the saddle horn.

And when it comes tight, it breaks from your saddle horn, you get your flag.

Fastest time wins.

So it's another women's event, which I think the fans like.

And the animal always wins.

If it's a win win for everybody.

[Arena Announcer] Reach out there, Kylie.

Make it fit.

She does.

Let’s cheer her on.

Go, go, go, go.

Come on, Cassie.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Narrator] If you're going to excel at breakaway roping you've got to have some major horsepower under you.

Shelly found hers in Rio.

[Shelli] Rio came into my life.

I mean, I needed a horse.

My good mare broke her leg, and I needed a horse.

And I couldn't afford that caliber of horse.

So I went shopping and bought something lesser.

[Narrator] A friend of Shelly and her husband owned Rio at the time, and he asked Shelly to help him create a video so he could put Rio up for sale.

[Shelli] I went to his house and ran ten calves and I was like, man, that one fit.

And he let me borrow it and let me take it to the end of the year rodeos that year, which was two years ago I guess now.

And 'm like, I'm not going to sell this horse.

I don't care if another person calls to try him.

I've made up every excuse why they can't try this horse.

I'm going to figure out a way.

And I did.

I figured out a way and I bought him.

And he's been a game changer.

[Narrator] Shelly and Rio have done pretty well together overall, but her 2022 season didn't turn out like she hoped it would.

Country Music [Shelli] I mean, I could write a country music song on my Labor Day, honestly, of everything that went wrong did.

You know, I didn't make the circuit finals, which I thought was a gimme.

I mean, there's still next year.

I have big goals.

The big crazy goals are obviously to make it to the NFR for the breakaway.

I want to finish top 50 in the world so I can get into Houston and San Antonio, Fort Worth.

And I think that can propel you to the next level.

[Narrator] Lofty goals like that will require grit and determination, and of course, plenty of luck and some help along the way.

[Shelli] Caldwell Night Rodeo this year, I was fortunate enough I was chosen to be one of their ambassadors, so they were my first honestly true sponsor.

And then the other thing that helps me going down the road is I have a sister that's a veterinarian.

So I am a very, very blessed with with the people in my corner.

[Narrator] Brady Portenier was also a Caldwell Night Rodeo Ambassador in 2022, and he's had his share of success as a bull rider.

He qualified for the NFR in 2020.

Bull riding just seems to be in his family's DNA.

[Brady Portenier, PRCA Bull Rider] You know, my old man rode bulls.

My uncle rode bulls.

From the time I can remember, You know, I've always wanted to be a bull rider.

In a lot of ways, I do like the fear factor.

You know, my dad said to me a long time ago, when I was a kid, you know, if it's not scary, it's probably not very much fun.

And and he's got a big point to that.

You know, if, you know, skydiving.

Only reason it's fun is because it's kind of scary, so.

Same can be said about bull riding.

[Arena Announcer] Come on, Hands and feet.

Let's have a little thunder.

[Brady] Don't get me wrong, I'm very aware of what can happen.

There's times where I walk away thinking, Holy crap, that was a close call, but nonetheless, I’m happy to be doing it.

[Narrator] Brady is in his twenties now.

He sees himself riding bulls until his mid-thirties at least.

[Brady] You know, my dad, he rode bulls tillhe was 35 and he's a pretty fit individual.

So I think if I can make it that I'd be a pretty good marker.

[Narrator] So for now, it's onward and hopefully upward for Brady as he tries to work his way back to the NFR.

But there are sure to be some bumps along the way.

[Brady] So, yeah, the ups and downs of rodeo are, it’s a very humbling game.

I wouldn't say it's for the faint of heart, but a guy definitely gets on hot streaks and feels like you never see another broke day.

And then there goes shoot two weeks where you haven't drawn one that you can manage to stay on.

And pretty soon you realize you've paid 3,000 in fees, another 1,500 and fuel, plus whatever expenses to feed yourself along the way and you realize, oh, shoot, I'm not.

I should have rode a couple more, tried a little harder, you know, and heck you buck off one What’d you do?

Get on another.

And that's kind of the name of the game right there.

[Narrator] The real name of the game is making it to eight seconds.

But that can be a tough road to hoe.

Music [Arena Announcer] Somebody clap their hands, man.

[Narrator] Bull riding, like every rodeo event is hit and miss.

