How about a Bronc Riding School? Perhaps this is not your typical travel blog post. However one never knows where one will end up when you travel in a truck camper that can get you right up close to the action where other large RVs can’t go. Thanks to having a complete self-contained home in the back of our truck we have been able to experience our beautiful country in our travels, if interested check out our past posts. It’s not the places we have been but the great people one meets along the way from different walks of life that makes our travels special.
Again this year I was fortunate enough to have attended the Lee Bellows Memorial Annual Bucking Bronc School held at the Bill Gommersal Arena in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Lee, along with Don Gillespie and Kelly Brice 17 years ago saw a need for a school to not only promote the sport of bareback and saddle bronc riding, but to share the experience of past rodeo champions to make the sport safer.
Over the three-day weekend they introduced 38 new students to the sport, a new high total this year that would have put a big smile on Lee’s face. Students, both cowboys and cowgirls, come from all over to learn the basic skills. Starting with ground school, equipment checks, physical conditioning and riding techniques on mechanical horses, is just the beginning. It’s about learning the proper techniques of the sport and safety, to get them started in the very action packed sport, I was told. Staying on the back of one of these trained bucking horses for eight seconds is job one, then one must learn how to safely get off preferably with the help of the pickup men. If your eight seconds was cut short and one finds themselves on the ground there are also techniques for staying out of the way of flying hooves. All good lessons learned from the experience being handed down.
In my past life I did a lot of rodeo photography, following the circuit where I got to know and even photograph many of the professional cowboys who are now older and wiser sharing their knowledge with those wanting to participate in either saddle bronc or bareback riding. Rodeo people are like family and I have been very blessed to have had the opportunity to meet many of them with camera in hand. There are many ways to participate in the sport, this was mine. So my annual trip to catch up with old friends I have a lot of respect for is always special.
There is a fee to attend the school, and that money is used to help cover a little fuel expense for the stock contractors that haul in the horses, and pick up men who also have to transport several horses to the event. The rest of the crew are all volunteers gladly sharing their experience to keep the sport of rodeo alive, safe and exciting. Over 50 horses chosen by the stock contractors that would be suitable to start students on were hauled in. These are the real thing, trained to buck so the students are not getting a free pass, these horses do not like passengers. Francis Rodeo stock, a longtime supporter of the school, along with Tom Bingham, Don and Rebecca Helmeczi and Kaycee Ericson of 4E Buckers supplied the stock this year. For the students safety the best pick up men in the business, Wade Rempel, Luke Ellingson and Dwight Dokken, are brought in. I think one of the toughest jobs in rodeo is being a pick up man rescuing riders from bucking broncs and seeing to the riders safety.
Lee Sinclair, Ross Smith, Don Gillespie, Steve Glenn, Dallas Bessey, and Matt Campbell are just a few of the many involved that lend a hand and help instruct in classes and in the arena.
This year the school had the honour of having Miss Rodeo Universe, Kaili Hill along with her boyfriend Ronnie Courtright all the way from Reno, Nevada. “We drove 20 hours to get here, Ronnie wanted to try riding bucking horses and we were told about this school here by Steve Glenn”, Kaili said. It was a pleasure for sure to have met these two really nice individuals, I commend the judges or whoever chooses Miss Rodeo Universe they got it right in their choice of Kaili. She is and will be an excellent ambassador for the sport of Rodeo. Thank you for coming to Saskatchewan.
I’m sharing a few of the many images here on this site for those interested and if you happen to be in one of the images that’s great. Riding bucking broncs is not for the faint of heart so if you showed up and tried you have my respect. For those who will continue on in the sport of Rodeo in whatever capacity, best of luck and safe travels. Hope we can meet you again down the road.
I’m sure after seeing all the fun these folks are having there may be some who want to sign up….the tradition continues thanks to all those involved.
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Gerry (RVcowboy )
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Charlotte (partner nomad)