Bronc Lessons 

Riders learn to ride bucking stock, cowboy-style.

I grabbed my camera and headed across the driveway to take in the bronc riding action. Cowboys were rolling down the driveway in dusty cars with cracked windshields, their bronc saddles and rigging bags stuffed into the trunks. I’d never lived on a ranch with a practice rodeo arena before and didn’t want to miss any of the fun. 

My kids didn’t, either. My sons pulled on their boots and grabbed their own rigging bags, knowing the boss man always let them ride calves after the broncs were done. My daughter and I grabbed snacks, water, and a seat in the shade. 

A lot of prep work goes into a ride that can last anywhere from 0.5 to 8 seconds. My two young cowboys watched every move the bronc riders made. There were saddle adjustments, stretches, and last-minute clothing changes. I thought saddle bronc riders would be shy about taking off their jeans and putting on a different pair in broad daylight near a public road with a handful of strangers nearby, but I was wrong. At least they were wearing underwear.

We were also waiting for another set of cowboys to bring in the bucking horses. It took a while, since they had to flush them out of the mesquite trees and thick brush along the river. They all kept their pants on, though. 

At last, horses were loaded into the chutes. The late afternoon sun slanted through the trees, the chap fringe hung straight, and the horse’s eye was clearly visible between the slats of the chute. It was an amateur photographer’s dream. Pretty sure the bronc riders weren’t sad about it, either. 

Garrison DeWitt waited on a pickup horse with the gate latch in hand while a cowboy got settled on a bronc. Notice the bucking chutes are attached to a squeeze chute. This chute system is multipurpose; cattle can be run through to the head catch and worked as needed. They didn’t need to use the front part on this particular day, because the broncs already had all their shots. I’m not sure about the cowboys, though. We probably should’ve given them all a shot of LA-200 just to be safe. 

After all the preparation, a cowboy nodded his head and reached for the ground with his spurs with every stride. You might not recognize this young man from the back of his head, but this is the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding Rookie of the Year, two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, and my sons’ buddy, Zac Dallas. 

Zac is the nicest young man you could hope to meet. It was good to see him make a solid ride this day, because the previous time he got on a practice horse at the DeWitt Ranch, he got two-jumped by this same sorrel mare. I don’t have pictures of that, just a video. It’s pretty short, though. 

At long last, the youngest cowboys got to tape up for their own rides. Only one had rodeo chaps, and they shared a protective vest. But the adrenaline rush from their rides belonged to no one but each of them. 

Big brother waited for the go-ahead from the older cowboys to step astride his calf. He rode him up from the ground, cowboy-style. If you’re gonna be West, might as well do it with a capital “W.” 

I heard that one of the older cowboys told the bronc riders, “Better not let those kids hit the dirt, or else…” Zac must have heard that rumor, too, as evidenced by the strained expression on his face. He followed instructions and wound up at the bottom of the pile, breaking my son’s fall with his own body. Zac qualified for his first NFR later that year, so I don’t think any lasting harm was done. 

Except maybe to my sons, who have been hooked on riding things that buck ever since.