If you do well, you get a paycheck.

If you don't, you walk away empty handed.

[Boyd] So every one of these contestants has known what it's like to be in a slump, not have won a check for six, eight weeks and two electric bills and the insurance bill have showed up.

And they know, they need to win.

They need to, because this is how they feed their family, especially those who do it full time.

I've often said that if football players didn't get a check for every game they lost, or baseball players didn't get a check for every game they lost, we'd see a different attitude towards their approach to the game.

[Narrator] Roscoe Jarboe is Brady Portenier’s good friend.

He came in second at the Meridian Lions Rodeo in 2022.

But when he hit the ground he broke several ribs and suffered a collapsed lung.

His season came to a screeching halt and his earnings dried up.

He was in the top ten at the time and looking to make his sixth NFR.

[Doug Beehler, Meridian Lions Rodeo] He did get paid.

He did make his ride.

Unfortunately, he got hurt after he finished his ride.

So was the get off that got him and ended his season.

It's not like you get turf toe and you have to sit out for a couple rounds.

Roscoe is the type of gentleman that'll ride it as hard as he can, as long as he can.

[Narrator] No doubt bull riders are tough and some people might say they're a bit crazy.

Then there are the brave souls that protect them.

The bull fighters.

[Brady] You know, there are great bull fighters in every circuit.

Just like anything, everyone's working to try to get to the top.

And it definitely shows In the bull fighting game, there are some top hands.

[Narrator] Tim O'Connor is one of those top hands.

We met up with him at the Gem State Stampede in Coeur d’ Alene.

It was his 10th year here, and the 2022 rodeo season was his swansong.

[Tim O’Connor, PRCA Bull Fighter] I've been fighting bull professionally for 20 years now.

I got my PRCA card when I was 20, and took off from then, so it's been a heck of a run.

[Narrator] But in the two decades Tim has spent shooing bulls away from riders, he’s sustained his own share of injuries.

[Tim] Injuries, yeah.

I've broken ribs on a couple of different occasions.

Concussions, tore my ACL, blew out both AC joints in my shoulder, separated my shoulder.

It's, you know, for as long as my career's going on, I've been really fortunate.

There's some guys have taken a lot more serious injuries.

We make a joke in the bullfighting world that as soon as you tear your ACL you officially become a bullfighter because so many of us have done it.

I'm blessed to be able to live the life that I have and work the rodeos that I have, like Saint Paul, Reno Rodeo Salinas, California, Pendleton, Oregon.

I got a lot of those.

And I have good recommendations from people who felt they wanted me there.

And, you know, the committee seeing me.

I never have had to really go push and promote myself.

I guess the job I was doing brought confidence in that.

So it's awesome to see it, I guess especially, you know, like you said in the twilight of my career.

Music [Arena Announcer] Folks, we have a special presentation tonight.

Tim O’Connor, it is an honor to have you in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho one more time.

[Tim] The committee gave me a buckle, and it's one of the nicest buckles that I've ever received.

And, you know, they put my name on it and stuff, and it's an awesome rodeo.

It's been an amazing experience.

I mean, you couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting than right here.

But I wanted to leave enough life left in me and spend the rest of my time with my kids growing up while I'm still able to move around, while I'm still healthy enough to go enjoy them.

Music [Boyd] A lot of people, I guess, in today's world would think that were antiquated.

maybe, you know, we're throwbacks in a world where there doesn't seem to be any absolutes anymore.

In the Western lifestyle, there’s still absolutes.

In the Western lifestyle some of th e things that are still absolute is to be kind, to be good, even to your competitor.

If you got to help the guy that's going to beat you, that's what you do.

Why?

Because it's the right thing to do.

[JJ] Rodeo is the only sport where competitors work together to beat themselves.

You might have two bareback riders that are traveling together.

They're splitting the cost of fuel.

They're friends with each other.

They share expenses, hotel rooms, anything that comes up, they split it.

Then they get to the rodeo and they're competing against each other.

[Kris] And it's the same thing with the timed events.

These guys are loaning each other horses.

Somebody's horse, you know, is gimpy or something and can't come in.

And they’ll just, here, take my horse.

They all want rodeo to succeed.

So they all are there to help each other and to make everything work well for each other.

[JJ] I think you're going to see a lot more of that.

