Naccarato Legacy Lives On
In 1984, Alex Naccarato bought 13 pairs of bucking cattle from Benny Brown. Little did Alex know that these Oscar daughters were going to be the start of big things to come in the bucking bull industry. Alex Naccarato was to become a legend in his own time.
“It was a lot of luck,” said Alex’s wife Jean.
But luck was incorporated into a keen sense of what it took to build one of the best herds of bucking cattle in the rodeo industry.
Alex and Jean started out raising commercial cattle on Jean’s family ranch in California. But Alex decided he wanted to try his hand at bucking bulls.
“At that time, he had commercial cows,” Alex’s son, Scott Naccarato told us. “He thought it’d be a great, new adventure to get in to bucking stock.”
For the first couple of years, Alex used outside bulls to breed that original herd of cows acquired from Benny Brown. Then he bought Oscar’s Velvet from Bobby Christiensen of Christiensen Brothers Rodeo. Oscar’s Velvet was a son of Bob Barmby’s Hall of Fame bull Oscar who was the sire to Alex’s original 13 cows.
“Alex had an idea of line breeding the Oscar bloodlines. That turned out to be a great idea and made some fabulous bulls over the years,” said Scott.
It was Alex’s plan to raise high quality bucking bulls, not buck them. He wanted to sell them to others to haul to events. People bought his bulls unbucked on the reputation of the Oscar bloodlines.
The late Dan Russell of Western Rodeos purchased some of those great bulls from the Naccarato program and hauled them on the PRCA circuit. One of the most noteworthy of these was 6 time NFR bull Trick or Treat who was runner up to the legendary Bodacious for the title of PRCA Bull of the year. Trick or Treat was eventually sold at the Benny Binion Bucking Horse and Bull Sale for the then unheard of sum of $30,000.
It was Naccarato’s Copenhagen Lite that was said to be the superstar on the Russell Ranch. Dan called the NFR qualifier smart. He said the bull bucked differently every time he went out of the gate.
Whitewater Skoal was purchased from Alex by Cotton Rosser. The NFR and PBR Finals bull has become a strong part of many breeding programs including Moreno, Flying U and Ravenscroft bucking stock.
Scott Naccarato says that Alex’s “Whitewater Skoal, along with A6, is one of the all time leading sires in the industry that has influenced many, many programs.”
Don Kish purchased Too Legit and Werewolf, who was purchased by the Rossers, have become outstanding sires in their own right .
The great Bushwacker’s breeding goes directly back to the Naccarato breeding program through his sire Reindeer Dippin’.
Eventually, Alex did start bucking and hauling his own bulls.
“After Alex built his herd and the PBR got started up,” Scott Naccarato explained, “Alex decided to start hauling some of his own bulls. He really enjoyed going to the rodeos and being a contractor.”
It was the hauling that became Alex’s favorite part of the bull business.
“He enjoyed the social life that the rodeo road gave him,” Scott cotinued. “He liked to be around the other contractors and he really liked the bull riders.”
But there was a lot of hard work on the ranch that went on to get to the rodeo road. That part wasn’t Alex’s favorite.
“He did not like the maintenance required to raise bucking stock,” Scott said. “The cattle he raised were tough and there was always something getting broken that needed to be fixed.”
It was hard work that paid off. Today, the Naccarato breeding program is known for some of the most sought after genetics in the bucking stock industry.
“Alex raised a lot of great bulls that did some great things. He had numerous bulls go to the NFR and many, many were NFR short round bulls,” Scott related. “He had bulls at the big rodeos and in the PBR.”
“Many of the breeders going today have Naccarato breeding in their herds,” Scott continued. “Alex was definitely a part of the foundation of the bucking stock breeders. The name will be carried on in the bloodlines that he created through the breeders that have it in their programs to this day. A couple of his sons and grandkids have small herds that came from Alex Sr.’s herd that they hope to grow to produce Naccarato bucking stock in the future.”
Terry Lidral for BST
Author: Terry Lidral
Terry Lidral is a western writer/journalist who lives in Idaho. She is the publisher and editor of the online magazine Bucking Stock Talk and the online magazine Western Living Journal. Her publishing credits include Storyteller for Real American Cowboy Magazine, writing feature articles for Humps N Horns Magazine as well as a wide variety of national and international web sites, historical magazines and news publications. She is known for her "up close and personal" profiles of celebrities and industry moguls such as NPR's Tom Bodett; PBR's Wiley Petersen and D.H. Page, PRCA's Sammy Andrews, Cindy Rosser and Julio Moreno to name a few. She has been applauded for her way of making a personal connection between her readers and her subjects. She indulges in her love of rodeo by serving as an associate board member for the Caldwell Night Rodeo. She is also an accomplished trainer and handler in dog agility. Her shelties Amelie and Milo are titled in NADAC, USDAA and AKC.
Loved the story. A true bucking bull industry pioneer who did it his way and showed us all that the American Dream can be achieved through perseverance, intelligence, and good business sense.
we were riding alex’s bulls as high school kids back when he had his outfit out south san benito county.rank dont even describe some of the stock we ran through our little chute.
how bout them old days buckin out at flooks little round corral in paicines? we knew what we were ridin but the rest of the world didnt at the time.
Alex was a good friend and neighbor in Knights Ferry , miss him a lot .
Got the call from my friend Martha Harding about Alexes passing , one time I can say , I cried and was in shock , Alex we all miss you , your sense of humor and your love of life and Bull riding .