To ride the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo you've got to have something special—a paycheck stub from a working ranch. Just real cowgirls and cowboys demonstrating the skills used in their day jobs. Riders hail from dusty towns with picturesque names like Artesia and Alpine. They ride for storied ranches like Kokernot06 and SlashB. They don’t ride professional rodeo. They don’t have time. They’re busy working and raising a family and the next generation of ranchers. The youngsters seem to spend every waking moment on horseback or throwing rope. A fearless 70-pound girl and her horse will bring a 700-pound steer to a standstill. The rodeo is simple and authentic. But there’s nothing simple about these folks. They speak with conviction about the Working Ranch Association’s mission: to preserve traditional crafts and skills—still used today—and to act as stewards of the land and animals.