And you'll see contestants lean on each other and maintain that Code of the West, if you will.

Music, Native American on horse, drumming, whip sounds [Narrator] The War Bonnet Roundup in Idaho Falls is about as Western as you can get.

It dates back to 1911 and is Idaho's oldest professional rodeo.

The War Bonnet was voted the state's top medium sized rodeo in 2022 and features more than 450 cowboys and cowgirls.

When it was time to pick a rodeo queen, the War Bonnet Committee chose Jenessa Gardner, a nursing student from Utah.

She's been queening, as they say, for half her life.

[Jenessa Gardner, Rodeo Queen] I was going to take a break from rodeo queening, and I was not really excited about that because I love rodeo.

It is another part of my life.

But War Bonnet actually reached out to me and said, hey, we would love for you to try out.

We've heard about you and we would love you to represent our rodeo.

So I put in my job application.

And the processes are different for different rodeos, and this one is more of a job application.

I love the little kids in the crowd because I once was a girl that looked up to the Queen.

And now I get to live that dream and help the youth that want to come into rodeo.

To be able to be as enthusiastic as I am about this sport.

Music [Narrator] The War Bonnet offered Jenessa the kind of opportunity you wouldn't normally associate with a rodeo queen.

[Jenessa] I got the opportunity through the mini bulls to be able to ride a large bull.

They told me that this bull was very friendly, but sometimes it has like a multi personality.

[Woman] There she goes.

[Jenessa] I don't think a lot of queens are as daring, but I like to do the things that most people wouldn't.

[Man] Hold on with your hand right here.

You got it.

Reach, reach.

Crowd applause and Music You can walk back all dainty like that.

(laugh) Music [Narrator] A dainty persona, a radiant smile and the perfect wave.

These are the kind of images we normally associate with rodeo queens.

And then there's the beauty pageant side of things.

[Young woman] Ladies and gentlemen, I am so proud to present you with our Miss Rodeo, Idaho 2023, Lydia Miller.

Applause [Narrator] Lydia says being crowned Miss Rodeo Idaho is an honor she'll cherish forever.

[Young Rodeo Queen] I am so happy for you.

[Lydia Miller, Miss Rodeo Idaho] There's so much reward behind being a rodeo queen.

It gives us opportunities to become more, to do more, to give back to those in our community, to give that back to those in our rodeo community as well.

And also, it just it brings job opportunities.

We're interviewing to be that representative of that rodeo, of that organization and educate people on our Western way of life.

[Doug] When they get out in the real world, in the business world, they are top notch at the interview skills.

They are top notch at current events and their knowledge.

And they learn that through the queening program.

and the farther they go into the program, the better they are.

They're very professional.

[Narrator] And like Lydia, multi-talented.

[Lydia] I started doing leather work in 2017.

It was actually right before Christmas.

My siblings and I kind of wanted to do something different for Christmas.

We wanted to make gifts for our family.

So my dad pulled out his old 4H leather tool kit and let us kind of play with it.

Five years later, I have my own small business with it and everything.

This is a pair of chinks that I made this year because I've always kind of wanted to have my own personalized pair.

So I was able to make them kind of in my own style, my own, my own way and and incorporate some of my favorite things, like my favorite floral tooling and even included an elk in there because it's kind of my favorite animal.

I do love Horses are my next favorite.

They might be tied, but.

What about her favorite rodeo event?

[Lydia] Mutton busting is favorite rodeo event next to some of the rough stock.

I have to say.

Music [Lydia] As a rodeo queen, one of my jobs is to help get them excited, get them ready and get all the wiggles out before they get on the sheep.

It's just an amazing experience.

I love it.

Music [Jenessa] I think that those are good experiences for our children that want to be future PRCA or just rodeo people, to be able to kind of get a taste for what our rodeo lifestyle is like.

Give them high fives, just tell them, hey, good job or you'll get it next time.

[JJ] Hang on, man.

Hang on.

Music [Kris] You know, you have to be under 50 pounds and under the age of six.

People say, oh, yeah, they're, you know, the parents want them to do this.

The kids really want, you should see those little kids.

They do really want to do it.

Once they get in there, then sometimes they get a little bit scared and cling, you know, on to the gate.

And it is a crowd pleaser.

It's just a really fun event.

I've noticed it being in most every rodeo now because there's not as much chance for anybody to get hurt.

It's a keeper.

Music [Arena Annoucer] He’s riding him backwards.

[JJ] To win a whole award, the full trophy you have to give a clown a kiss on the cheek.

Can you do that?

Good enough for me.

Give it up for your champion.

That young lady is a great judge of character.

Hey, what up?

How are you?

Hanging out at the parade.

Gotta love it.

Rodeo time is parade time in several Idaho cities and towns.

Lewiston holds one during the Lewiston Roundup.

It's another Idaho rodeo JJ performed at in 2022.

[JJ] Hi girls.

How are you?

Marching Band Music [JJ] You know, you used to be able to go to a rodeo once a year in your hometown, and you watched the fair and you looked at the big fat pig with the blue ribbon and you watched the rodeo.

But now the Cowboy Channel has got people following our athletes.

And I think that's the ticket for rodeo to keep growing.

[Arena Announcer] He’s a five time world champion.

And the number one man in the world.

From Millford, Utah, this is Stetson Wright.

[JJ] People are now excited.

They may have heard of Stetson Wright.

But now they've watched him 14 times on the Cowboy Channel.

They feel like they got more ownership.

They feel like they know him better.

And that bridge from the contestant to the fan is not just through me anymore.

Now it's through television.

[Arena Announcer] Unbelievable, it's an 87 and a half score.

[Arena Announcer] Oh, yeah, next ride.

With the Idaho State Finals qualifier out of District 2.

Finished 11th in the world in the Junior Rodeo down in Las Vegas.

[Narrator] It's rare to see a small town rodeo on TV, But attending one in person like the Mackey Rodeo can be really fun.

[Sheriff Donahue] Mackay’s always been considered Idaho's wildest rodeo.

And the setting is spectacular.

I mean, how can you beat that?

The highest mountain range in Idaho, The Big Lost River Range.

I remember.

In Mackey, Idaho, when I was a kid.

My oldest brother was bull riding.

We'd go to church.

And then we're headed to the rodeo.

And you did it as a family.

And you went and cheered on him as a family.

[Arena Announcer] Yeah.

Come on, Mason.

[Sheriff Donahue] Why do people love the American West?

Why did people love the American cowboy?

Why do they love rodeo?

Because of places like Mackay, and the people, the competitors who come there.

They embody that spirit.

They'll continue by that spirit.

And I just don't think you can beat that.

And it brings some of the best stock, quite frankly.

878.

[Gene King, Stock Contactor] With the exception of maybe two of the horses that are here, we've raised them since the day they were born.

You know, the ultimate goal is to be be in Las Vegas in, in December.

And not all of them will make it there.

And a very small percentage will.

But that's the goal when we get done.

Music [Sheriff Donahue] Mackay just seems to draw people.

Whether they only go there once a year or many times a year, they’re drawn to that rodeo.

You'd be hard pressed to go to a more community oriented place in our state.

[Gene] The support that the community pours into this, and then the people that it brings here, the local people probably look forward to it every year.

[Caleb Johnson, Mackay Rancher] Just something that you always plan on.

Going to go to the Mac Rodeo.

Have a good time.

You know, just tradition.

You know, you bring in four or 500 people in a weekend, You know, that's that's an economic boost, You know, to our little town.

You know, when you live in a town of under a thousand people, that’s, 20 people would be an economic boost, you know.

Music [Narrator] The city of Kuna, Idaho hadn't held a rodeo for ages, and they wanted to bring back the tradition.

[Joe Stear, Kuna Mayor] So the last actual Kuna Rodeo was held in 1949.

There had been a couple of offshoots since then, but nothing permanent.

It took several years to get everything coordinated and come up with a venue.

The Crooked Eight made the venue up and running and good.

And then we were selling tickets out of City Hall here like it was some kind of a rock concert going on.

Friday night was probably a little over what we had expected, and then Saturday night was just overwhelming the number of people that showed up.

And it just turned out to be hugely successful.

And man, those cowboys did a good job out there, and cowgirls too.

Music [Narrator] The Kuna Rodeo did have a rock component to it.

But overall there was a strong sense of community and love of country, recurring themes you'll find at other rodeos in Idaho and across the country.

Star Spangled Banner [Boyd] Most of the people who identify with rodeo as a sport and a lifestyle were raised and continue to raise their children to tell them that America is a good place.

And so they like to cheer for the American flag.

And when it comes to their faith, in the Western culture, it remains a very important part of life.

[Narrator] They teach morals like that At the rodeo Bible Camps of Idaho, held every June in Cambridge.

[Pastor] I wanted to take some time this morning to look at the Gospel of John chapter one, verse one.

But before we do, I want to pray.

So if you'll take your hats off and pray with me now, please.

Our Heavenly Father, we come before you today recognizing the fact that you are the truth and the life, knowing that you are the great I am, the God of Israel.

[Dennis Holmes, Rodeo Bible Camp of Idaho] Our goals in each camp is to present Jesus Christ to the campers, and that they would come to have a saving knowledge of Christ.

That is our main goal.

Our second goal is rodeo.

And rodeo is kind of the hook to bring people here.

The kids who come to this camp used to be largely from ranching families.

Now it's kind of running the gamut.

A little girl's got a horse and she wants to barrel race, and that's the only animal she's got.

There's kids that want a rope and they got a horse and they bring it here to try to learn roping.

And they have no experience at all, but they get a taste of it here.

[Narrator] For Kallen Blach, coming here was a deeply personal decision.

[Kallen Blach, Camper] I was having a real rough time with my parents and family in general.

And I was like, came here and talked to a lot of people and was like, you know, it’s time to hand it over.

[Dennis] When someone has come to know the Lord here, it’s like thousand trumpets going off.

[Kallen] It is fair that you can assume that this camp has changed my life, because it has.

And it may not be like that for everybody, but I know it.

When everybody leaves, they always leave a lot happier than when they got here.

Get up, get up.

Keep riding.

Music [Narrator] You don't often find a large group of cowboys gathering together these days.

But in the fall, dozens come here to compete at the Cottonwood Ranch Rodeo, put on by Renee and Anthony Verdino .

[Rene Verdino] It's not your typical rodeo of bull riding or barrel racing.

It's agility of a horse and a cowboy working together.

This year, Friday night before the Ranch Rodeo, we decided to put on a ranch jackpot team roping.

I have contestants coming from all over the Western part of the States.

And so they may leave work early just to get here on time because their rodeo starts early in the morning.

I offer this event open to the community.

They don't have to pay an admission.

Teams consist of four cowboys or four cowgirls.

[Narrator] There are 20 teams in all competing in five events.

[Rene] Our first event is branding.

And we have a real branding iron, but it's pancake batter.

The announcer will say, you got a brand on the right hip or the left rib or wherever the brand designated to.

And they have to do it again for another calf.

Then we go right into doctoring.

Time is done when two calves are doctored.

Followed by that one we go right into our sorting event.

The announcer will designate three animals to be sorted, and they have to be sorted in that order.

After the sorting, we bring in a trailer loading event, which is a blast to watch.

So the guy that ropes the animals, the other three contestants will dismount and try to push, shove, hoop, holler, whatever they can do to get this animal to get loaded in the trailer.

Trailer gate has to be latched and all four of these competitors have to be loaded in the pickup.

Then the contestants honk the horn and time's done.

The following event is called a relay hide race.

You have to ride a hide, a dried cowhide getting pulled behind a horse at however high rate of speed your fellow contestant wants to pull you on it.

The contestants look forward to it.

The spectators look forward to it.

It's fun.

It's gritty, it's dirty, it's very dusty.

And this just a hoot.

Music From rising stars to sold out venues, rodeo’s, future is looking bright.

It's a sport awash in pageantry and deeply rooted in the Western way of life.

And quite frankly, it's the kind of experience that will take your breath away.

Music [Brady] I'm fortunate enough to go to all these other different rodeos in Utah, California, and yeah, there's always a good time and this and that, but you can really see the atmosphere come alive.

You know, when you show up to Nampa or Lewiston or Caldwell Night, those crowds get to rumbling people get to hollering, and it it dang sure shows that Idaho puts on a great rodeo.

Funding for Outdoor Idaho is made possible by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, committed to fulfilling the Moore and Bettis family legacy of building the great state of Idaho, by the Friends of Idaho Public Television, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by the Idaho Public Television Endowment.

To find more information about these shows, visit us at idahoptv.org